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Every town has their ghost stories and tales of the past that remains mysteries to this day. That’s why The Headmaster’s Cave book review with matching activities was an intriguing journey!

The Headmaster’s Cave Book Review

In D.S. Allen’s book The Headmaster’s Cave, the town of Ballymagee is tainted by a horrible past: the murder of seven students by their headmaster. Descendants of the victims still mourn their families, but they all accept the mystery at face value—that the crazy headmaster kidnapped the kids and murdered them in a cave by the coast.
When friends George, Katie, and Dougie receive a mysterious email asking them to come to Headmaster’s Cave (a dangerous journey), they are both intrigued and frightened. They all three want answers, especially Dougie and George, both descendants of victims, however, George and Katie both recognize the danger of the journey and agree to go on a different, less lethal, adventure. But this isn’t good enough for Dougie. When George and Katie, along with George’s best four-legged friend Flanagan, realize that Dougie has decided to meet the sender of the mysterious emails, they have no choice but to go after their friend and help him.

After encountering many trials along the way—bullies, The Magic Forest, Old Maggie and her pack of bloodthirsty dogs, and bullies again—they are saved by a gentle giant by the name of Leonard who seems to appear out of nowhere. He explains that he can lead them to Dougie, who is already waiting for them at the cave. Little do the friends know (well, maybe Flanagan knew; dogs are intuitive after all), that they are walking right into a trap!
Will they solve the mystery of The Headmaster’s Cave? And most importantly, will they survive to tell the tale?

This is an intense, action-packed adventure, great for both guy and girl readers! The two main characters, George and Katie, are a great pair, both powerful and intelligent in their own ways. I love how important George’s dog, Flan, was to the story mainly because I think that dogs are awesome! This was definitely a riveting story.

DISCLAIMER. This book has some intense material and scenes. This book should be reserved for intermediate – middle school aged kids (Age Level: 8 – 12, Grade Level: 3 – 6). They’ll love the action, mystery, and adventure! Get ready for a couple good ghost stories.

Thanks to the author D.S. Allen and Renee from Mother/Daughter Book Club for providing a review copy.

The Headmaster’s Cave Activities-Something To Do

1. George’s dog Flanagan is very crucial to this story. He’s basically a main character. Are you thinking about getting a four-legged friend? Then here’s a quiz to help you find the perfect, loyal dog breed for you!

2. George prided himself on the fact that he knew how to make a fire, however, he accepted Katie’s help when he realized he might not know as much as he thought. Here’s two fire tutorials: one real and one a nice decoration for the holidays:


3. Interested in learning chess like George and Dougie? Here’s a chess 101 lesson from Enchanted Yankee:

**some of the above links are affiliate links. I was gifted a copy of Headmaster’s Cave and the opinions expressed are purely my own.

Note from Valarie: As the holiday season approaches, consider adding the gift of books to your shopping list. There are many wonderful booklists available for parents looking to give their child the gift of reading and adventure. A book makes a great gift because they are meaningful, beautiful, portable, appealing, and inexpensive and it’s a gift that can be opened again and again. Books are the perfect gift for any age and a gift that doesn’t require batteries or sizing instruction!

If you would like to get started on your family reading adventure, or would just like to add to your family bookshelf, Audrey Press has some special deals on their catalog of books to get readers and gift-givers on their merry way. From November 30^th to December 15^th, give the gift of reading, adventure and education at extra-special (and extended) Black Friday prices! Go here for the full scoop on the Holiday Book Love Sale!

The post Every town has ghost stories: The Headmaster’s Cave appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Lately, I have been in the mood for a good mystery and I also remember when my kids were growing up how much joy they got out of books like the Nancy Drew series and the Hardy Boys Mystery series. It seems to me that kidlit mystery books these days just keep getting better and better so I want to share past JIAB “air of mystery” bookjumps that will not only keep your little sleuths reading, but offer up activities to compliment those books as well.

Holes by Louis Sachar (And some Holes-inspired Activities)

Holes is my favorite Louis Sachar book. The history of Kate Barlow and Stanley’s great-great grandfather woven into the story brings a new dimension to a children’s chapter book. He gives children the ability to make connections between history and Stanley Yelnat’s story. He pulls you into the harsh conditions of Camp Green Lake and keeps you captivated with the mystery surrounding it. None of the camps I ever went to had buried treasure. I read this with my mom when I was ill. It’s not just a story for kids, but for kids and parents to enjoy together.

Creepy Castles, Dark Dungeons and Powerful Palaces! Haunted Histories by Marilyn Scott-Waters and J.H. Everett

A great book that spawned a fun blog post full of mysterious and medivial activities!

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Catapult 

Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright, is a delightful, beautifully written story, and one of those books that stirs my desire to explore. The story begin with a brother and sister who arrive via train from the city  to visit their country cousin. The children discover an old, mostly abandoned summer colony of houses near a swamp that used to be a lake. There, they meet another brother and sister team with the most peculiar names. The children come across a group of old houses, mysteriously vacant and abandoned on the shore of a swampy lake. Somebody has been there — there’s a warning and an inscription carved into a rock. Can the children keep their find a secret? Who left the houses and where did they go? What’s lurking in the lake?

The Girl from Felony Bay by J.E. Thompson

Abbie Force has a mission: solve the mystery of her father’s accident and alleged theft. Since he has been in a coma for nine months and cannot defend himself, it is Abbie’s job to put the pieces together. Her life has been uprooted—her father’s unavailable; her home has been sold to a new family; she has to leave her beloved school; and now she has to live with her mean aunt and uncle that don’t give one lick about her. Her summer is starting off horribly. That is until she meets the new family that has moved into her old house with the same last name and a daughter near her age—Bee. These two adventurous girls become fast friends and on their many adventures through the plantation, discover a plot afoot right under their very noses.

The Danger Box

“The Danger Box” by Blue Balliett is a wonderfully fun and quirky mystery by the author of “Chasing Vermeer” and ” The Wright 3″. The Danger Box is her fourth novel where she leaves the art scene of her previous three books behind and plants us firmly in the rural town of Three Oaks Michigan. There we find Zoomy, a sweet, legally blind 12 year old boy, living with his grandparents. Zoomy is a boy who notices everything. When his head gets too full of things it makes him nervous and he starts tapping and twitching to relieve his brain.  His grandmother after noticing this tendancy, bought him some notebooks and encouraged him to write his thoughts down. Now every time he observes something it gets placed on a list, written with a purple pen inside his notebooks.

Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms BookJump Adventure

Ten year old Stuart stumbles on a note daring him to find his great-uncle’s hidden workshop full of wonderful mechanisms, trickery, and magic.

“I have to go away, and I may not be able to get back. If I don’t return, then my workshop and all it contains is yours if you can find it- then you’re the right sort of boy to have it.

Affectionately,

Your Uncle Tony

P.S. Start in the telephone booth on Main Street.

Would you like to create a afternoon of sleuthing, mysteries and mysterious adventures? Grab a copy of our FREE Secret Codes, Mysteries and Adventure downloadable PDF Activity Guide! This guide is 19 pages of fun including activities like Creating and Deciphering Invisible Messages, baking “I Spy” Cookies and learn more about the US President who was a master decoder! Click the image below to get your free copy!

The post An Air of Mystery: Middle Reader Mystery Books & Activity Round-up appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Welcome to Jump Into a Book’s Three Months of Book Giveaways!

With the winter months upon us, I feel this is a great time for readers of all ages to snuggle in with a good book. I have been blessed with tons of amazing books titles for kids over these last few months and I want to get these books into the hands of young readers. SO, for the next three months Jump Into a Book will be hosting a book giveaway every Wednesday! Some giveaways will be a single title, some will be a “Book Bundle,” but all will be books that your readers will love and cherish. I think these books will also make great gifts as well!

This Book Bundle Giveaway includes four beautiful books from Barefoot Books that will appeal to both boys girls. Once lucky winner will win one copy of each of these books: Barefoot Book of Pirates, Grandpa’s Garden, The Boy Who Grew Flowers and Barefoot Book’s Mother/Daughter Tales.

Barefoot Book of Pirates by Richard Walker

This swashbuckling collection of pirate tales is brimful with drama and adventure on the high seas. Young children will meet fierce characters such as the captain in the German tale, Kobold and the Pirates; others, like young Mochimitsu in the Japanese tale, are friendly and funny. They will also meet the infamous Grace O’Malley, one of Ireland’s most feared pirates. Specially compiled for young readers, these tales are perfect for reading aloud.

Grandpa’s Garden by Stella Fry

This beautifully told story follows Billy from early spring to late summer as he helps his grandpa on his vegetable patch. They dig the hard ground, sow rows of seeds, and keep them watered and safe from slugs. When harvest time arrives they can pick all the vegetables and fruit they have grown. Children will be drawn in by the poetry of the language and the warm illustrations, while also catching the excitement of watching things grow!

The Boy Who Grew Flowers by

Rink is a very unusual boy who grows beautiful flowers all over his body whenever the moon is full. In town and at school, Rink and his family are treated as outcasts although no-one knows his strange botanical secret. But one day a new girl arrives at school, and Rink discovers she has some unique qualities of her own.

Barefoot Book’s Mother/Daughter Tales by Josephine Everts

A meaningful collection of tales of mothers and daughters from around the world, from the familiar Naomi and Ruth story of Jewish tradition, to lesser known Chinese and Iroquois stories. These tales provide an exploration of the themes of womanhood and the mysterious process of life, death and rebirth.

DETAILS ON GIVEAWAY:

ONE winner each receive a one copy of all three books. Giveaway begins October 22th and ends October 29th

• Prizing & samples  courtesy of Audrey Press
  
• Giveaway open to US addresses only
• ONE lucky winner will win one copy of.
• Residents of USA only please.
• Must be 18 years or older to enter
• One entry per household.
• Staff and family members of Audrey Press are not eligible.
• Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize
• Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on October 23rd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Three Months of Book Giveaways! {Beautiful Barefoot Books Giveaway Bundle} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Welcome to Jump Into a Book’s Three Months of Book Giveaways!

With the winter months upon us, I feel this is a great time for readers of all ages to snuggle in with a good book. I have been blessed with tons of amazing books titles for kids over these last few months and I want to get these books into the hands of young readers. SO, for the next three months Jump Into a Book will be hosting a book giveaway every Wednesday! Some giveaways will be a single title, some will be a “Book Bundle,” but all will be books that your readers will love and cherish. I think these books will also make great gifts as well!

This Book Bundle Giveaway includes three excellent chapter books that would appeal to girls (boys will love these books too!) and I’ve listed these books below. A few of them I’ve already done reviews on (I’ve included the links if that is the case) and the we’ve the requirements to enter-to-win short-n-sweet! Good luck!

ENTER TO WIN:
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it’s up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” Breadcrumbs is a stunningly original fairy tale of modern-day America, a dazzling ode to the power of fantasy, and a heartbreaking meditation on how growing up is as much a choice as it is something that happens to us.

In Breadcrumbs, Anne Ursu tells, in her one-of-a-kind voice, a story that brings together fifty years of children’s literature in a tale as modern as it is timeless. Hazel’s journey to come to terms with her evolving friendship with Jack will deeply resonate with young readers. To read about JIAB’s review of Breadcrumbs with accompanying activities, go here.

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern

As befits a future President of the United States of America, Maggie Mayfield has decided to write a memoir of the past year of her life. And what a banner year it’s been! During this period she’s Student of the Month on a regular basis, an official shareholder of Coca-Cola stock, and defending Science Fair champion. Most importantly, though, this is the year Maggie has to pull up her bootstraps (the family motto) and finally learn why her cool-dude dad is in a wheelchair, no matter how scary that is. To read about JIAB’s review of The Meaning of Maggie with accompanying activities, go here.
Father Daughter Tales from Barefoot Books

A companion volume to “The Barefoot Book of Mother and Daughter Tales”, this anthology features ten thought-provoking stories, all of them showing the importance of the father-daughter bond, not only in traditional societies but also in the modern world.

Rules and Guidelines for the Giveaway!

*One lucky winner will win their own copy each of the three books listed above (ONE winner each receive a copy of Breadcrumbs,
The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern and Father Daughter Tales from Barefoot Books).
*Giveaway begins October 15th and ends October 22th

• Prizing & samples courtesy of Audrey Press
• Giveaway open to US addresses only
• Residents of USA only please.
• Must be 18 years or older to enter
• One entry per household.
• Staff and family members of Audrey Press are not eligible.
• Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize
• Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on October 23rd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Need gift ideas for the holidays? NOW AVAILABLE! The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook by Donna Ashton. Click the image below for more details and ordering information.

The post Kidlit Book Bundle Giveaway: Great Books for Girls! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

BOOK OF THE DAY-June

Plan in advance for father’s day! The month of June is dedicated to books for dads and boys…don’t worry, a few dads & daughter books thrown in too! Good list for reluctant readers as well as summer vacation. Enjoy!

BOOK OF THE DAY-May

In celebration of Mother’s day, moms, women and daughters, recommendations span ages and areas of interest. Great for summer vacation reading too!

BOOK OF THE DAY-April

The full April list is here. Get a sneak peak at the 2nd half of the month and stock up for summer vacation too!

A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk
Out of the books I’ve read about the Lost Boys, Jan Coates’ A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk just may be the most vivid and riveting one I’ve read. I very much appreciated the depths in which the author goes into giving us a portrait of not just the main character (Jacob), but also of his companions throughout this amazing journey. Because of this, readers are able to get an incredibly detailed look at the affects of war and conflict on innocent children.

The Hare in the Elephant is a must-read for both teens and adults. If we truly want a better world for all, stories such as this need to be read and shared with those around us.

An Accidental Adventure series (We Are Not Eaten By Yaks / We Dine With Cannibals)
This series is simply a tremendous amount of fun. The Navel twins are not the typical characters you often see in tween adventure books as they are extremely reluctant adventurers to say the least. They are the envy of their classmates as they have traveled from one exotic locale to another with their world-famous Explorer Club member parents, meanwhile only hoping to catch their next favorite episodes on television.

Parents and teachers will love this series as it provides further learning opportunities to find out more about some of the exotic locations and myths and legends surrounding the Navel twins adventures. In fact, you can visit C. Alexander London’s website and check out some information about Tibet and the Amazon (the settings for each of the stories).

Ashfall
I must say I was enthralled and very impressed by Mike Mullin’s first novel. One of the things which most impressed me was how the book’s story had a factual and scientific basis. There is a supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park which could quite possibly be due for an eruption at any time. This aspect of scientific reality made this book mesmerizing. I kept thinking while I read it that this is something which can really happen and it was frightening to think about. At the conclusion of the book, Mike has a section about the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone which is a must read and excellent companion to the book.

Add Mike Mullin to the list of authors who have kept me up way too late reading their novels. Readers will want to keep turning Ashfall‘s pages to find out if Alex and Darla make it to their destination.

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