Are you made fainthearted by death? Does fire unnerve you? Is a villain something that might crop up in future nightmares of yours? Are you thrilled by nefarious plots? Is cold porridge upsetting to you? Vicious threats? Hooks? Uncomfortable clothing?
It is likely that your answers will reveal A Series of Unfortunate Events to be ill-suited for your personal use. A librarian, bookseller, or acquaintance should be able to suggest books more appropriate for your fragile temperament. But to the rarest of readers, we say, “Proceed, but cautiously.”
Thoughts/ review
This was a fun read that I really enjoyed. This is actually my first time reading The Unfortunate Event Series, I’ve seen the movie adaptation when it was first released and enjoyed the movie, but I really wanted to sit and read all the books. I thought the kids (Klaus, Violet, and Sunny) were fun to fun. I liked how all, though each, are different they still used their wits to outsmart Count Olaf. This is definitely a series I will be completing this year, and when I’m finished, I want to watch the TV show that is on Netflix. The story moved fast, yet the writing was fun and easy to understand. I think this series, although for a younger audience, can be for anyone who wants something different and fun.
This is a fun and fast paced middle grade story about a young boy who is the son of an umbrellalla maker. Oscar lives in a place where it rains constantly and there are many different types of rain, that’s how much rain they get. So the umbrella business is always booming here.
The people of the city tend to buy cheap not well supported umbrellas just to get them through the day. The issue is they are breaking and just not good for the amount of rain they get. The people of the city would rather pay less then pay more for something that will last and actually work.
Oscar dad needs more help at his shop so his dad asks him to leave school to become his apprentice. Oscar doesn’t like this his passion is art not making and selling umbrellas.
In the story Oscar and his best friend Saige try to understand the weird weather in the city and other darkness that may occurcuring.
This was a fun lightheaded fast paced read I really enjoyed it.
Rating 4 ⭐
Synopsis
The Umbrella Maker’s Son by Katrina Leno Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy Publishing Date: June 27, 2023 Synopsis: From a critically acclaimed author comes a fantastical middle grade novel about a boy determined to prove there’s more than just the weather behind his rainy town. Oscar Buckle lives in a city where it’s always raining. And when it isn’t raining, it’s about to rain, so the townspeople have learned to embrace it. Oscar’s father is an umbrella maker—appropriate for a place where you can’t leave home without one!—but while Buckle Umbrellas are strong, reliable, and high quality, they’re expensive . Because of this, people are buying from the competitor instead, which is threatening Oscar’s family’s business. To make ends meet, Oscar is forced to quit school and work in his father’s shop as an apprentice. But when extraordinary events start to occur in their rainy town, Oscar becomes suspicious of their competitor. Desperate to save his town, Oscar must enlist the help of his best friend, Saige, to discover if there’s more than nature involved in their city’s weather. Content Warning: Grief, loss of a parent
About the author
Katrina Leno was born on the East Coast and currently lives in Los Angeles. She is the author of
seven critically acclaimed novels for young adults: Sometime in Summer, Horrid, You Must Not Miss,
Summer of Salt, Everything All at Once, The Lost & Found, and The Half Life of Molly Pierce. Her
eighth novel (and first middle grade) The Umbrella Maker’s Son, arrives June 27, 2023. She thinks
you are just lovely.
In this fun middle grade story you meet Jorge who is sent to Mexico to live with his grandparents until things with his mom get better. Jorge hates being at new school, new town, stuck at his grandparents house without all his friends from back home.
One night Jorge meets a chupacabra, throughout the story you learn that the chupacabra (Carter) is trying to find his way back to his family. Jorge and Carter build a cool friendship. They bonded really well – even despite their differences.
I actually really enjoyed this fun fast paced read. I enjoy the art work as well. I also like that this story gives a nice message for kids who read this. I would like for my son to read this one day. I think parents and teachers would really enjoy their kids reading this.
Rating 4 ⭐
Favorite Quotes
“People who judge others by the color of their skin or the language they grew up speaking really get on my nerves”
With realization came another – an even more terrifying one: this kind of monster had a name! A name known all the world, as a matter of fact! It started with a “chips” and ended with a “cabra”.
At last, Carter said “Just because someone leaves you doesn’t mean they don’t love you. Sometimes they leave because they love you. To protect you.”
Synopsis
With his signature laugh-out-loud humor, world-famous comedian George Lopez launches a fantastical middle grade series inspired by his own colorful childhood and Latinx folklore. In this illustrated contemporary fantasy, twelve-year-old Jorge is lonely and resentful after being sent to live with his grandparents. His first day at his new school doesn’t go well after catching the attention of his belligerent principal and the school bullies, so Jorge might be a little desperate for a friend. But the only kid who shares his interest in junk food and games turns out to be a young chupacabra– a legendary monster whose kind is known for being bloodthirsty livestock killers. The truth is, Carter is anything but savage–he’s kind, a good listener, and has great taste in sneakers. Being friends with a mythical creature should be amazing, but when local cattle turn up dead and his principal suspects the truth, Jorge is torn. Should he trust that his friend is innocent and prote
About the authors
George Lopez is a New York Times bestselling author, stand-up comedian, actor, and talk show
host. He made waves as the star of the most successful English-language prime-time television series
about Latin Americans in recent history. His successful stand-up comedy showcases his idiosyncratic
point of view and impeccable comedic timing. He lives in Los Angeles.
George’s Links:
Website: https://www.georgelopez.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/georgelopez Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgelopez/
Ryan Calejo is the author of the Charlie Hernández series. He was born and raised in south Florida,
where he graduated from the University of Miami with a BA. He teaches swimming to elementary
school students, chess to middle school students, and writing to high school students. Having been
born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called “Capital of Latin America,” Ryan
knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that
children of all ethnicities can relate to.
Ryan’s Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryancalejo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryancalejo/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17203058.Ryan_Calejo
Top 5 Reasons to read The Smartest Kid in the Universe Evil Genius
Instead of writing a typical review I’ll be sharing 5 reasons why you should read this book
• The first reason to pick the last book in this series is because you get the chance to follow the same kids from the first two books and see how they navigate around different situations ever since Jake’s life has changed since eating the jellybeans.
• The next reason is wanting to know how Jake’s new smarts will go with his family and school. In the book you learn he is working with an organization because he’s so smart. I always had more question about how others around him would feel or even continue to help him.
• The name of this book is Evil Genius so I was definitely curious as to who the next smartest kid would be and why?
• Another reason is, which is more of a question before I started reading this was if Professor Farooqi’s was going to make more jellybeans and possibly share his creation with a company that actually cares to listen
• The last reason is wanting to know if Jake keeps or loses his knowledge that he gotten from the jellybeans. This was always a question I had when reading this.
Favorite quotes that I liked:
” Hey KoJo?” Said Jake, His voice a little shaky. “You ever wonder if a gift can become a curse”?
“To find out how he became so ‘brilliant’. Expose him, Hubert! For we must have our revenge, Hubert. We must do whatever it takes we must find a way to destroy the boy who destroyed our family!”
“It’s him,” Jake whispered to Grace and Kojo. “That’s why he demanded these IQ tests. I was wrong about Zane Zinkle.
Rating: 4 ⭐
Synopsis
Jake McQuade’s the smartest kid in the universe—or at least he was. But just as his training with the secret agency known as the Consortium is about to start, Jake’s jelly beans go missing! And to make matters worse, they (and Jake’s genius!) might be wearing off right when he needs his smarts most!
Jake needs to solve this mystery fast. Who stole the jelly beans and why? Can Jake figure out what’s going on, recover the missing jelly beans, and stop a high-tech heist before it’s too late?!
From top-secret hideouts to New York City penthouse apartments to the Statue of Liberty in the middle of the night, get ready to go on a whirlwind, wild-ride adventure filled with supervillains and spies, puzzles and pirates, codes and drones, and much, much more—and don’t miss the first two books in the series—Smartest Kid in the Universe and Genius Camp!
About the author
CHRIS GRABENSTEIN is the multiple award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the MR. LEMONCELLO, HAUNTED MYSTERY, WELCOME TO WONDERLAND, SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE, and DOG SQUAD series. He also wrote THE ISLAND OF DR. LIBRIS, SHINE (with his wife J.J.), the picture book NO MORE NAPS, and many, many other books, plays, and audio book originals. Chris and J.J. Grabenstein live in New York City with two cats and lots of ideas. You can visit Chris at ChrisGrabenstein.com.
This is a fast paced middle grade book, the first in a series about a middle schooler named Jake. He can be considered lazy and he doesn’t care about school all that much. He just shows up because it’s a great opportunity to be with his friends.
One evening when having dinner at his mom’s job he came across a jar of jelly beans. He didn’t think anything of them. Until a few hours later he was spewing facts and all kinds of knowledge from his brain that his family and best friend KoJo were surprised he knew.
Jake and Kojo put two and two together and realized that the jelly beans were the ones making Jake smart. With the help of the jelly beans and all the important knowledge it has given Jake. He was able to help his little sister with Spanish and help solve a big problem for his friend Grace and her family, and most importantly save his middle school.
I really enjoyed reading this story and how adventurous it was.
Rating: 4 ⭐
Synopsis
12 year old Jake’s middle school is about to be shut down–unless Jake and his friends can figure out how to save it. When Jake spies a bowl of jellybeans at the hotel where his mom works, he eats them. But those weren’t just jellybeans, one of the scientists at his mom’s conference is developing the world’s first ingestible information pills. And THAT’S what Jake ate. Before long, Jake is the smartest kid in the universe. But the pills haven’t been tested yet. And when word gets out about this new genius, people want him. The government. The mega corporations. Not all of them are good people Can Jake navigate the ins and outs of his newfound geniusdom (not to mention the ins and outs of middle school) and use his smarts to save his school? BONUS Includes extra brainteasers to test your smarts
