Book Review: Dear Pen Pal (The Mother-Daughter Book Club, #3) by Heather Vogel Frederick

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Dear Pen Pal (The Mother-Daughter Book Club, #3)  by Heather Vogel Frederick  is the third book in a middle grade book series that is being rereleased. Chaos erupts in this third installment as the daughters in the book club get themselves into trouble. Each of the girls have big changes in their lives:  Jess is going to boarding school; Megan's grandmother comes to live with her; Emma starts a campaign against school uniforms; Cassidy has a lot of unexpected change coming to her family. Will the mother daughter book club stay together? I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Dear Pen Pal  by Heather Vogel Frederick with it's upcoming rerelease to the public. I always love a good book that involves books, even if its target audience is children between the ages of eight and twelve. It wasn't until I reached the end of the book that I realized that it...
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Book Review: There Are No Dragons In This Book by Donna Lambo-Weidner

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Book Review: There Are No Dragons In This Book by Donna Lambo-Weidner
NetGalley ARC of Book Review of There Are No Dragons In This Book by Donna Lambo-Weidner
There Are No Dragons In This Book by Donna Lambo-Weidner is a children’s picture book that encourages young readers to carefully examine each page to make sure there truly are no dragons hiding within the story. The expected publication date is March 5, 2024. I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book, I was curious about how the story would play with the idea of searching for dragons, especially since interactive picture books can be a lot of fun for kids. Unfortunately, I found myself a bit disappointed overall. The story didn’t fully hold my attention, and it’s not one I would personally reach for when choosing a book to read aloud to a child. The pacing and narrative just didn’t quite work for me, and I didn’t feel particularly drawn into the experience as a reader.

One aspect that stood out to me in a negative way was the fact that the book does, in fact, contain dragons despite the title insisting otherwise. While this may be intended as a playful twist, I couldn’t help but think that some children might feel misled or confused by this contradiction. Younger readers, in particular, may take the title very literally and feel frustrated when the promise of “no dragons” doesn’t quite hold true. That said, I also recognize that humor and surprise land differently for children than they do for adults, and many kids may find this element funny rather than upsetting.

On a more positive note, the illustrations are vibrant, colorful, and full of detail. The artwork gives readers plenty to look at and explore on each page, which helps maintain interest even when the story itself didn’t fully work for me. The visuals are clearly a strong point of the book and will likely appeal to children who enjoy lively, eye-catching pictures in their stories.

Overall, while There Are No Dragons In This Book by Donna Lambo-Weidner wasn’t a standout read for me personally, it may still find an appreciative audience among its intended readers. For that reason, I ultimately rated the book three out of five stars.

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