Who we really are- Holly Papa and Cari Hauptman are hollybookscoops and caribookscoops

Dear readers,

Many of you have been with me and my sister Cari from the very start of our experience reviewing books. So, it is with sad hearts that we share some news with you. A few months ago, our domain name, Bookscoops was accidentally allowed to expire and someone else purchased it. Totally sad, but totally legal. Unfortunately, the new site owner is plagiarizing our material and has embedded pornographic links in our reviews.

We are so sorry that this has happened and assure you that we are doing all within our power to get the material taken down. Our current correct address is https://bookscoops.wordpress.com. If you have any links to our former site, please update them.

This letter serves as official notice that Holly Papa is hollybookscoops and Cari Hauptman is caribookscoops. We do not agree with or support the pornographic content embedded in our copyrighted reviews which are being used without our consent.

We will keep you updated as we work to a resolution. Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Holly Papa aka hollybookscoops and Cari Hauptman aka caribookscoops

All posts are © Cari Hauptman,  Holly Papa and Bookscoops.wordpress.com 2007-2014 Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Bookscoops.wordpress.com authors and/or owners is strictly prohibited.

Announcing the Winner of our Bookscoops Christmas 2013 Giveaway!

Craft-a-Doodle, 75 Creative exercises from 18 artists

Hooray! Tiffani Cluff is the winner of our Christmas Giveaway. Lucky Tiffani gets a free copy of Craft-a-Doodle courtesy of Sterling Publishing and wrapped with love by Bookscoops! Tiffani, I will be in touch to discuss delivery arrangements!

I am also, belatedly, announcing the winner of our Fall giveaway… I know, it was a busy fall! The winner of one Copy of Only Cows allowed by Lynn Plourde is… Arienne. I will also be in touch with Arienne to get contact info.

Thanks everyone for participating in our giveaways! literacy and artistry are such important elements of life. I’m so glad to share my love of both with you all!

Bookscoops Giveaway! Craft-a-Doodle by Jenny Doh has something for everyone.

 

Holly loves Craft-a-Doodle!

I have been loving this doodle book by Jenny Doh, head of www.crescendoh.com! Have you checked out some of the doodle books in the stores? Some of them are glorified coloring books- and to be honest, a little disappointing. Not Craft-a-Doodle! It’s filled with adorable, funky and inspiring ideas. Craft-a-Doodle has something that will interest every one in your family. Some of my favorites are the prompts by designer Flora Chang, but there are so many to choose from, I really have a ton more favorites like Pamela Keravuori, Hanna Andersson, and Dinara Mirtalipova to name a few.  There are 75 creative exercises from 18 different artists, so you are sure to find something to love.

Anyone can doodle and when you realize how fun it is, you won’t want to stop. Add this fantastic book to your list of great gifts to give- it would be an awesome book to go along with a sketch book and some art supplies! Although it might encourage more creative decorating of school assignments, it will also help with scrapbooks, and maybe even help you create something fun to frame and hang!

Be sure to check out the sneak peaks at Crescendoh.com …

We are running a giveaway for one copy of Craft a Doodle, courtesy of Sterling Publishing. Our Bookscoops giveaway is limited to the continental U.S. and will run until Midnight PST on December 14, 2013. To enter, please like this post on facebook, share on facebook or twitter, and leave a comment detailing what you like to doodle! One entry per action- tell us in your comment all you’ve done to share about this great book and we will draw a random winner and hopefully get it to you by Christmas!

Bookscoops Fall 2013 Giveaway and Review: Only Cows Allowed by Lynn Plourde illustrated by Rebecca Harrison Reed

 

 

 

 

Children will enjoy the vivid watercolor illustrations and the puns that fill the pages of this down-home country book. Adults will love it too- it’s especially perfect for those country romantics who think that moving to the country and starting up a farm are the ultimate dream. If you know someone like this, Only Cows Allowed by Lynn Plourde would make a great house-warming gift! Illustrator, Rebecca Harrison Reed, captures the joy of a brand-new ‘real’ farmer and all the new animals that make up his farm. The first ones to take over the red barn are the cows, who decide they are the best thing that happened to country living and no other animal is needed- much less allowed.

 

As all the other animals prove they have a place on the farm and make themselves at home in the barn, the cows are not happy. When the cows begin to feel outnumbered, they skip out. Check out the book to find out where the cows make their new home. Or… check out this video by Author Lynn Plourde on her fabulous website, Lynn Plourde.com!

 

At illustrator Rebecca Harrison Reed’s website you can see the awards she won for her wonderful illustrations in Only Cows Allowed in 2012!

Rebecca Harrison Reed, illustrator of Only Cows Allowed!

Bookscoops is running a giveaway of one hardback copy of Only Cows Allowed! generously provided by publisher Down East Enterprise, Inc. To enter, please leave a comment about your craziest life dream- whether it’s to start a farm or run a marthon. Leave your answer in a comment on this post, or on our facebook page, for one entry each place. You can also share this review and giveaway via facebook, twitter or instagram. Please leave a comment letting us know what you did, so we can enter you as many times as you deserve! Entries are limited to continental United states only, and our giveaway closes at midnight, MST, October 25, 2013.

 

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

This book was a fun combination of fantasy and finishing school. Sophronia is growing up in a Victorian-ish era. The ‘ish’ is there because it’s also a world of vampires, werewolves and flywaymen. That threw me off for a bit, but once I figured that out, the rest was smooth sailing aboard the floating Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. Except for the flywaymen attacks and the espionage. It was a quick, fast-paced read and I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington

Sarah Nelson and her father move every time someone uncovers the secret she and her father avoid talking about. Her list of forbidden questions and words seems to grow whenever she asks her father about her mother. But, sometimes Sarah Nelson needs to dig for answers. Her alcoholic mother and her mentally-ill mother do not have many answers for her, and so it is up to her to search alone, wondering if her personal idiosyncrasies are really signs that she is crazy like her mother. When, once again the press finds out the family secret, Sarah decides that courage is not only found in books, like her favorite novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. So Sarah sets out to face her greatest fear and biggest mystery.

Sure Signs of Crazy is a journey of discovery and mystery, and it was a pleasure to get to know Sarah Nelson as she discovered her true self.

The Vine Basket by Josanne La Valley

The unique things about The Vine Basket is that it reads like historical fiction, and yet is realistic and also, I believe, contemporary fiction. The author, Josanne La Valley based The Vine Basket on an experience she had while in northwest China. Uyghur is a tribe in China where the girls who don’t go to school or have poor families are in danger of being sent to work in factories. Local leaders have quotas to fill, so girls must constantly be on the watch. Mehrigul is one girl who knows she is in danger of being sent to work in the factories. Her older brother has left taking all hope from Mehrigul’s father. Will Mehrigul find a way to stay at home on the family farm, or will she give up her dreams of staying home and be sent to work in the factories far from grandfather and everything else she loves?

I enjoyed reading The Vine Basket and think you will too. Incidentally, I also think this book would be perfect for a school assignment. At 242 pages, it’s plenty long enough, and I would love to have teens read it and gain a broader world view- and maybe a greater understanding of who might be manufacturing the Chinese goods they purchase so cheaply. The price, it turns out, is really not so cheap.

Little Chipmunk’s Wiggly, Wobbly Tooth by Mary Packard, illustrated by Lisa McCue

If you have a lower elementary aged child, get ready for some wiggly teeth! This book is the perfect fit for those first wiggly tooth experiences. My 1st grader loved this and my preschooler is convinced that he has loose teeth just like Chipmunk. When Chipmunk’s awesome front tooth starts to wiggle even though he takes great care of it, he wonders what is going on. His initial confusion turns into understanding and joy when he realizes all the other kids his age are going through the same thing he is. Chipmunk is a little naive for my taste- what child doesn’t know about losing teeth- but maybe there are some kids like that out there. That particular fact didn’t seem to bother my kids one little bit, and they gave this book a big thumb’s up- and that’s what it’s all about! Do you have any tooth wigglers at your house?

*I received a review copy of this book for free.

A Dress for Me! Shoes for Me! by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Mike Laughead

Shoes for Me! and A Dress for Me! by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Mike Laughead, immediately bring to mind my many adorable nieces. One such niece, age 5, was recently being put to bed by my brother. After laying side by side for quite some time, she said, “Are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin?” My brother replied, “Sleep?” to which she replied, “Shoes and dresses. They are soooo pretty.” I think I know at least one little girl who would especially love these books!

In A Dress for Me! Hippo goes shopping for a new dress for school. She goes through dozens of dresses of all shapes and sizes until at last her mom is done. But Hippo hasn’t found the perfect dress yet, and begs to try on one more. Girls of all ages will identify with the hunt for the perfect dress and the hunt for the perfect shoes.

In Shoes for Me! Hippo’s feet have grown and it’s time to go shoe shopping. With a parallel storyline of tons to choose from, but none just right until Mom is fed up and ready to leave. Hippo always finds what she’s looking for in the nick of time.

If you have little ladies that love dresses and shoes, these are the perfect companion books to read with them. Fliess has a way with words and her rhymes will bring lots of smiles as you send your little ones off to bed with visions of dresses and shoes in their heads. While you could certainly read one without the other, I recommend getting both- because what girl only needs a dress without a new pair of shoes or a new pair of shoes without a dress?