Chad MorrisReseñas

This novel is a 2024 Lone Star selection.

With school shut down during the pandemic, students can attend a virtual school if they choose to not go back to physical school. Talk about changing their lives! Unlike online school where there are just faces and it's a big Zoom meeting, this virtual school uses VR (virtual reality). Students receive a box with goggles, gloves, and whatever is needed to make going to school feel real. The first task involves creating your own avatar. Here's the deal. Do you create an avatar that looks like you? Do you use your real name? Creating this avatar allows the users to decide if they would like to reinvent their lives. What are the consequences?

Hunter loves school and loves being the center of attention. He makes himself be courageous, stepping forward and talking to the "pretty" girls even though he is very nervous. He pushes himself to be noticed and to be a winner. He excels in sports and worries VR school will be too different, performing in the VR equipment. VR school allows him to hide his diagnosis of alopecia and enjoy being himself without dealing with losing his hair in public. He would never hide his name or his looks, so his avatar looks like him with curly blond hair, athletic build, and he keeps his name.

Edelle must attend VR because her mother makes her. Her mom wants Edelle to stop focusing on how she looks. The previous year, Edelle was obsessed with "the list." It determined which girls were the prettiest, and Edelle was up for the competition. She was friends with Hunter, running with the popular kids. Everything revolved around looks. Her mother removes her from this world and will only approve an avatar that actually looks like Edelle, no filters. Edelle feels invisible and ignored. She chooses to go by the name Vanya. Hunter treats her very different because she's not absolutely gorgeous. Edelle transforms to who she really is as a person. She finds a best friend in Daebak and returns to honing her skills as a videographer and editor. She creates amazing videos and finds that she really enjoys talking to people, seeing who they truly are, and helping them.

Bradley knows he can totally reinvent himself. Unlike Edelle, he relishes VR school. He creates a pink-haired, super cool avatar named Daebak. Bradley carries extra weight, saying he's a big guy. He loves to dance, but he worries people will make fun of him. Hunter make Bradley a joke in school, so Bradley's is always alone and has no friends. He can be the cool guy here. He decides to be confident. Daebak talks to people, takes chances, and shows people his moves. He can really dance! He's also kind to people.

These are the three characters that the chapters alternate between. One other prominent character is Jasper, the. guy in the yellow track suit. He's the glue that holds everyone together. As team captain, he cares about everyone and strives for everyone to have a good time and to support one another. A fifth character is Keiko. She rarely smiles and often has sometimes doomsday-ish sounding. Daebak never gives up on getting to know her, nor does Vanya or Jasper. When you remove physical appearances, the students become themselves, for better or worse. Hunter's world revolves around him. Daebak wants friends and wants a life, performing his dances. Vanya wants her old life until she discovers what invisibility is like and discovers that she wants to help people.

Overall, I found the novel's premise that everyone wants to be seen and treated nicely neatly done by using the Virtual School construct. It should make the reader do some personal reflection. Which character am I? Would I want to reinvent myself? This VR world allows the students to ignore looks and concentrate on the true person. That's a really nice idea. We should do this kindness in real life!

Juniper has always lived off the grid with her family, but when her younger brother must go to a hospital, the whole family (re)enters Society, where Juniper is passionately curious about everything (including how the refrigerator works, which no one seems able to explain). An incredible fish-out-of-water story (see also: Schooled by Gordon Korman).½

This tender story told with heart and humor, and will leave you smiling and full of warm fuzzies.

Having been around a good number of 11 year odds over the years, I would say that the authors did an amiable job of writing in a believable voice, making Juniper Bean really sound her age. I loved that about this story. Told entirely from Juniper’s point of view, we learn about her family and how they have lived in the mountains, off grid, and wholly reliant on what they can glean from wild, Juniper’s entire life. But when a medical emergency for her brother sends them back into the city so he can get treatment, Juniper suddenly has to learn to navigate a foreign—and seemingly cutthroat—world.

I adored Juniper’s curiosity and confidence. Her little confidence boosting talks she would give herself were beautiful, and I hope my kids can say things like that to themselves. Juniper is a character who puts her all into what she does, and is extremely resourceful and resilient. I loved watching her navigate this new world, with new relationships, and do so with her head up high.

There are also some deeper themes throughout this one, including strong family and friendships, bullying, parental abandonment, split families, life-threatening illness, and anxiety attacks. But it’s all written in age-appropriate ways, and I think any middle grade reader could benefit from the lessons woven throughout this delightful story.

**thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Quotes I loved:

Stupid can get you dead.

She had a big heart that leaked out her eyes.

I was fine. You’ll never learn to do flips if you’re afraid of flopping sometimes. You’ve got to try.

“‘And I learned that being good is a lot more important than looking good.’ I took a deep breath. ‘I know, it sounds like a fridge magnet, but it’s true.’ Me. No filter. Smiling.”

Virtually Me is a clever, heartfelt, realistic fiction middle grade readers will enjoy! Three Jr. High students share their hopes, fears, and deepest secrets as they attend an experimental virtual school during the 2021 pandemic year. Through their experiences, they learn valuable lessons about self acceptance, valuing things other than appearance, reinvention, second chances, and true friendship. It’s a thoughtful story with great messages. There are even references to K-pop!

Bradley, Hunter, and Edelle all have their own reasons for attending virtual school. Ever since having a mean prank pulled on him in 3rd grade, Bradley has withdrawn himself and tried to remain in the background. He longs for friendship and acceptance. His secret dreams of sharing his talent for dancing and love of K-pop remain hidden. Attending virtual school gives him an opportunity to reinvent himself. He can design his avatar any way he wants and create a new, more hip persona.

Hunter is hiding a secret from his friends. He’s experiencing a form of alopecia most likely alopecia areata and is embarrassed about his patchy hair loss. He’s extremely competitive and for one so focused on appearance and winning, this trial is extremely difficult. Virtual school allows him to be his popular, competitive self yet hide his real appearance. But, his drive to win may just be his downfall.

Edelle is attending virtual school because her mom hopes to convince her that appearances aren’t everything. For the popular girl who lives for likes on social media, being forced to adopt a plain avatar and miss out on in person school is going to be difficult. Edelle is in for a huge shock when she learns what it’s like to be just average looking. When her supposed best friend who fawned all over her in real life doesn’t recognize her or give her the time of day, she has to decide what real friendship is.

This is one of the first middle grade books I’ve seen that subtly addresses the pandemic and what kids were going through during that time. I loved the lessons each kid learns as they navigate online school The virtual setting allowed the kids to really explore who they were. I liked how each one had a different problem to overcome which made them easily relatable. I also loved Jasper. He’s the glue that keeps everyone together and when you learn his reason for attending virtual school, it really drives home the messages the authors were trying to convey throughout.

It’s well written, fun, and even enjoyable for adults to read. This is definitely one book I’d recommend to ages 10 and up. I received advanced complimentary copies from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.½

After losing her mom, Willa is grieving and having a hard time living with her dad and his new family on an island off the coast of Washington State. Her dad tries to cheer her up by taking her whale watching, something Willa's mom used to do.

Squint is the second book by husband/wife duo Chad Morris and Shelly brown. (I reviewed their first book, Mustaches for Maddie, and I’ll recommend that one, too.) Flint’s personality is irrepressible, and I think older elementary readers and middle grade readers will love him. We all have our ways of coping and Flint and McKell delight in theirs while dealing with bullies and personal struggles.

I gave this book four-and-a-half stars!

NetGalley gave me an advanced reader copy but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A adequate first effort.

The setting is interesting and the idea of experiencing history in a winner. The characters are either a bit on the slow side or the telescoping was a bit obvious, but the book seems to avoid the traditional deathblow of YA books, underestimating the audience, if only by a smidge. Plot seemed to overshadow the characters as they had a tendency to do things the plot required rather than acting out of their own internal motivations. But the writing was snappy and the pacing was even. All in all a perfectly satisfactory first volume.

In all probability, the second book in the series will be in my future.

Maddie is a sixth-grade student who starts to have some health impairments and finds out that she has a brain tumor. As she battles the brain tumor, she also struggles with the typical friendship drama that pre-teen children often encounter. Maddie finds that she likes to wear fake mustaches to keep her sense of humor up and calm her nerves. What can be scary and awful if you are wearing a mustache? Find out what happens to Maddie and her battle with the brain tumor and to make her way through pre-teen relationships.

"The monstor" is Maddie's brain tumor. Well-wishes can come in mustaches.

Maddie is a sixth-grade girl who goes through the normal ups and downs with friendship and teen years. She is also noticing that her arm and leg don't always behave normally. She likes to wear fake mustaches to add humor and give herself confidence when she is nervous. They discover that the reason her limbs are not working properly is due to a brain tumor, and the story chronicles Maddie and her family's feelings as they go through the scary process of brain surgery and fear of cancer. This is based on a true story, and the author is Maddie's dad. The book is a tear-jerker, but will also have you laughing as you read.

A heartwarming and at times heartbreaking story about Maddie, a 12 year old girl, who finds that she has to fight against a brain tumor. Her humor, wit and huge heart try and tackle this horrible monster with the support of her family and friends. Maddie loves to make people laugh and always has a spare mustache to add humor to any occasion. As a result her friends and family rally when she is in the hospital and surprise her with Mustaches for Maddie. A great book for upper elementary and middle school readers.

Absolutely stunned by how much I enjoyed this book. I read reviews mentioning comparisons to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and can completely see that.

I would say this book is the very definition of an "8-grade classic" but is extremely well-written. This book has only two in the series (currently) and so it's hard to judge the overall story. However, I would easily put this book on par with other Book 1's - Sorcerer's Stone or Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Highly recommend.

Very good book. Had a few interesting plots in it.

A very good ending to the series. Hopefully one day there will be more(since theses 3 only covered the first year there).

A wonderfully touching, and heartwarming story about a little girl faced with a health scare that no one, let alone a child, should have to go through. She tackles it bravely and with a ridiculous amount of style (and 'stache!), that one could only hope to have as much courage in the face of such an adversary. Though based on a true story, the fiction elements added allow readers to laugh a bit more, smile a bit wider, and, yes, cry a little harder too....but all in all give us a performance worthy of a standing ovation.


***copy received for review

There's a lot of things 12 year old Maddie is concerned about, from who are her real friends to why does her arm and leg act so weird? She's really excited about the class play and would love to play Juliet. But then she finds out from the neurologist that she has a brain tumor and needs surgery. Can fake mustaches lighten hearts burdened with such a monster of a worry? This heartfelt story is based on a true one. Recommended for grades 4-6. Would be great for a girl's book discussion.

People of all ages will love this book. It may be geared towards middle grade students but it will make people of all ages laugh and cry. You might need a box of Kleenex next to you. Maddie is a fantastic character who I would have loved to be friends with in grade school or now. She loves to make you laugh. This will tear you up inside also because of what she has to go through. Make sure to read. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Mustaches for Maddie is a wonderful treasure of a read! Instantly, I fell in love with Maddie. Her attitude towards life was infectious. Plus, I loved how she could turn any situation into a "mustache" situation. As Maddie states "imagine a pig with a mustache or a woman singing opera with a pink mustache". That is where the photo booth is so popular at events. Which Maddie was right to say think that mustaches make any situation funnier as well as people. Take Groucho Marx for example. He was a pretty funny guy who also was famous for his mustache.

Maddie was so brave when facing the diagnosis of a brain tumor as well as surgery and the recovery. Although, her family were pretty great too. I appreciate the authors sharing their daughter's story. I mustache this book so much!

I received this book from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book!

First off, this book is "based on the true story of the authors’ daughter, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was eleven years old". A large portion of this book is real and that makes me like it even more. Not that Maddie had a tumor but that Maddie is a real person that is bringing light into this world.

Maddie is the narrator and she is a slightly unreliable narrator at times. Like when her imagination kicks in or she really wants to hear something but she always clears it up. But what can you expect from a 12 year old with an overactive imagination.

If you took out the part of the story about her having a brain tumor it is still great story about a girl learning where her place is at school and how to overcome those that are against you.

If you liked Wonder, you will like Mustaches for Maddie. Both books are about children that unknowingly encourage those around them in such a pure and innocent way.

I recommend this book to everyone!

5 STARS

I really this adventure series. It is a fun dangerous adventure in a school of smart kids. Everyone of the kids but one are super smart. Abby is just normal smart her twin brother is way smart. There Grandfather created Cragbridge Hall and he made exception for Abby.

Abby does not give up, she runs fast, cares about others and risks her life to save everyone.
Derick Cragbridge is a twin. Abby, Derick and two of their friends, Rafa and Carol have learned some of their Grandfather's secrets about time-travel. They have learned how to go to the past and the present. There is only a select few that know and have keys to travel. They have had two previous adventures to stop a group of bad guys led by Muns.

Muns has learned about the machine to travel in time but he needs three keys to work the machine he stole. He wants to go back and change lots of things so he becomes powerful.

Abby & Derick learn there is a plan to take over a race in the school so that he can get the keys. A lot of the good guys are unconscious so it is up to the kids to save everyone. So Abby & Derick gather a group of kids to race through the challenges to win.

Through all the great inventions you learn about history in a fun way. It is exciting, I love the lessons about doing your best and learning through trials. How much you grow from them. What would you change in the past could effect your present. If you knew the ending of your life you might not achieve what you could do.

I would love to read more in this series, but I don't know if their will be more to it. The twins have only been to school one year that took three books to tell their adventures.

I love the science fiction of this story. That it makes you think about your choices. Also it is a clean read.

I was given this ebook to read and in return I agreed to give a honest review of The Impossible Race.

This was a fun story. It reminded me a bit of the Harry Potter series in that children away at school embark on an adventure with danger and thrills. It is a futuristic society and the future is full of amazing inventions. It was a fun book but not as sophisticated as the Harry Potter series.

Our main characters here are Abby, Derrick and Carol. These three 7th grade children rescue Abby and Derrick's Grandfather and parents from an evil scientist that wants to use time travel to change the past. They follow clues to solve the mystery of what their Grandfather's secret is and how to save their parents.

This is not a book I am likely to read and reread, but it is one I would recommend for children age 9-12.

Great book. Like Harry Potter meets sci-fi.

A great second book in the series, based on an idea quite different from other kids' fantasy books.

This series is so WONDERFULLY WONDERFUL!

Fast-paced action! Intriguing inventions! Friendships! Courage! It's all in there!

Abby, Derick, Carol, and Rafa are attending the most amazing school in the whole world!

They get to first-hand witness history by traveling back in time.

But this is not just a history lesson...this is a full-out fight to protect history...even if it means bad things must repeat themselves.

There are only a few members of the elite Council of Keys and now someone is attacking them and taking their keys to gain control of 'the bridge' between our time and the past.

Abby and Derick are caught up in the power struggles of adults while trying to maintain their school grades..not an easy feat...

They will be given tests of 'choice and consequence' and will be asked to do hard things.

But Abby and Derick are not ordinary teenagers...they are the grandchildren of the inventor and designer of 'Cragbridge Hall.'

And Derick and Rafa as skilled with the avatars! (Wait until you read how those come into play :)

5 STARS

This sequel stands up to the first book. I did not put the book down once I started reading it. It is full of imagination, fun history facts, heroes, fun inventions, battles. It is full of adventure, and a clean read.

The plot starts out with second semester starting at Cragbridge Hall. A school for genius. Abby's grades are not good. Some don't think she should be in the school at all. That she got in just because her Grandfather pulled strings. Muns sends message to the four teens that helped defeat is plan to change history last time to stay out of his way. He is determined to change history in big ways. To do that he needs to get two keys.

They can watch history at Cragbridge Hall from any angle or point of time. It would be fun to watch some history like that and would make me want to learn more.

Abby & Derick's are in danger even while they are at school. But they don't want to stay back and do nothing to help stop Muns.
While Abby is at the bottom of the class the same can't be said for her twin Derick. He is super smart, and most things come easy for him. Derick wants to be in the special avatar group after school and tries out for it.

Besides learning about history, exploring your world it also had some good lessons being taught.
I would definitely read more books in the Crabridge Hall series in the future.
I was given this ebook to read for purpose of giving a honest review of it.
publication: March 4th 2014 by Shadow Mountain 352 pages
ISBN:9781609078096
My review Cragbridge Hall, Book 1: The Inventor's Secret by Chad Morris can be found here http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2013/04/cragbridge-hall-book-1-inventors...