Adam Rex

A hilarious origin story ("You probably know. You've probably heard the song they wrote about me") of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," where a mistaken series of gifts from his "true love" begin arriving, bewildering the receiver (and the giver, when she returns home: "You got ALL THIS? It was supposed to be just two gold rings and a pear tree....The website I ordered from was really confusing"). In the chaotic course of events, the man meets a kid who says he would sell the milk from the show more cows and get rich - and buy books for his school. So they have a bake sale (and circus) fundraiser and buy "Twelve new bestsellers, eleven books on science, ten graphic novels..." and so on. A happy ending for all!

"How do parades end?"

See also: The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Underwood/Pham show less

Planetary fun hits high orbit in this really cute book, which just happens to teach a few inter-planetary facts along the way.

Pluto wants to introduce you to itself but before it gets very far, it receives a phone call from Earth. And not a happy one. The scientists have decided to demote Pluto from a planet to... well, they aren't sure yet. Still, Pluto is ticked. But instead of stewing, he heads off to introduce the other planets (and get some needed, emotional support). And there just show more happen to be a few surprises along the way...ones that might warm a reader's heart.

This book is a bit quirky, funny, and simply fun. Each planet...and non-planet...Pluto meets has a unique personality. As a read-aloud, it's wonderful, especially when a bit of voice play sets in. The back and forth between the planets holds humor as well as information, making it a sneaky way to learn a few solar system facts.

The illustrations are ones to flip through time and again as they not only bring the planets to life, but offer interesting details and humor too. Young listeners are sure to see the planets in the solar system from a totally new point of view. Plus, it's hard not to feel for Pluto as he tries to come to terms with the removal of his planet status. Even this, however, offers a touching ending with a message listeners can use in their own lives.

Oh, and to round the entire thing off, the last pages hold a jumble of numbers and facts for all of those solar system fans.

My daughter had a ton of fun reading through this book, which means thumbs up from me. I received a complimentary copy, and these are my honest thoughts. show less

When Scott Doe's family moves to a new town because of his mother's work, he little suspects that he will soon be caught up in a plot beyond his wildest imagination. His mother's new employer, the GoodCo Cereal Company, has been exploiting magical creatures for years. By an odd coincidence, Scott is one of a few people in the world who can see magical creatures, though he always wrote off his mysterious visions as hallucinations related to his frequent migraines. When a leprechaun tries to show more steal his backpack at the bus station, however, Scott starts learning more than he wanted to know about the magical creatures in the world around him, and about the dark side of GoodCo. There are plenty of questions that need to be answered, but the biggest one is, what is GoodCo doing with all of that magic they've stolen?

That's an extreme over-simplification of this novel's sprawling plot. Rex has done a fantastic job of weaving together an incredible number of plot threads, and everything does connect in the end. There's plenty of action -- the audiobook did a great job of keeping me awake on a car trip that, thanks to a major wrong turn, ended up being two hours longer than it should have been. It's obvious that there will be a sequel, though the conclusion of this book is satisfying enough that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, if complicated stories with elements of fantasy, mystery, and action-packed adventure appeal to you. show less

This made someone’s “best of 2023” list and ohmygosh this is the most adorable Adam Rex I have ever read. It’s a sweetly funny tale of a wizard who is pathologically searching for love and approval, narrated by a cranky raven.