The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World

I am a huge fan of Eoin Colfer, so I'm surprised that I haven't included any of his books in my posts. I'll get around to it though - I just need to brush up on my favorite series, Artemis Fowl. I want to remember all the details before I review it. :)

I was pretty excited to find this book written by Mr. Colfer - it's illustrated and it's only 7 short chapters long. Since Andrew and I have been reading some pretty long books, I thought we could shake it up a bit.

Will Woodman is a kid who comes from a great home with good parents. The only problem is, he has to share those parents with 4 brothers. How in the world is a boy supposed to get some quality time in with all those siblings clamoring for attention too? Will needed someone to listen to his troubles and since his parents weren't available, he turned to his Grandpa. It was perfect. I mean, what else did Grandpa have to do with his time? He might as well lend a listening ear to his grandson.

Each Saturday, Will and Grandpa swap sob stories but oddly enough, Grandpa's stories always top Will's. How can you compete with a man who's been bitten on the head by a shark, had his backpack stolen by a badger and survived a week of using tin foil for toilet paper?

Fortunately, Will is able to have some uninterrupted time with his father where he explains his frustration regarding story-topping Grandpa. As it turns out, Will may have a story that not even Grandpa can beat.

I loved this book - with Eoin Colfer's fantastic sense of humor and a great moral to the story, you can't go wrong. A must-read!

Mars Needs Moms

I meant to post this book on Mother's Day, but I forgot. I blame it on Mommy Brain. You know, that thing that happens to your otherwise normally functioning brain after having children. Forgetful doesn't even begin to describe it. However, since it's for the good of the children, I'm happy to sacrifice a few things. Like my vocabulary and my ability to finish a thought before moving on to an entirely new one. They say that once the kids move out you may experience a partial recovery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A friend of mine had been telling me to read this book for awhile and I wanted to - I really did. We're big fans of Berkeley Breathed in this household. But wouldn't you know, our library didn't have a copy. I also stay away from the bookstores as much as possible - they're far too dangerous for someone like me. It seemed like I would never have a chance to read this wonderful book. And then something happened. The Book Fair at Andrew's school. A book fair, my friends, is even more dangerous than a book store - trust me! I think it has something to do with the fact that a portion of the proceeds goes to help the school. Yeah...I'm a sucker for that. This time was different - I was determined to purchase the two newest Magic Treehouse books and ONLY those books. $50 later, I left with a bag full of books and Mars Needs Moms was one of those.

If you've ever had a mom who annoyed you and made you do ridiculous amounts of chores, or you are a mom who has forced your children to eat their vegetables (for their own good) - then you'll identify with this story.

Milo is a child who doesn't understand what's so special about mothers. Milo's mother is, well, she's the mom who was abducted by Martians. Luckily, Milo was able to sneak onto the rocket ship before it launched into outer space and discover the reason for his mother's kidnapping. You can't really blame the Martians - who else is going to drive them to soccer games, make their lunches or bandage their boo-boos? When Milo's space helmet breaks and he finds himself unable to breathe the thick air on Mars, his mom is right there to sacrifice her own helmet for him. Finally, Milo understands what's so special about mothers.

Amazing illustrations, great humor and a touching story - all the elements you need for a great book. You'll love it - and it's definitely worth buying!

Mercy Watson to the Rescue

I randomly found this series while at the library one day. I can't remember what I was looking for, but I saw these books and was intrigued. The illustrations were so fun and I was pretty excited to see that Kate DiCamillo was the author - LOVE her writing!

Mercy is a pig, adopted and adored by the Watsons. One night, after singing her to sleep, Mr. and Mrs. Watson crawl into their own bed and settle down for a good night's rest. Unfortunately, Mercy is afraid of the dark and decides to crawl into bed with the Watsons. They don't mind at all, until the floor cracks and the bed begins to fall through it!

Mercy leaves the bedroom, and the Watsons assume that she's on her way to find help. In reality, Mercy has begun a search for hot, buttered toast - her absolute favorite food. She ambles on over to the Lincoln sister's house and after a string of hilarious events, she finally returns home with a pair of firemen who are able to rescue the Watsons just in the nick of time. Overjoyed and amazed with their "Porcine Wonder", the Watson's celebrate by preparing a midnight snack of hot buttered toast for everyone!

Hardy Boys #1 The Tower Treasure

When I was a kid, my very cool dad used to read the Hardy Boys to me and my brothers. So of course, once I had boys of my own I was determined to read the series to them. Andrew and I just finished the first book. Thankfully, I couldn't remember the details, so the ending wasn't ruined! Andrew and I absolutely love mysteries, so this series will keep us busy for awhile.

Frank and Joe Hardy are the sons of famed detective Fenton Hardy. While on an errand for their father, they're nearly run down by a mysterious man. Later that day they find that their friend Chet's yellow jalopy has been stolen - Frank and Joe believe it was the same man who tried to run them over.

A few days later, word spreads through the town of Bayport that the owners of the famous Tower Mansion have been robbed of their jewels. A school chum's father is implicated in the crime, but are the mysterious man and the robbery connected? With some help from their father, Frank and Joe set out to help their friends and find the thief.