Free To Be Me

The children's picture book, Free To Be Me, by Nancy Zarriello has a powerful theme about acceptance. Nancy Zarriello is my aunt's mom. Nancy's son was her inspiration for this beautiful story. 
At a young age the main character, Oliver, liked to do things that girls liked to do. His parents were always there for him and kept encouraging him to be himself even though he felt as though he didn't belong. It wasn't until after college that Oliver realized he was free to be himself and that love is love. 
I recommend this book to early elementary and up. 

The Big Orange Splot

The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater is a children's picture book with a very powerful message to be yourself.

Everyone who lived on Mr. Plumbean's street had a house that looked exactly the same. They liked it that way. One day a seagull flew over Mr. Plumbean's house with a big bucket of orange paint. The seagull dropped some paint on Mr. Plumbean's roof, and now the house's aren't the same. People aren't happy so they tell Mr. Plumbean he has to paint his house. So he does! Well, he paints it all different colors with stripes, dots, animals and more. What do his neighbors think of his newly painted house?

I recommend this book to pre-schoolers and up.  

I will Always Write Back

The book I will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda with Liz Welch is a true story. 

This book is about two kids who randomly get paired at their schools to be pen pals. The girl (Caitlin) is twelve years old and lives in Pennsylvania; Martin is a fourteen year old boy who lives in Zimbabwe. As they write back and forth they realize how different their countries really are. Caitlin sends Martin and his poor family some money and then everything changes. One dollar in America is twenty dollars in Zimbabwe. Martin starts getting an education that his family could never afford. But Caitlin and her family have bigger plans: they plan to bring Martin to Pennsylvania! Will Martin come to meet Caitlin? I recommend this book to 4th graders and up.        

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart is an amazing adventure about a girl named Coyote Sunrise.
Twelve year old Coyote lives in a bus with her dad, named Rodeo. When Coyote's mom and sisters die, her and her dad set off for a new life. Since then, they have been riding around on their bus they call Yager. They leave everyone behind when they set off including Coyote's grandparents. Coyote remembers that she, her mother, and her sisters planted a time capsule of memories of them and they promised to dig it up in 10 years. When she calls her grandma her grandma has big news: people are digging up the park that Coyote, her mom and her sisters put the time capsule in! Coyote sets off on a journey to get back to the park before its too late and WITHOUT Rodeo knowing. Will Coyote be back in time or will she be too late? I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. 

The Bridge Home

The Bridge Home, a must-read, by Padma Venkatraman is a breathtaking adventure about four homeless children who live on the streets. This book is one of my favorites and I can't wait to reread it. 
When Viji and her younger sister, Rukku, run away from their mean father they find a dog with no name so Rukku names it Kutti. Soon they also meet two boys named Muthi and Arul and start living together under a bridge. But Viji will soon realize that life is full of hard and dangerous things. Will Viji and Rukku return home or stay with Muthi and Arul? I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. 

Wildfire

Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick is a thrilling adventure about a boy named Sam and a girl named Delphy. This book is one of my favorites.
Sam's camp is evacuating due to a fire in the woods. When Sam is getting on the bus he realizes that he left his phone back at the camp, so he runs back to get it. When he gets his phone he starts running back to the bus but there is a wall of fire separating him from the bus and there's only one way to go: into the woods. On the journey Sam meets a girl named Delphy and together they try to live. Will Delphy and Sam be able to get back to their parents or will they have to live in the woods forever? 
I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. 

The Hundred Dresses

The book, The Hundred Dresses, written by Eleanor Estes and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin is a chapter book with a powerful message about bullying. It's also one of my mom's all time favorites!
Wanda wears the same blue faded dress every single day. Peggy and her best friend Maddie bully Wanda so Wanda claims she has a hundred dresses in her closet. Maddie wants Peggy to stop bullying Wanda but she doesn't want to lose Peggy or her friends so she just goes along with Peggy.  Read this book to find out what lesson Maddie learned. 
The moral of the story is to stand up for yourself and to be yourself, but also to stand up for other people as well. I recommend this book to 2nd graders and up. 

Tara and Bella

Tarra and Bella, by Carol Buckley, is a remarkable true story of a dog and an elephant who became best friends. Tarra, the elephant, was the first elephant to arrive at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. As more elephants arrived they each found best friend. But Tarra never found a best friend until a stray dog appeared at her side. In this book readers will learn how two very different animals (Tarra and Bella) formed an inseparable bond. I recommend this book to preschoolers and up.   

Beautiful Oops

Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg is a very creative story with a very powerful message for young children. It teaches kids that it's okay to make a mistake because everyone makes mistakes but also that you can turn your mistake into something beautiful. I recommend this book to preschoolers and and early elementary. 

Fish in a Tree

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt  is a realistic fiction book. In this book the main character is named Ally Nickerson, you get her perspective. 

Ally is a sixth-grader in Mrs. Hall's class. For a long time, Ally looks for ways to skip reading and writing. For her, the words look like a bunch of angry marching insects and she feels like a Fish in a Tree. But when Mrs. Hall is having a baby, Ally gets a new teacher named Mr. Daniels. Mr. Daniels doesn't want to send Ally to the Principal's office so now Ally has to think of another way to skip reading and writing. Does Mr. Daniels know that Ally has a hard time reading? And will he help?  

I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. If you liked this book look for Shouting At The Rain. 

Guts

Guts, by Raina Telgemeier is a graphic novel and part of a series which includes Smile, Sisters, and Guts. 
In Guts the main character is Raina. Raina is having stomach issues and getting sick more often. What is happening? Raina is worried about what she eats and if someone gets sick she tries to stay as far away as possible from them. Why is Raina acting so strange? Is she sick and will this pass?
I recommend this book to 2nd graders and up. If you want you don't have to read these book in order because there aren't any spoilers. 

Sisters

Sisters, by Raina Telgemeier is a graphic novel and the 2nd book of the series including Smile, Sisters and Guts.
In this book the main character is Raina. Raina is traveling with  her mom, sister and brother. Her mom is driving from San Francisco to Colorado and they will be in the car for 2 weeks. But there is one problem. Raina and her sister Amara have been fighting ever since Amara was little. Also, Raina is very afraid of snakes and there is a snake in the car! How will Raina survive 2 weeks in the car with a snake and Amara? 
I recommend this book to 2nd graders and up. If you don't want to read the book in order you don't have to because there are no spoilers.   

Smile

Smile by Raina Telgemeier is a graphic novel and part of a series which includes: Smile, Sisters, and Guts.
 In this book the main character is Raina, who accidentally trips and injures her 2 front teeth and has some dental drama. Then she starts dealing with more things on her hands, including friends, boy drama and more. How will Raina deal with all this drama?
I recommend this book to 2nd graders and up. I love this book and my younger sister enjoys looking at the pictures. 

  

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a true story of a gorilla who lives in a mall. Ivan is the main character in the book and you get his perspective. His best friends, Stella (an elephant) and Bob (a dog who lives with Ivan) live in the mall too. One day a baby elephant, named Ruby, comes to the mall. But once Ruby comes something happens to Stella and Ivan makes a promise to her. Ivan doesn't know that one promise will change his life, forever. 
I recommend this book to 3rd graders and above. This book gets funny at some points. It was one of my favorites when I was in 3rd grade and still is to this day.
*COMING SOON* If you read this book, look for The One and Only Ivan in theaters August 2020!

*COMING SOON* This book has a sequel coming out on May 5, 2020 titled The One and Only Bob. After I read this book I will be sure to leave a review.

For the little ones, there is a picture book titled Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by G. Brian Karas.  

  

Don't Forget the Bacon

Don't Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins is a children's picture book. 

This boy is sent out to get some groceries and his mom tells him not to forget the bacon. However, the boy gets distracted very easily as you can tell throughout the book. There is repetition and rhyming in this book which makes it enjoyable for younger kids.

I recommend this book to preschoolers and early elementary. 

Maddi's Fridge

Maddi's Fridge is a children's picture book by Lois Brandt and illustrated by Vin Vogel. My younger sister really enjoys this book. 
This book is about a girl named Maddi. Maddi isn't as fortunate as some people are. Sofia, her best friend, one day finds out that Maddie's fridge is almost empty. What will Sofia do to help her friend? Or will she pretend like she never knew? 
I recommend this book to preschoolers and up. This book teaches people that some other people aren't alway as fortunate as we are, and to learn to be thankful for what you have. 

Act

Act, the last book in the series will be released on May 5, 2020.

  Coming Soon

Click

Click by Kayla Miller, is a graphic novel and part of a series.
In this book you get Olive's perspective. Olive's teacher announced that they where having a 5th grade variety show and everyone knows what they are doing. Well everyone except Olive. Will Olive be able to find an act before the opening night or will she have to be in the audience? I recommend this book to 2nd graders and up. 

Camp

Camp, by Kayla Miller is a graphic novel and part of a series which includes the books: Camp, Click and Act.
Olive is the main character and you get her perspective. Olive and her best friend, Willow, are going to sleep away camp for 2 weeks. Olive makes many friends on the way including Bree, Chris and more! But Willow on the other hand wants Olive to only be with her. Will Olive be able to solve this friend drama or will she break her friendship forever? I recommend this book to 2nd graders and up.

A Long Walk To Water

This book review is about a book titled A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park. This book has 2 perspectives, Salva's and Naya's.
Salva.
Salva runs away from his town once fighting. He finds many friends and he finds someone in his family. Salva has an extroninary adventure with all the people he meets on the way but as soon the journey starts it will change his life forever. 
Naya 
Naya is a girl who has to walk 1/4 of her day to get muddy disgusting water that can make her sick. Then she has to go again for water because she can only carry so much. Even though Naya's chapters aren't non-fiction, the chapters teach people to be grateful for what they have. 
I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. This book has a little violence in Salva's chapters. Salva is a real person but Naya is made up but her chapters are realistic-fiction. 

Restart

This book review is about a book called Restart by Gordon Korman. 
Restart is about a boy named Chase. Chase used to be a trouble maker but after he fell off his roof he loses everything. He doesn't remember anything. As the weeks go on he starts finding out more and more stuff about what he did. Eventually he becomes friends with the sister of the person he used to bully. Will Chase be able to make everyone believe he is a nice person now?
I recommend this book to 3rd graders and up. 

All The Answers

This book review will be about a chapter book called, All The Answers by Kate Messsner. 

This book was enjoyable for me to read. In this book you get Ava (the main character) perspective. Ava finds a magical pencil that tells her all the answers. But Ava doesn't know that the one blue pencil will change her life forever.           

I recommend this book to 3rd graders and up. I think that it would be fun if you want to read this book to your children. Look for more book recommendations at briellesbookreviews.blogspot.com

The Book With No Pictures

This book review will be about a picture book called The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak. 
The Book With No Pictures
Are you trying to convince someone to like books without pictures?
Well then this is the book to show them! The Book With No Pictures teaches people that just because a book doesn't have pictures doesn't mean that it's not funny or interesting it just doesn't have pictures.

I recommend this book to preschoolers and up. Kids will have a fun time learning that books without pictures are awesome just like picture books. 

Betty Bunny Series

This book review will be about all the Betty Bunny books written by Micheal B. Kaplan and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Each of these books are about 20 pages long. These books are one of my younger sisters favorite series. 
Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake 
In this book, Betty Bunny has no idea what chocolate cake is, but as the book goes on the reader will find out that Betty Bunny will do anything for chocolate cake.
This book is very funny. I recommend this book to preschoolers 
and early elementary. Parents will have a fun time reading it to their children.

The next book review will be about the second book, Betty Bunny Loves Easter by Micheal B. Kaplan and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch.
Betty Bunny Loves Easter 
In this book Betty Bunny wants to be the Easter Bunny. As this book goes on the reader will realize that her siblings are getting the Easter eggs for her! Will Betty Bunny quit or keep on trying to be the Easter Bunny?
I recommend this book to preschoolers and early elementary. Children will have a fun time reading Betty Bunny Loves Easter 

The third Betty Bunny book review will be Betty Bunny Wants a Goal by Micheal B. Kaplan and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch.
Betty Bunny Wants a Goal 
In Betty Bunny Wants a Goal, Betty Bunny is playing soccer and she really wants to get a goal. Her brother Bill helps her and she soon realizes she can do anything. 
I recommend this book to preschoolers and early elementary. This book will take kids on an adventure trying to teach them that nothing is impossible.

The next book review will be Betty Bunny Didn't Do It by Micheal B. Kaplan and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch.
Betty Bunny Didn't Do It 
In this book  Betty Bunny breaks a lamp and blames it on the tooth fairy. She realizes that if she doesn't tell the truth no one believes her. 
I recommend this book to preschoolers and early elementary. Children will learn that telling the truth is a good thing but also that telling the truth can hurt peoples feelings. 

The last book review will be Betty Bunny Wants Everything by Micheal B. Kaplan and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch.
Betty Bunny Wants Everything 
In this book Betty Bunny and her siblings go to the toy store and they each buy something. Betty Bunny however, wants everything in the toy store. But her mom only says one. How will Betty Bunny pick just one toy?
I recommend this book to preschoolers and early elementary. The readers will learn that they can't get everything in the world. 

Look for more book reviews at briellesbookreviews.blogspot.com

Ember End

This book review is about the last and final book in the Green Ember series, Ember End by S.D. Smith. This review has a big spoiler alert, so if you are planning to read the other books I would recommend not reading this book review. 
Ember End #4 
In this book you get Heather and Pickett's perspective and some of their friend's perspective as well. While Prince Kylen is getting poisoned, his soldiers are fighting Pickett. But Prince Kylen doesn't know the truth about the person he is trusting. Will Prince Kylen believe Pickett or will they have to fight the wolves, birds and Prince Kylen's soldiers?     

I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. This book gets violent and intense so if you are reading it to your children I would recommend 1st graders and up. If you like these book reviews look for more at briellesbookreviews.blogspot.com 

Ember Rising

This book review is about the 3rd Green Ember book, Ember Rising by S.D. Smith. This book review is a spoiler alert, so if you haven't read the 1st and 2nd book I would recommend not reading this review if you are planning to read the books.  
Ember Rising #3
Ember Rising has many different perspectives, including Heather and Pickett's. In the 2nd book, Emma learns that her brother is Smalls, who is now dead so she's the heir and the daughter of King Juipiter. In this book, the birds and lords of prey try to capture Emma which leads everyone in first warren in danger. How will they survive without Smalls and all the people they have lost in the dreadful war? 

I would recommend this book to 4th graders and up. This book gets somewhat violent. The last Green Ember series review will have the most spoilers. If you like this series look for the last and final Green Ember review, Ember Ends.

Ember Falls

This book review is about the second Green Ember book, 
Ember Falls by S.D. Smith. 
Ember Falls #2 
In this book you get Heather and Pickett's perspective but also a slave who is working for Morbin Blackhawk, the biggest and most powerful bird. Uncle Wilfred, Smalls and other rabbits go on an adventure while Morbin trys to attack cloud mountain with lords of prey (wolves.) With Pickett and his friends fighting will they be enough to protect Cloud Mountain or will Cloud Mountain Fall?

   This book is recommended for 4th grade readers and up. I would also recommend that you read the books to kindergarteners and higher. If you haven't read this book I recommend not to read the next book review because that will have some spoilers. If you aren't planning to read this you can read the 3rd book review.

The Green Ember

My first book review is about The Green Ember series by 

S.D. Smith. I just finished the series and it is super good! There are 4 books in the series and each book is about 300 pages long. The 4th and final book was published on April 14, 2020. 

The Green Ember #1

In the first book you get the main character's perspective (Heather's and Pickett's), Heather and Pickett are siblings but also rabbits. When their family gets captured they go on an adventure with their uncle and his so-called son, Smalls. They go to Cloud Mountain where they meet new friends. But they will soon learn that life is full of dangerous birds, wolves and even rabbits and a story that will change their life forever.

 I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. If you want to you can read this book to your children who aren't in 4th grade or higher, but the last book gets more violent. If you HAVE read this book and you are looking for more Green Ember go to Ember Falls to see the second book review on The Green Ember series. If you have not, look for more book reviews at briellesbookreviews.blogspot.com

Welcome

Hello everyone! My name is Brielle and this is my blog, Brielle's Book Reviews. I will be talking about all the books I have read and tell you about each one. I love to read whenever I can. My favorite genres are fantasy, realistic fiction and graphic novels but I will read anything, well almost anything. 

I will be sure to include reviews on a wide variety of books including: chapter books, children's picture books, book series, graphic novels and more! I hope you find your next favorite book here.

Happy Reading!

Brielle