Tag Archives: young adult

The Cootie Wars: Rise of the Germaphobes by Kofi Houston (Book Review)

Dr. Cooties, genius scientist and son of Emperor Ivan Von Cooties, leads the Ickyonian Empire in their quest to spread the cootie virus throughout the universe. As he and his Legion of Ickyness set their sights on Earth, can the Germaphobes rise in time to stop them, or will they succumb to his evil schemes? Brace yourselves for the beginning of the incredible journey of the Germaphobes led by Max and Corbin as they discover the universe is much bigger than they thought and whether or not they can trust the new girl, Aja. Who is she and what secrets is she hiding?

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

 

We knew cooties as this fictional germ passed from one gender to another. You didn’t dare catch the cooties, but if you did catch them, you knew you better get the antidote (the cootie shot) asap. 

Imagine if cooties were real and they destroyed planets. The Cootie Wars: Rise of the Germaphobes revolved around Dr. Cooties, his witch sister (Endora) henchmen, and Cootie Troopers that intend to spread cooties around the universe, destroying each planet they infect. Dr. Cooties’s sights are now firmly set on Earth and, more precisely, The Living Waters. 

The villains from Ickyonia have the most unique and humorous names: Paste Eater, Sweet Tooth, Captain Faltulence, and Snot Shot, to name only a few. How they received their name coincides with their funny name. For instance, Snot Shot shoots booger bullets out his nose. It sounds disgusting, but kids will eat it up. (no pun intended) If your child loathes brushing their teeth, taking showers, and cleaning up, they will probably be rooting for Team Ick! 

The Protectors ( team heroes) didn’t have the funniest names except for Kernel Corn. That was cute. They did have excellent fighters whose punches made quite an impact on their opponents. 

So far, the drama mainly occurred in space, but the ending scenes gave clues that Earth better be prepared to fight back sooner rather than later. Dr. Cooties, Endora, and the henchmen might have won the battle, but will they will the war. 

The end credits state that the Germaphobes will return, and I can’t wait to read the sequel. 

I want to see what happens now that we know who are traitors to the Protectors. What becomes of a certain kidnapped human. Now that we know the heritage of an earthling, what does fate have in store for them? Also, what other cootie monsters exist besides the arachnicootie?  BTW: I would love to see an illustration of that 8-legged freak! In fact, I would LOVE to see this book, and future workings, translated into graphic novels! 

The Cootie Wars: Rise of the Germaphobes is perfect for fourth graders and higher. It’s also perfect for adults that are still kids at heart…like me. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score:  ❤❤ (deserves many more)

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Meet the Author 

Deciding to cash in on his fame as an esteemed Young Author’s Award Winner in the Second Grade, Kofi finally released his debut novel, The Cootie Wars: Rise of the Germaphobes, thirty years later. (You can’t rush genius, right?) After working with children for over ten years as a basketball coach and Teacher’s Assistant, he has since moved on to pursue his passion in writing and being the big kid that he is.

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Orientella by Elisabeth Vildstjärna (Book Review)

 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 

I’ve been captivated by magical carpets ever since I first watched Aladdin. While the magic rug, known as Carpet, in the blockbuster movie was fascinating, it does not hold a candle to Orientella. She’s the Rolls-Royce of carpets with her 24-carat gold threads, made from the finest worms Angelland. While she is masterfully constructed, her uniqueness comes from her ability to speak and express emotions. She cares for her owner/roommate/friend deeply, so when Madame Algarine Castel gets abducted, she doesn’t give up until they are reunited. 

As one would imagine, flying on top of a magic carpet comes with potential hazards, which the characters experience. But, being a magical carpet has its dangers as well. To perform at its best, the wondrous rug has to stay tightly woven. In addition, it has to avoid villains who want to own and control them. Speaking of villains, I love the last name choice, Tarantula. 

All the above came into play, but luckily Orientella wasn’t alone on her journey. She has acquired new friends: a talking church mouse (Walter), a sometimes cranky kitty (Frizzle), and a young neighbor (Emilia), plus additional help along the way. 

Orientella by Elisabeth Vildstjärna was a glorious, imaginative, magical read containing suspense, shocking disclosures, and the legendary Loch Ness Monster. It’s a story that could benefit from more images strewn throughout because readers will want to see Persley, the pirate ship, the castle, and more action and adventure shots. The cover illustration by Henry Johannes Matilainen, though, was spectacular. I adored Frizzle’s facial expression. He looked like a true scaredy-cat, whereas Walter, the mouse, appeared to enjoy the ride of a lifetime. 

I could see this story appealing to three-year-olds, possibly four if it had more images. As it stands, I would recommend the book to school-age children. 

Buy the book; you won’t regret it! 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤

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Meet the Author

Elisabeth Vildstjärna is an author from Sweden who writes fantasy for middle graders.

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Nova’s Blade: A Young Adult Dystopian Cyberpunk by Will Scifi (Book Spotlight)

Content Rating: PG-13 + M: So there are no curse words or sex scenes in the book. There is violence such as people getting stabbed, limbs cut off, head cut off. There is a mention of an abortion in it, no depiction of it. No suicides’, but talks about it as well.

 
 
THIRTY-TWO WOMEN. ONE ARENA. A BATTLE TO THE DEATH.
After a long war, corporations have replaced countries. Sports are fought to the death. The most popular game is Last Valkyrie, a live tournament where women kill each other for marriage into a powerful family.
For Nova, living in poverty with her mother and sister is a harsh reality that she cannot escape. But when she is kidnapped and forced to fight on the show, her world changes. If she refuses to fight, the bomb in her head goes off. Now winning means her freedom.
With death lurking at every moment, Nova has no idea if her next fight will be her last. But one thing she knows for certain: only one is making it out alive.
Perfect for fans of Hunger GamesThe Selection, and The Princess Trials. You won’t want to put down this exciting page-turner!
 
BUY THE BOOK
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Meet the Author: 
 
Author Will Scifi

 
Will Scifi is a pen name for an author from California. He loves reading and writing mainly science fiction that touches on themes surrounding American culture. He draws inspiration from the over 500 movies he has watched in the last 5 years, books, tv shows, and real life. When he is not writing, he can be found in the gym or watching movies at home or in the theaters. He thanks all of his fans for their support and highly encourages anyone who has read his work to always leave a review.
 
 
connect with the author:  
website twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Discovery of the Five Senses Book One – The Urban Boys Series by K. N. Smith (Book Review)

THE URBAN BOYS: DISCOVERY OF THE FIVE SENSES by K.N. Smith
 
Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, will the boys be able to defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.  ​

 
 
Buy the Book:
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IndieBound ~ Apple ~ Smashwords ~ Kobo
add to goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
Discovery of the Five Senses Book One – The Urban Boys Series by K. N. Smith deals with the responsibility of having extraordinary gifts. As Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker (Spiderman), “With great power comes great responsibility.” 


Imagining a life with powers is fun, but, after reading this story, maybe it’s not such a glamorous lifestyle after all. Let’s take enhanced hearing, for instance. Readers will watch as several teens, past and present, have difficulty navigating their new heightened senses. I get annoyed with the (low-volume) constant ringing in my ears, so having an overload of loud sounds 24-7 with no off-switch would be horrific. After you read Discovery of the Five Senses Book One – The Urban Boys Series by K. N. Smith, and I highly encourage you to read it, you’ll better understand why being normal, a non-super being isn’t that terrible. 


Despite the struggles the teens faced, they did help others by using their super skills. With their senses working on overdrive, they also became black belts in martial arts. Okay, maybe not technically black belts, but they could whoop some A**. Their newfound fighting skills came in handy QUITE  a bit because danger followed them. They also sought out criminals to battle. I really enjoyed these scenes, especially when ***** used nunchucks. Yup, I omitted the name on purpose. NO SPOILERS! 


If you’re a teacher or parent reading this story with your class or child, ask them the question below before starting the story and then again after you’ve finished it. See if their response changes and if it did, why.


Discussion question: “What sense would they like heightened?”

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
 
K.N. Smith

 
K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author, screenwriter, and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. She inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits. She lives in California with her family. 
 
 
connect with the author: 
 website ~ facebook ~ goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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