Mixed-up Magic by Gail Herman

Title: Mixed-up Magic
Series: Fairy School
Author: Gail Herman
Genre: Chapter Book, Childrens Book
Publisher: Skylark     
Received: Swapsite
Release Date: October 1999   
Pages: 80
Rating:


What is it About?
Young Dorrie is probably one of the clumsiest fairy you’ll meet.  Unless you met her fairy godmother.   

My Thoughts:

Dorrie the fairy feels like she is no good at anything.  She trips and stumbles, she can’t spells right and even her fairy godmother is clumsy.   Dorrie wonders if she will ever be good at anything.

This a good book for kids with low self esteem.  I believe there is a young clumsy Dorrie in us all.  Somedays it is just like that.  Even though everyday seems to be like that for Dorrie, she still has friends, family and support.   She a all around good fairy she just has to see it.  Luckily her fairy godmother is smart enough to help.

A little hokie at times but down right cute book.

Website:

N/A

Fairy School : Fairy Cloud Parade by Gail Herman

Title: Fairy Cloud Parade
Series: Fairy School       
Author: Gail Herman
Genre: Children Book , Chapter Book
Publisher: Skylark
Received: Swapsite
Release Date: May 1999   
Pages: 80
Rating:
 

What is it About?

Olivia is one of the best students at fairy school but she is a little distracted to come up with a new cloud shape because her parents are expecting a twin fairy babies who are more then a handful.

My Thoughts:
What sibling wouldn’t be distracted by the thought of a new baby brother or sister?  For Olivia it’s become more than just a distraction. As a full time baby sitter of her twin brother and sister Olivia’s school work starts to falter.   She has to come up with a new cloud shape for the school’s contest and she just started a new art class.

This book is too cute for words.  As we learn how fairy babies are born in the Fairy School series and how much trouble they can get into we delve into the fun that is the Fairy School world.  As usual all the Fairy School friends get together to help Olivia in any way possible and she needs it.

Another Delightful tale in the collection.  Fun to read and imagine.

Website:

N/A

Theme Thursday - Shapes - Clouds

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week’s theme is

SHAPES

 

I hope this one counts this was kinda hard. here's mine.  From page 9 of Fairy Cloud Parade (Fairy School) by Gail Herman  

" Olivia edged forward, eager to hear more.  

"Contestants will SHAPE MODEL CLOUDS," Magdalena explained. "And I'll choose the most original shape as the winner.  Then I'll work with that fairy to sculpt the biggest cloud in Fairyland." 

 

I didn't want to spoil the book and let you know what shape she made her cloud ;-) 

WWW Wednesdays - June 15, 2011

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?







WHAT I AM CURRENTLY READING:

The Answer: "A Journey From Anger to Peace"  by Allison Wynn
This is a inspirational story of sorts I just started. 

Sanctuary of the Soul: Sacred Heart Offering by Aaron St. Julien
This is also spiritual in nature but is a book of poems. 


WHAT I JUST FINISHED READING: 

 Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family) by Melissa De La Cruz
This was a good start to a series had little bit about the Blue Blood series just enough to make me want to read that one too.

Heat Wave  by Richard Castle
I wasn't happy with this one.  The show is so much better. 

Josephine's Imagination: A Tale of Haiti by Arnold Dobrin

This picture book was wonderful story about a little girl from Haiti

The Last Golden Egg by Odette B. Lezama Rodriguez
 I am not sure about this one I have to process it and possibly read over again. 


WHAT WILL I READ NEXT: 

The Fairy Godmother (Five Hundred Kingdoms) by Mercedes Lackey
I have never read anything by Lackey although my husband tells me her griffon series is good.  

 Fairy Cloud Parade (Fairy School) by Gail Herman
I am starting to like this Fairy School series the more I read it.  

Fairy School: Hide and Peep by Gail Herman

Title: Fairy School: Hide And Peep
Series: Fairy School
Author: Gail Herman   
Genre: Childrens Book, Chapter Book
Publisher: Skylark
Received: From Swap site
Release Date: June 2000
Pages: 80
Rating:


What is it About?

The little fairies at Fairy School have a new homework assignment which is taking care of there very own special baby animal.  Since Trina does best at school she thinks this task should be easy if only her chick would act normal.  

My Thoughts:

Trina is having problems keeping her homework, a baby chick in line with the other baby chicks.

I thought this to be an adorable little tale of things going not as planned.  Poor little Trina tries her best to get her chick to eat things a regular baby chick would eat , play like a regular chick and sleep like one as well.   He does  every but what the book tells her he should.  Trina learns the hard way that even books can’t tell you how to do everything.  

Wonderful little thought out experience from Fairy School series!

Website:

There is a gailherman.com but I can not tell if this a official site or not.

Shannon's Review - When Wishes Come True by Gail Herman

Title:: When Wishes Come True
Series:: Fairy School
Author(s):: Gail Herman
Genre:: Children's Chapter Book

Summary: Dorrie Windmist is a fairy, but she just happens to be a very clumsy fairy. She accidentally falls and breaks her wing as her parents are planning a six-inch birthday party for her older sister, Arianna. Because everyone is getting ready for the party, no one is paying attention to Dorrie. She is so jealous of her sister that she wishes she didn't exist, and her fairy godmother shows her just what that would be like.
Pages: 71
Challenges: 20 Books in 2009
Finished: 01/13/2009
Rating:










My Thoughts: This shows improvement from Herman's first book, Tooth Fairy Travels. The story is creative in showing what it would be like for Dorrie to have never had a older sister. The words flow nicely through out the book, and the characters are ones kids can relate to.

About the Author: Gail Herman has written many children's books, including a couple of the Disney fairies books. The fairy school series was her first original series of books.

Shannon's Review - Fairy School: Tooth Fairy Travel by Gail Herman

Title:: Tooth Fairy Travels

Series:: Fairy School

Author(s):: Gail Herman

Genre:: Children's Chapter Book

Summary: BelindaDentalette wants to be a tooth fairy like ever other member of herfamily. Only trouble is, she tends to get lost. even in fairyland. Howwill she ever learn to find her way in the human world?

Finished: 01/10/2009

Pages: 85

Challenges:20 Books in 2009,

Rating:

My Thoughts: Cute book. I like pretty much anything with fairies, and thisone remind me of a story I wrote. Characters are a little cliche - onesmart fairy, one fairy who gets lost, one fairy who is clumsy andanother who is mean. I like that there arefairy crafts that you can make in the back of the book - magic wands or a star necklace. Thisauthor, Gail Herman, now writes some of the Disney Fairies chapter books, but this seriescame out before them. As a writer, you can see how she has improved with the newer Disney Fairies books. As a chapter book for young kids, Tooth Fairy Travel isn't bad, but I see it more for younger kids who read chapterbooks, maybe ages 4 to 6.

About the Author: Gail Herman has writtenmany books for children, including some of the Disney fairies chapterbooks. She lives in Boston with her family.

Shannon's Review - Dulcie's Taste of Magic by Gail Herman

Summary : Dulcie the Baking fairy is always in a rush to get things done now, now, now! After a baking incident the queen thinks she needs a vacation.






My Thoughts: I liked Dulcie the baking fairy. I have some similar traits to my personalities as her. I did not how ever like the new fairy Ginger but you aren't suppose to. She almost seem meaner then Vidia. I am not sure what lesson this one was suppose to teach because it wasn't the usually take you and time and smell the roses type lesson. At least it didn't seem like it was. I liked the little adventure that Dulcie had to go on to get her kitchen back though.


About the Author: Gail Herman has written many children book including some early readers. She lives in Newton, MA

Read A Thon Stats:
Title of book(s) read since last update: 1
Number of books read since you started:5
Pages read since last update:113
Running total of pages read since you started:608
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hr
Running total of time spent reading since you started:5hr 45min

If you would like to win a free copy of this book come back on Friday for Refer A Book Friday!

Shannon's Review - Silvermist and the Ladybug Curse by Gail Herman

Summary: Silvermist finds the bad luck white lady bug. Every fairy thinks she is cursed. She tried her best to prove she is not but even she has her doubts.





My Thoughts: The water talent fairy Silvermist thinks she is cursed by the white lady bug she finds in a game. Vidia is happy to keep spreading the rumor that she is cursed for good. Silvermist tries to show her good side and keep a stiff upper lip. This is book is a lesson of perpective. If you put your mind on the bad, then bad happens. Or if you put your mind on the good, then good happens. What happens to Silvermist and others around her doesn't matter if it is good or bad. It just the fact it could happen to anyone. I thought this story was only okay. Vidia was very annoying in this book. I know she is the mean fairy but boy can she be mean. I am not sure the character Silvermist was as detailed as other fairies have been in other books.

About the Author: Gail Herman has written many children book including some early readers. She lives in Newton, MA


Read A Thon Stats
Title of book(s) read since last update: 1
Number of books read since you started:1
Pages read since last update:117
Running total of pages read since you started:117
Amount of time spent reading since last update:1 hr
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 1 hr

If you would like to win a free copy of this book come back on Friday for Refer A Book Friday!