Did I Mention I Love You by Estelle Maskame

I fell in love with this "hard to put down" teen book based on its setting and characters. Eden goes to live in Santa Monica for the summer with her dad after her parents divorce. She is not looking forward to being away this summer with a parent who abandoned her and her mother three years back. Not to mention, he has remarried and has three stepsons who live with him as well.
Eden soon finds herself mixing with the Santa Monica crowd of teen partiers and spending time on the pier, 3rd St. promenade, and her reckless stepbrother Tyler. However, Eden starts to fall for her stepbrother in a romantic way and they begin a secret relationship that this young author tells in a very entertaining and detailed way. Not only is Tyler her stepsibling, but he also has a very vindictive, popular girlfriend who would cause havoc if anyone gets between her and her beau.
What a great summer read! I was impressed with the characters and strong emotions in this book for such a young writer. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Recommended for grades 9-12

Spring into Crafts by Miss Regina

It's been a while since I last posted fun crafts for children. With spring in the air we have been creating fun robots, festive birds and more. With a little imagination and construction paper.... you can create almost anything. Post in the comments for directions or inspiration! Thanks to all my readers out there....

Girls Like Me by Lola Stvil

Shay is a young teen who doesn't quite fit the mold of the "pretty princess" teens that walk the halls of her high school. She loves bacon, hates her stepmom, and misses her father who recently passed away terribly. Armed with her two best friends- one who is dying from a serious disease and the other, a gay teen who is struggling with his own identity... Shay starts an online romance with an unknown boy her age. The two teens start to fall for one another via text and email, but soon Godot
( his screen name) longs to hold her in his arms and meet her in person. Shay struggles with this as she fears him not accepting her size and knows that her enemies at school will sabotage their love. Will she find the strength to go after the love she deserves and wants? Full of lyrical prose and promise this teen book is one you won't want to put down. A must read for all those teens who don't quite fit the mold and the lovers who love them!

Gilda Joyce: The Ladies of the Lake by Jennifer Allison

Watch out Nancy Drew... here comes spunky Gilda Joyce! This haunted mystery is a perfect story for older readers who enjoy realistic fiction and mysterious stories all wrapped into one. Gilda attends a private school for the first time, Old Lady  of Sorrows and finds herself in the middle of cliques, ghost stories, and a strange school secrets. She finds herself drawn to clues that help her unravel the truth behind what happened to a previous student who died by slipping through ice in a frozen lake on campus. As the story and clues become clear, so do other aspects of the young investigator's life. Although she stays true to herself throughout the story, she also grows up a bit and stays strong. A must read for any fan of mysteries and spy stories. Perfect for grades 4 -6.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Menon

Another fantastic read for 2018! Teen books like this inspire me to become a writer. Dimple's parents have their heart set on an arranged marriage for their feisty college bound daughter who would much rather create computer apps and influence the world. Rishi on the other hand is a teen who admires and honors the traditional ways. He is the ideal "Indian Husband," rich, smart and handsome. With a photo of Dimple in hand, he seeks out to attend the summer program in San Francisco to meet his future wife and woo her over. Things don't go as planned in the beginning... with a few turns and disappointments. Teens will love this heartfelt story filled with humor, love, and unexpected ideas.

Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Maddie, a modest high school senior, finds herself out of luck on her birthday when no one shows up to her small scale party. Her fortune turns around when she wins the a multi-million dollar ticket and the cute boy from work shows up with a small gift for her outside the mini-mart as well. Winning the lottery however is not all that it seems though. As we all know money gives us luxury, but it also brings out big decisions and greed. Maddie decides to keep her winnings a secret from her new crush which can be difficult to do as her popularity grows and grows. Will her new and old friends hate or love one another? Can Maddie keep all her winnings in tack and still keep her family happy? Teens will enjoy the characters' experiences and mayhem. Note: As an adult, I think reading it was a little predictable but if you're looking for something light... this book is for you!

Valentine's Day Fun 2018

February is in full swing as we get ready for Valentine's Day, sunny winter days, and the excitement of a new year. This month I'm creating fun fox valentines with the kiddos and dusting off my storytime books for toddlers and babies. Check out this cute craft I found thanks to darice.com. Their creators used felt so I substituted that for regular construction paper. Thanks Darice!
Materials needed:
Pink, white, and red construction paper
Black crayons
Stickers ( Oriental trading or Michael's)
Black pom-poms ( Optional)
Creativity!
http://blog.darice.com/holiday/winter/valentines-day/heart-valentine-fox

Some of my favorite Valentine's Day books include:
Mouse's First Valentine by Thompson and Valentine Surprise by Demas! Enjoy!

P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han

This book did not disappoint. Jenny Han dreams up great characters who are real and entertaining. The romance between Lara Jean and Peter continues in this sequel of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." Along with their second phase of romance comes a mysterious hot-tub video, ex-girlfriends, and ex-loves. All of these circumstances take their relationship and personal lives on a journey to stick it out and find themselves. I like that the author depicts our male teen character with something that we don't see enough of in teen books. He is strong, romantic, and sometimes impulsive with his words. Readers will enjoy the journey and root for their relationship along the way. 
Teens will be entertained and satisfied! 

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

How can you not be enticed by a book who's title includes a infamous Lady Gaga song?
This book is much more than a famous pop song though and readers will be drawn in on page one.
 Grace falls for bad-boy rockstar Gav in a heartbeat. It's inevitable with her traumatic home life and longing that she sets sights on the guy who tried to kill himself over his ex-girlfriend. Tragic? No doubt;  but what stands out about this book is the author, Heather Demetrios, focusing on Grace and giving us a real picture about what a victim of domestic violence goes through. You don't just sit back and let someone treat you horribly. There's an abundance of rollercoaster rides and emotions. The good and bad come in waves and they definitely do in this book. Also, Grace sticks up for herself as much as she can as a victim ( and a girl in love)... which sends a great message to girls that although the struggle seems endless... you can get out of a bad situation.
Loved this book! (less)

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Flashback to the 1980s and flashback to what it was like to feel real love as a teenager for the first time. Rosenthal writes a heartbreaking story about first love, friendships, raw mother/daughter relationships, and sibling rivalry and all it entails. Ari, is a plain girl who is whisked away to a private school Hollister in Manhattan due to a family inheritance. She finds herself naively falling for the glitz and glamour of a strikingly handsome older guy whom she falls head over heels in love with. The romance is reciprocated and heats up quickly. Ari finds herself amidst friendship problems and losing herself in a whirlwind romance. Can she compete with his upscale world, deal with her Catholic mother's ranting, and stay strong as the relationships becomes too much to handle? Older teens will enjoy this emotional tale of love and longing.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Hello 2018! I am newly obsessed with the author Jenny Han and her fantastic Lara Jean series. I picked up book one back in 2015 and then realized she wrote a third book for the series and continued on with the character's journey. I've always had a thing for "entering college" stories and movies. (Side note: one of my favorite DVDs is Boys and Girls starring the famous Freddie Prinze Jr. Yes! I am a fan of 90s movies... Don't judge me!).
Lara Jean in this book is struggling to decide what to do about college. Much to her dismay,she receives a rejection letter from her first pick, UVA ( University of Virginia). She still has excellent options however and must decide to stay local or drift afar Once choice willl cause a bit of strife with her first love and fabulous boyfriend Peter while the other could be an adventure Lara Jean has only wondered about.  Filled with quirky thoughts, laughter, and struggles this teen book will be a hard one for readers to put down.