KC's Best Reviews And More

Free Pinky Bunny eBook

2013-05-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

For the Mother's Day weekend, pick up a copy of my first eBook, Pinky Bunny's First Day of Kindergarten--it's free! Happy Mother's Day!! :)

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author

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Spellbinding by Maya Gold

2013-04-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

SUMMARY:
Spellbinding by Maya Gold is an awesome YA fantasy read! Abigail Silva is a normal--or so she thinks--16-year-old girl. After a history project from school, Abby soon learns that she's a descendant of the witches from the Salem trials! Crazy concoctions, spells, and more magic await her in the world of witchcraft she has just discovered.

AUTHOR BIO:
"I was born in New York City, but grew up on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, a few towns north of Diana’s home in Weehawken (she has a better view of the city skyline!) Now I live in upstate New York with my fashion-forward teenage daughter and a very friendly dog. I write books and magazine articles, and in my spare time, I coach a high school drama club. Cinderella Cleaners is my first series for young readers. I’m very excited about it!" [from http://www.cinderellacleanersbooks.com/about_maya_gold.htm]

MY OPINION:

This book (as I said in the summary) is an awesome YA fantasy must-read! I honestly wanted to read it as soon as I saw the cover! Any girl that reads this will be able to relate to Abby (mainly about what she uses her magic for ;]). This one definitely pulls you in when, in the beginning--there's a great, action-filled scene that makes you read faster than you should. :) I can't find anything wrong!

★★★★★ 5/5 stars!

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Scholastic through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author

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The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson - Declined Book Review

2013-04-11T08:43:00.001-04:00

I was supposed to do a book review on The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson, but due to cursing and a little bit of mature content in the eBook, I decided to decline my request to review the book from Scholastic, Inc. because I felt kind of uncomfortable. The story was great in the beginning, but towards the middle it felt kind of drawn out. I did want to see the end, but it's not exactly a book for kids my age.

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Scholastic, Inc. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

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Blog Updates

2013-04-11T08:30:00.001-04:00

I apologize for not posting anything recently--there's been a lot of things going on (schoolwork, Spring Break, my brother Sean's birthday, bad news in the family) and it's a little hard to keep up with the reviews sometimes. The really bad thing that happened in my family was my uncle being shot in the head by a bad guy--that was very scary, but he's recovering right now. Thanks for all your support on Facebook. It's Thursday--what are you thankful for? :)

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author

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The Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle

2013-03-08T14:14:00.000-05:00

The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist by Margarita Engle

SUMMARY:

“I find it so easy to forget
that I’m just a girl who is expected
to live
without thoughts.”

Gertrudis “Tula” Gomez has empathy, generosity, and a way with words. That’s a lot of qualities normal Cuban girls don’t have—and they aren’t supposed to have them anyway. In a time of slavery and rebellions, there is much to sympathize. Tula often wonders what it would be like to have a better country—no slavery, marriage happening because of love, not because of wealth…

Read the courageous tale of Tula, one of Cuba’s great abolitionists of the 19^th century.

AUTHOR BIO:
Margarita Engle is the Cuban-American winner of the first Newbery Honor ever awarded to a Latino. Her award winning young adult novels in verse includeThe Surrender Tree, The Poet Slave of Cuba, Tropical Secrets, and The Firefly Letters.

Engle’s most recent book is The Wild Book.

She lives in central California, where she enjoys helping her husband with his volunteer work for wilderness search and rescue dog training programs. (from http://margaritaengle.com/)

MY OPINION:

This book is really inspirational! I love how different it was--I don't usually see much books made entirely from non-rhyming poems, and you get to see everyone's perspectives. Well, I don't know if it's is because I was reading it on Kindle or what, but it was a little difficult to distinguish where it changed to a different character--there were no separators or anything. :/
...Anyway, it's a fresh idea, and it's better because you can express things in a more figurative way. Beautiful poetry is a great way to talk about a beautiful person, inside and out. <3

MY POEM FOR SCHOOL:

How would things be different if
women could choose who they marry
and
slaves were freed and weren’t mistreated because of their race?

If newborn babies weren’t abandoned
because of the color of their skin
and
girls were allowed to write and think for themselves?

Tula Gomez had these thoughts.

She wrote them down. She wrote her thoughts about
freedom,
and love,
and beauty,
and what it would be like to soar, to fly and be herself.
No, for everyone to be able to soar.

Tula was scolded for this. For writing.

But did that matter? No.

After running from her selfish fiancé, she did a lot of things.
Things she had written about.

Because, as you might have inferred, Getrudis Gomez was not only a thinker, or a writer.

She was a doer.

★★★★ 4/5 stars!

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Harcourt Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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Every Tongue Got to Confess by Zora Neale Hurston

2013-02-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

SUMMARY:

Every Tongue Got to Confess by Zora Neale Hurston is a funny folktale-filled book. In the late 1920s, Zora Neale Heaston went on a lot of travels in which she collected a lot of stories and opinions from other African-Americans like herself. Over 500 stories are in this amusing, thought-provoking collection of folklore about God, the Devil, talking animals, mistaken identities and more! :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Zora Neale Hurston knew how to make an entrance. On May 1, 1925, at a literary awards dinner sponsored by Opportunity magazine, the earthy Harlem newcomer turned heads and raised eyebrows as she claimed four awards: a second-place fiction prize for her short story "Spunk," a second-place award in drama for her play Color Struck, and two honorable mentions.

The names of the writers who beat out Hurston for first place that night would soon be forgotten. But the name of the second-place winner buzzed on tongues all night, and for days and years to come. Lest anyone forget her, Hurston made a wholly memorable entrance at a party following the awards dinner. She strode into the room--jammed with writers and arts patrons, black and white--and flung a long, richly colored scarf around her neck with dramatic flourish as she bellowed a reminder of the title of her winning play: "Colooooooor Struuckkkk!" Her exultant entrance literally stopped the party for a moment, just as she had intended. In this way, Hurston made it known that a bright and powerful presence had arrived. (Read more at http://zoranealehurston.com/about/)

MY OPINION:
I really like how humorous this book was in parts, but had a good lesson and was thought-provoking in others. Just to let you know, if you're wondering, this story is an anthology--it's a collection of folktales told by different African-Americans when Ms. Hurston went on a trip through the Gulf States. That makes it interesting, with different writing styles and all. This book also does have some inappropriate content (not suitable for kids) and some cursing (the 'n' word).

★★★★ 4/5 stars!

SPECIAL THANKS:
Special thanks to my Facebook fan, Joni Dischner, for suggesting this book as a must read for Black History Month. :)

+Zora Hurston

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American Girl: The Cécile Series by Denise Lewis Patrick

2013-02-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

SUMMARY:

American Girl: The Cécile Series, written by Denise Lewis Patrick and illustrated by Christine Kornacki, is a great turn on just reading a history textbook--this time, it's a story in history! Cécile Rey is a courageous and kind girl living in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1853. Although she lives in a country where others like her are slaves, her family is lucky--they are French, and they are very wealthy, free people. When Cécile meets another girl at her singing class, Marie-Grace,they unextectedly become the best of friends. After her new friendship, she finds herself doing more charitable things than ever--mainly at the local orphanage and nursing home. First, (Meet Cécile) she gets to have an extremely unique experience at the Mardi Gras Children's Ball. Second, (Troubles for Cécile) she helps in a time of need when some family members come down with yellow fever! Last, (Cécile's Gift) she helps a young girl, Perinne Dupree, who has lost most of her family to yellow fever. No matter what happens, though, Cécile always finds a great way to get through it and learn a good life lesson! :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise Lewis Patrick is the author of the Cécile Rey books: Meet Cécile, Troubles for Cécile, and Cécile’s Gift. She grew up in Louisiana, and is thrilled to write about its history in the stories of this new American Girl historical character. Denise wrote and illustrated her first book when she was ten—she glued yellow cloth to cardboard for the cover and sewed the pages together on her mom’s sewing machine! Today, Denise has published more than 35 picture books, biographies, and historical novels for young readers. (from http://www.americangirlpublishing.com/authors/deniselewispatrick.aspx, but you can also check out http://www.deniselewispatrick.com/index.htm)

MY OPINION:
This book is great! It kept my attention, and made me want to read more every time! This seems like the perfect book to keep a younger child's attention span while learning a lot about history. I'm not sure if this is considered bad, but I...kind of liked it better in Troubles for Cécile when some of the family members were sick...I don't know, it was just more interesting to find out what happened, but I'm not sure if I should think that since illnesses are a bad thing. XD

I wish that the Marie-Grace parts were at the library--they contained a lot of the important parts that happened, and they make up books 1, 3, and 5. I think this is the only American Girl series I haven't read (it's the newest!). So far, there isn't one American Girl book that has failed to dissapoint me. :)

★★★★ 4/5 stars!

+American Girl Dolls

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author

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Who Was Rosa Parks? by Yona Zeldis McDonough

2013-02-24T16:03:00.000-05:00

SUMMARY:
Who Was Rosa Parks? by Yona Zeldis McDonough is a great African-American biography for all ages! Although Rosa Parks was not born in slavery days, she still made a large impact on society. She grew up in Pine Level, Alabama and moved to Montgomery, Alabama when she was eleven. After marrying Raymond Parks at eighteen, she started working at the NAACP. Rosa's most well-known incident is when she got arrested just for keeping her seat on the bus, but that isn't all she did--read the book to find out more!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
"As a student at Vassar College, I never once took a writing course. I was not accepted into the poetry workshop I applied to, so I avoided all other writing classes, and instead focused on literature, language and art history, which was my declared major. I was so taken with the field that I decided to pursue my studies on a graduate level. I enrolled in a PhD program at Columbia University where I have to confess that I was miserable. I didn’t like the teachers, the students or the classes. I found graduate school the antithesis of undergraduate education; while the latter encouraged experimentation, growth, expansion, the former seemed to demand a kind of narrowing of focus and a rigidity that was simply at odds with my soul. It was like business school without the reward of a well-paying job at the end." (piece of Yona Zeldis Mc Donough's biogragraphy @ http://www.yonazeldismcdonough.com/content/index.php/about-yona/)

MY OPINION:

I really like how this book is nonfiction and it's interesting too! Most nonfiction books don't really seem that interesting to me, but this book was more like a story. This series is great for all ages! I also thought that some of the parts of the book were kind of sad, but not too sad for younger children to handle. I can't wait to read more of the "Who Was" series--plus I love learning about black history!

Who was Rosa Parks? Well, now I know. :)

★★★★ 4/5 stars!

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough

2013-02-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

SUMMARY:
Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough is a great African-American history book for kids! Harriet Tubman, born Araminta "Minty" Harriet Ross, was probably one of the bravest African-American women of her time! After being a cruelly treated slave for a long while, she decides that she has had enough, and she ran up to the north. When Harriet got there, though, she realized--she was the only one. No one she knew was there--she was alone. So...being the courageous woman she was, Harriet went back down to the South. She knew other people needed her help. Did Harriet survive the journey?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
"As a student at Vassar College, I never once took a writing course. I was not accepted into the poetry workshop I applied to, so I avoided all other writing classes, and instead focused on literature, language and art history, which was my declared major. I was so taken with the field that I decided to pursue my studies on a graduate level. I enrolled in a PhD program at Columbia University where I have to confess that I was miserable. I didn’t like the teachers, the students or the classes. I found graduate school the antithesis of undergraduate education; while the latter encouraged experimentation, growth, expansion, the former seemed to demand a kind of narrowing of focus and a rigidity that was simply at odds with my soul. It was like business school without the reward of a well-paying job at the end." (piece of Yona Zeldis Mc Donough's biogragraphy @ http://www.yonazeldismcdonough.com/content/index.php/about-yona/)

MY OPINION:

Who was Harriet Tubman? Well, now I know. :)

★★★★ 4/5 stars!

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

2013-02-16T18:48:00.000-05:00

SUMMARY:
The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman is an awesome historical read! In 1923, Jade Moon is a 16 year old Fire Horse girl who longs to feel loved and accepted for who she is--after all, Fire Horses are very stubborn, strong-willed and confident. When Jade Moon gets a chance to travel to America, she places her dreams a little too far than what she is sure will happen, and she ends up having to dress like a boy in order to get in. Will the Fire Horse girl be able to hide her identity long enough to settle?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kay Honeyman grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Baylor University, graduating with a Bachelors and Masters in English Language and Literature. Her first novel, The Fire Horse Girl, came out in January 2013. It was published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. She currently teaches middle school and lives in Dallas, Texas. (from http://kayhoneyman.com/about/)

MY OPINION:

I know how everyone always says that books are, a lot of times, good because you can relate to the main character. In this case, I love it because Jade Moon is a lot different from me! I love how she stands up for what she thinks is right, and how she follows her dreams, no matter how risky they are. I love how unpredictable everything is--I mean, I didn't know she'd have to go in disguise! I love how it takes place in history, I love how it's about Chinese culture--there isn't anything NOT to love! (By the way, "Fire Horse" just means that she was born in a certain year that associates her with the element fire and the animal horse. It also gives her a certain personality.)

★★★★★ 5/5 stars!

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Scholastic through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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The Magic Flyswatter: A Superhero Tale of Africa retold by Aaron Shepard

2013-02-13T17:52:00.000-05:00

Surprise book review!! :D

SUMMARY:
"I am Mwindo,
the one born walking,
the one born talking.
My father She-Mwindo does not want me.
My father the chief wants to kill me.
But what can he do against me?"

Just before his wives became pregnant, African chief She-Mwindo had said that if any of his children was a boy, then they would be killed, for when it comes to wedding expenses, only the groom's family would have to pay for everything. Soon, six of his seven wives give birth on the same day--and luckily, they were all girls. When the seventh child, Mwindo, was born, he did not want to be killed. Mwindo chanted the song (see above) and could not be killed by his father! Later, because his father could not get rid of the boy, Mwindo was sent up the river. After being raised by his aunt Iyangura, Mwindo wants revenge--can he make his father get what he deserved?

AUTHOR BIO:
This book is a folktale, and it was retold by Aaron Shepard. The original author is unknown.

MY OPINION:
I found this book very amusing and even a bit funny at times--I don't know if it was made to be funny or not, but I personally thought that the story was, a bit. ;) I also think the ending is very sweet--it's not what you think it will be! My new favorite folktale!! <3

★★★★★ 5/5 stars!

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author

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Starring Jules #1: Starring Jules (as herself)

2013-02-07T10:57:00.000-05:00

SUMMARY:
Starring Jules #1: Starring Jules (As Herself) by Beth Ain is a cute and fun read for kids! Jules Bloom is a fun, spunky girl that has just broken her friendship with the fancy-pants Charlotte Pinkerton, and she's trying to let another bloom with the new girl, Elinor...BUT, along the way, Jules is selected to be in a mouthwash commercial because she has "pizzazz," as superstar Colby Kingston says. She's really excited, until it turns out that the mouthwash is orange flavored--which is puke flavor in Jules' mind! Will Elinor and Jules be BFFs like she imagined? And will she flunk the commercial just because of the flavor?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
"I was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (Yes, that Hershey—the one with all the chocolate!) But then my family moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania where I got to grow up across the street from my best friend, ride bikes after school, and get wet to my ankles in the creek in my neighborhood, trying to save frogs from being swept away. Then some things like junior high and high school happened and I was a cheerleader and a soccer player and a math-homework-avoider and a soap-opera watcher and an inventor of crazy-delicious after school snacks, and I was all kinds of other junior high and high school things. And then, I was lucky enough to go away to college, near the great city of Boston, Massachusetts where I learned a lot and met loads of interesting people and where I made very good friends with a lot of people from New York who dragged me back to New York City with them and well, that was the end of that.” (from http://www.bethain.com/BIO.html)

MY OPINION:

This book is really fun! It kind of reminds me of Junie B. Jones--but I'm not saying the author is copying, I'm pointing out that this should become a hit too. :) This really sounds like Jules is real!--well, actually, she IS based on Ms. Ain's daughter Grace, which makes it even better. I love the fact that Jules is going to be famous--I mean, who doesn't want to read about a child star?! I just know all the younger girls are going to LOVE this! :D (Plus the fact that there...just isn't a bad Scholastic book. That's just not possible.)

★★★★ 4/5 stars!

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Scholastic through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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February's Must-Read

2013-02-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi! Last month I read the book, A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Englene--it was a recommended read by Ms. Joni Dischner. It's February 2013, Black History month, so I would prefer this month's must read suggestions be something about Black History or African American related. Please submit your suggestions in the comment box below along with your blog or website.

If I select your suggested book to read and review this month, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win the first eBook copy of my upcoming book, Unsecret Secrets, and shout-out to you and your website or blog! If you're my Fan of the Week on my Facebook page, you will also be entered into the drawing. The winner(s) will be announced in April.

www.KristinaCardoza.com +Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

2013-01-31T22:00:00.000-05:00

SUMMARY:

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle is an AWESOME read!!

"There are dragons in the twins' vegetable garden. Or there were. They've moved to the north pasture now."

What was going on? Charles Wallace had never confused imagination with reality. Never.

Not even now.

The hero from A Wrinkle in Time returns in this fantasy sci-fi on an adventure to save her younger brother with the help of her love Calvin, a cherubim dragon named Proginoskes, and (unexpectedly) the hated principal of the elementary school, Mr. Jenkins.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Madeleine was born on November 29th, 1918, and spent her formative years in New York City. Instead of her shool work, she found that she would much rather be writing stories, poems and journals for herself, which was reflected in her grades (not the best). However, she was not discouraged. At age 12, she moved to the French Alps with her parents and went to an English boarding school where, thankfully, her passion for writing continued to grow. She flourished during her high school years back in the United States at Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina, vacationing with her mother in a rambling old beach cottage on a beautiful stretch of Florida Beach. [for more information, go to http://www.madeleinelengle.com/madeleine-lengle/]

MY OPINION:
Oh. My. Gosh. There are NO WORDS to describe how awesome this book is--but of course I have to try! Three reasons I love this book are 1) It's so cool that the science in this book is based on things in real life, which makes it really realistic and like it could actually happen! 2) Although it's a sci-fi book, it has touching messages, like the power of love and stuff. ;D 3) Even though it was written in 1973, the story itself is perennial.

★★★★★ 5/5 stars! :)

**A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle was the Must Read of January 2013, suggested by Ms. Joni Dischner, one of my followers on Facebook. Thank you! You have been entered in a drawing to win an eBook copy of my upcoming book, Unsecret Secrets. :)**

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Worry Wart by Lisa Kildahl

2013-01-26T21:01:00.001-05:00

Worry Wart is a good story to teach a good lesson. Chloe Lore is a very worrisome girl--that's all she ever thinks about! After worrying WAY too much, she grows a "worry wart" on her nose--and she wants it to go away. In this cute story, watch Chloe as she figures out how exactly not to be such a worrywart.

Lisa Kildahl received her BA in Economics at Oakland University in Rochester Hills Michigan. With over 15 years of business experience, she has a diverse background including underwriting at John Hancock, employee benefits analysis at Johnson & Higgins and most currently working with The Fisher Agency. [from http://parablesandbooks.com/authors/lisa-kildahl/]

This book is pretty cute. I love the pictures--are they clay? It's also great that a moral is incorporated into the story. However, I don't feel as if this is the most attention catching book for young children--nothing particularly crazy, funny, or interesting happens in the book. It's just about a girl who finds out how not to worry...well, I'm not saying it has no plot, (I mean, it's not every day you see a girl who gets a wart on her nose from worrying!) it's just that it's not very stand-out-ish.

Overall, I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Parables & Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

2013-01-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke is an action-packed historical fantasy! Ananna is a pirate who has run away from her unwanted fiancé (Tarrin of the Hariri)--she wants to lead her own ship, not be second in command! Eventually, the Hariri clan is after her, and she soon finds herself face-to-face with a blood magic assassin, Naji. After Ananna accidentally saves his life, the two are bound together with only one goal: to find a cure for the assassin's curse.

Cassandra Rose Clarke is a speculative fiction writer living amongst the beige stucco and overgrown pecan trees of Houston, Texas. She graduated in 2006 from The University of St. Thomas with a bachelor’s degree in English, and in 2008 she completed her master’s degree in creative writing at The University of Texas at Austin. Both of these degrees have served her surprisingly well.

During the summer of 2010, she attended the Clarion West Writers Workshop in Seattle. She was also a recipient of the 2010 Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship Fund. [from http://www.cassandraroseclarke.com/about/]

I really liked it, despite the fact that THIS BOOK DOES HAVE CURSE WORDS. It seemed kind of long, and it was a little drawn out in some places, yet the story captured my focus because I was looking forward to seeing what happened. I liked how the two main characters were so different, but they still managed to at least like each other (a little more than 'like' in Ananna's case ;]) and help each other along their journey. Overall this is a great book, but I honestly don't think it was my age group--it was more of a 13-14+ book. I'm on the lookout for the next one, though--can't wait! :)

★★★★ 4/5!

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Strange Chemistry through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
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In Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr...

2013-01-21T20:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Martin Luther King Day!!

I wrote this poem in October 2012 for a poetry book project at school. This was my elegy, and since it's about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, I decided to post it. :)

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The S.A.V.E. Squad #2: The Great Cat Caper by Lauraine Snelling and Kathleen Wright

2013-01-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

The S.A.V.E. Squad: The Great Cat Caper by Lauraine Snelling and Kathleen Wright is a great story for all ages! Four girls, Sunny, Aneta, Vee, and Esther are desperate to find a home for the cats they found by the dumpster (a.k.a. the "Dumpster Cats.") As a service project, they take them to a service center--but, in the process, lots of...erm...unexpected (and unnecessary) events happen to them to block their path. At the same time, Vee Nguyen is striving to stay in the Advanced Learning Center math course--but juggling cat catastrophes and preparations for her big retest isn't good for her. Can the S.A.V.E. squad handle it all?

Today, Lauraine Snelling is a member of the more than Two Million Books In Print club, but when she first began, she was a mother of three teenagers with a simple dream to write “horse books for kids.” Her dreams manifested into reality in 1982 with Tragedy on the Toutle, a story about a girl and her horse caught in the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington state. Ms. Snelling continued the dream, publishing two more best-selling series: High Hurdles and The Golden Filly, and expanded into writing inspirational romances for adults. [from http://www.laurainesnelling.com/html/meetlauraine.html] {I couldn't find any info about Kathleen Wright--I'm really sorry! :(}

Even though this book was set in the current time and about normal girls, the plot was still great! I can relate to all of the girls in the book, but they're put into a sticky situation that I can't relate to. I also liked the fact that a Christian message was incorporated into the story. The book was TELLING me to read more, so I finished the book really quickly!...Well, it's not the most suspenseful book, but the storyline makes you want to find out what happens. My favorite character is either Sunny or Vee (they're the most like me), but I can't decide. Anyway, I rate this book 4 stars. Bunny Approved! :D

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Barbour Publishing Inc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

+Kristina Cardoza, Child Author
http://amazon.com/author/kristinacardoza

www.KristinaCardoza.com

www.facebook.com/KristinaCardozaChildrensAuthor

The Kindling by Braden Bell

2013-01-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

The Kindling by Braden Bell is a great middle school fantasy read! Conner Dell, Lexa Dell, and Melanie Stephens are three "normal" 7th graders...until now.

It all started that night. The night of the storm.
The kidnappings...of random children in their area.
The deaths...of every. Single. Dog. In. Their. Neighborhood.
The stalker...that no one else could see.
The teachers...acting suspicious.
The strange supernatural events happening to the trio.

And it all leads up to one thing...
They've kindled.

Now that they have kindled and become Magi, the trio is dragged into the intense battle between Light and Dark, having to use their newly gained powers...and there's no turning back.

Official trailer #1 [Conner Dell]:

Braden Bell holds a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his family live on a quiet, wooded lot in Tennessee, where he teaches middle school theatre and music. An experienced performer, Mr. Bell enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening, and long walks with the dog. [from Amazon.com's Braden Bell page]

The Kindling is a great must-read for preteens/teens! With *just* the right blend of action, adventure, fantasy, and a dab of romance, this book is headed for the top! The plot is very in-depth and well put together. I love the first sentence:

"Conner Dell didn't mean to set anyone's gym shorts on fire."

The book pulls you in with its lasso of suspense, and as the story unfolds, the words are so vivid and descriptive that you feel like you're inside the book, watching everything! I also like how the main three characters are so relatable. This makes it a great family read--I'm giving it to my brother next. 4.5 stars!!!

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Cedar Fort through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

www.KristinaCardoza.com
http://amazon.com/author/kristinacardoza
www.facebook.com/KristinaCardozaChildrensAuthor
www.twitter.com/KristinaCardoza

Suggest Must-Read Drawing

2013-01-04T12:36:00.002-05:00

Hi! It's the start of a new year so make it a good one! I've been blogging for over a year now about books I've read and about myself as a published children's book author (Amazon Author Page). I hope by now that you respect my book reviews and my writing style. As of this month, January 2013, I want my fans and followers to suggest a book for me to read each month. If I select your suggested book to read and review, you will be entered into a drawing that month for a chance to win the first eBook copy of my upcoming book, Unsecret Secrets, and shout-out to you and your website or blog! If you're my Fan of the Week on my Facebook page or Fan of the Month on my Twitter page, you will also be entered into the drawing. Winners will be announced in June.

www.KristinaCardoza.com +Kristina Cardoza, Child Author

Unsecret Secrets Book Cover

2012-12-16T11:46:00.000-05:00

Unsecret Secrets Book Covers

Which book cover should I use for my newest book, Unsecret Secrets?

www.KristinaCardoza.com

The Leaves Fall by Kristina Cardoza

2012-12-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

The Leaves Fall

by Kristina Cardoza

www.KristinaCardoza.com

Win a Copy of Unsecret Secrets! :)

2012-12-12T07:59:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about working on my book Unsecret Secrets! I'm still working on the book cover--I've already finished the prologue and written most of the first chapter. I will be giving away a copy when it's published in Spring 2013! For a chance to win a copy of Unsecret Secrets, do the following:

Follow its fan page by clicking 'Like' under the banner picture on www.facebook.com/UnsecretSecrets
Become the fan of the week and you will be entered into the drawing. For a chance to become the fan of the week, you can do any or all of the following:

Post (comments or pictures)
Respond to comments/post/pictures
Like posts/comments/pictures
Share posts/pictures
Invite others to 'Like' the page

The best part about writing for my age group is that I don't have to make as much illustrations. I love drawing, but sometimes it gets time-consuming for a book. I can't wait to share my book with you! Like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KristinaCardozaChildrensAuthor too. :)

www.KristinaCardoza.com

Sean's Master Plan

2012-12-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

Kristina and Sean Cardoza (July 2009)

Over the weekend, I realized my brother, Sean Cardoza, has basically his entire life planned out--he wants to be in the LEGO Robotics Club when he turns 9, go to the Dayton Regional STEM School for 6th grade, work for Best Buy's Geek Squad as a teenager, and go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for college to work on robots. Sean also said he wants to be a rich mad scientist who lives in a huge mansion when he grows up. He's "going to make people grow wings!" and "invent the time machine." He's been saying that since he was only 5. XD

Zombie Kid Diaries: Playing Dead by Fred Perry

2012-11-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

Zombie Kid Diaries: Playing Dead by Fred Perry is about Bill Stokes, your average video-gaming, homework-hating sixth grade boy who dreams of becoming a pro gamer--but one day his mom comes home from work all slow and groggy, and because she works for various companies testing out different medicines, (like a guinea pig) she comes home like this a lot. This time, it's different though--she's turned into a zombie! The next day, Bill notices a few things different with himself...and then he finds out that he is a zombie too! Bill is having LOTS of *fun*, juggling puberty, middle school, and being zombiefied all at once...

Fred Perry is a writer/comic book artist for Antarctic Press. He is best known for his series Gold Digger, and besides that, he has books on drawing and another zombie book, The Littlest Zombie. To learn more about Mr. Perry, you can go to his Facebook page.

Zombie Kid Diaries was a good book! The storyline was really original--no more of the dead coming back to life, just mysterious zombiefying drugs. I'm actually surprised that Bill could focus on gaming, with all the stuff going on in his life, you know? It was well written too...Oh, and I have to say, the drawings are really cute too. 4 stars! ;)

**I received a copy of this eBook for free from Antarctic Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**