$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Andi's Middle Grade & Chapter Books has joined in with some terrific bloggers to give you this great giveaway:

 A $100.00 Amazon Gift Card!

Just in time for the Holidays!

 We love our readers and we want to help make this Holiday a little nicer for you.. If you love shopping then you need to enter this giveaway! And don't forget to share this with your friends too. 

This giveaway is sponsored by CountryLife4me 

Giveaway Dates - November 30 - Dec 15 Winner will be chosen by random.org 

Andi's Middle Grade & Chapter Books is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Countrylife4me is solely responsible for this prize and the fulfillment of it. Please contact them with any questions. Thanks!

To enter is easy. Just use the Rafflecopter form below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Affairs of the Mind: Chibi" Book Tour

 

 

Book description from Amazon:

Affairs of Mind: Chibi stars little Rose Wood as she does everything in her power to get an apple down from a towering tree. AOTM: Chibi is a poem for kids to enjoy and laugh and see the power of friendship at work. I hope you and your kids will enjoy.




**My thoughts**

The story is cute, though I have to say I was more impressed by the illustrations. I'm not a big comic book reader, but am always willing to check one out for the younger generation.

I do like the message within the story. You can work really hard to make something happen, but it won't until it's meant to happen. At least, this is what I pulled from the story. I also like the message about helping your friends and using teamwork.

Follow the tour!

Disclaimer: While I did receive an eARC of this book, all opinions are mine.

'The Three Lost Kids and the Christmas Curse' Review Blitz

BLURB:

Christmas everyday sounds like the best thing ever to Bella and her sisters. But when a special Wishing Stone grants her heart's desire, The Three Lost Kids discover the curse hidden in the wish.

Now they have to stop Christmas no matter what--even if that means ending up on Santa's Naughty List.

Will the girls learn the true meaning of Christmas and find a way to break the curse? Or will they be stuck in their self-created Jingle Bells Nightmare forever?

***

Look for the original Three Lost Kids Trilogy--Lexie World, Bella World and Maddie World--if you like enchanted Dragons, Fairies, and more adventures through magical worlds with great life lessons for kids!

www.ThreeLostKids.com 

**My thoughts**

I will be honest. My initial thought was, "Oh great, here is yet another story about the problems of having Christmas every day." But I still greatly enjoyed this book. Yes, the idea is not a new one, by any means. But it seems like a natural and necessary addition in The Three Lost Kids series and is well-written.

Bella is the one telling this story. She is the middle child who tends to be full of anger. and had to learn how to control it. It is her idea to make it Christmas every day. At the same time, she is the one who has to figure out how to break the curse. I like how she is shown brainstorming with her sisters and how she has to fail a few times before she is successful. Yet again, a valuable life lesson is taught to readers. This time it is to be careful for what you wish. I can see Kimberly using this story as a way to teach her own kids a lesson in real life, just as they learn one in the story. Discussion questions at the end can help to drive the message home. They make it easy for this book to be used in an educational setting or as a family.

I really do like this series a lot and have read all of the books. It's great for children as young as four or five as a read-aloud. Independent readers of all ages will also enjoy it. More stories are coming and I look forward to them!  

Buy links: Kindle \ Paperback 

BIO:

Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels ForbiddenMind, ForbiddenFire and Forbidden Life and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books LexieWorld, BellaWorld, Maddie World, and Three Lost Kids and the Death of the Sugar Fairy, all on Amazon.

She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.

For a list of her books, check out: http://Amazon.com/author/kimberlykinrade

For kids and parents of young kids, join the Lost Kids at http://ThreeLostKids.com

Good Reads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12659042-forbidden-mind

BUY NOW LINK:

The Three Lost Kids & The Christmas Curse

Amazon: http://amzn.to/Qk062F

B&N: http://bit.ly/WyhfZu

Kobo: http://bit.ly/UfmGdq

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/10urr4r

BookieJar: http://bit.ly/Tcci2Z

ONLINE LINKS:

• Website  http://KimberlyKinrade.com
• Twitter: @KimberlyKinrade
• Facebook: /KimberlyKinrade
• Three Lost Kids website: http://ThreeLostKids.com

AUTHOR PAGES:

• Amazon: http://amzn.to/10usgtP
• B&N: http://bit.ly/10dRI7E
• iTunes: http://bit.ly/RUbK2G
• Kobo: http://bit.ly/T4ILrK
• Smashwords: http://bit.ly/TcddR9
• BookieJar: http://bit.ly/TccXl6

Giveaway: All Prizes are being given away during the Release day event on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/events/472846019405495/

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from Innovative Online Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.

'Texting Through Time: John Taylor and the Mystery Puzzle' Blog Tour

Book Description:

Micah and Alicia are excited to meet John Taylor as a child in England. But when their phone won’t let them return to their own time, they’ll follow the prophet around the world, learning some important lessons along the way. Humorous, entertaining, and informative, this book is a wonderful introduction to church history that’s bound to be a family favorite!

**My thoughts**

Fans of The Magic Tree House series will enjoy this book that follows a similar idea. Brother and sister Micah and Alicia use a magic cell phone to be transported back into time to follow important figures in the Mormon faith. In the first book, they apparently met up with Brigham Young. In this one, they follow the prophet John Taylor.

There is adventure as they go along their quest to find all of the missing components of a puzzle that is programmed into the phone. Suspense builds as obstacles fall into their path. Faith builds as they believe that they will be taken care of and find their way home again. The children learn lots of lessons along the way, as well.

Even though this book is geared toward children in LDS families, I think other middle grade readers would enjoy the adventure and the story. Everyone can learn about merely living live as a good person by reading the lessons that Micah and Alicia learn on their quest. I am curious about other books in the series.

Meet the Author:

My grandmother lived with us when I was young. She loved to read me stories. I would curl up in her lap or sit on the bed next to her and listen to the tales spin out before me. We cried together over Lassie Come Home and loved Madeline and her adventures. That was a magical time for me in my life. When my children were little, I loved reading to them because it kept the magic alive. Now my children are grown, I can keep the magic by writing stories for others to read.

I love to read and write stories about the pioneer prophets.

Pioneers live all over the world. I still have family in Switzerland and Poland. Where do you and your ancestors come from? Write and tell me.

I am like the pioneers because I love:

• Old fashioned cooking—making butter
• Pioneer games—button, button, who’s got the button?
• Crafts the pioneers enjoyed—drying wild flowers

To learn more about the author and her books, you can visit her website at: www.christymonson.com

'Kris Kringle's Magic' Book Tour Review

About the book:

Kris Kringle is often in trouble for his beliefs. But in a world where elves are slaves, he is determined to make things right, even if it means standing alone. With the help of his friend Rebecca, Kris starts with the children. But can a pile of gifts on Christmas Eve really change anything?

Told from Rebecca’s perspective, Kris Kringle’s Magic is the story of a boy who devotes his life to the service of the poor, hungry, and destitute—and by doing so, becomes the legend of Santa Claus. This instant holiday classic is sure to captivate kids of all ages.

**My thoughts**

I enjoyed this book. It was yet another way of showing how Kris Kringle symbolizes love for humankind, regardless of age, race, or beliefs. He is able to teach Rebecca so much and in turn teaches the reader how to be compassionate. My hope for kids who are reading this is that they will be moved to do something in their own communities to help the less fortunate. I hope they will also realize how horrible it is to judge someone based on their size or race. I think this book is inspirational in that regard.

I would recommend that independent readers be in later elementary before reading it. If they are younger, it definitely should be read with an adult. I also think it is apporpriate for older readers. It can easily provoke conversation, whether in the home or in the classroom.


Meet the Author:

Diane Stringam Tolley was born and raised on the great Alberta prairies. Daughter of a ranching family of writers, she inherited her love of writing at a very early age. Trained in Journalism, she has penned countless articles and short stories. She is the author of four e-books and the recent Christmas story, Carving Angels, also by Cedar Fort. She and her husband, Grant, live in Beaumont, Alberta, and are the parents of six children and grandparents of twelve.  To learn more about author Diane Stringam Tolley you can visit her website: www.dianestringamtolley.com/index.html.