Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klaven | Review


Being in high school is never easy but it can be more complicated when it includes a set of local bullies and a girl that seems to see and speak to things outside of this world. Sam Hopkins, son of the local pastor, finds himself in several difficult situations and his choice to, “Do Right. Fear Nothing.” Twists and turns continue to keep the reader interested in the mystery behind the story of Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klaven.

For me, the novel was an easy read with believable characters. It was easy to identify with Sam Hopkins and the situations that he ended up facing. You can’t help but root for him as he tries to make the right decision. He has a great voice and you could not help but feel like a real person was sharing his story with you.

It was a little tough to get into at first. Things seemed a little slow and I was not really sure where it was headed. Luckily, I didn’t give up on it because it was well worth the read. My guess is that this book is custom made for kids around middle school or high school age as they will be able to relate to Sam and the idea of wanting to do the right thing even when seems so difficult. Every school has bullies and every school has kids that are a little eccentric. There is a good chance that kids will read this and take a second look at the people around them and what is really going on behind the scenes.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Eggs Helps Kids Learn to Read Online

'More kids books' photo (c) 2012, The Greenery Nursery and Garden Shop - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Teaching kids to read isn't always easy. At home, it is tough to come up with fun ideas and games to keep kids interested and make sure that they are progressing. Some days, there just isn't enough time to get around to practicing reading. Parents need something to make this process simpler.

For the past month, Daughter (age 5) has been using Reading Eggs, a learn to read online program. It begins with a reading assessment test to make sure that the child is starting at the right ability appropriate level. There are all types of games to make sure that kids see the same words over and over again and show proficiency by clicking on them in a variety of different ways.

Daughter is already a pretty good reader but she still enjoyed the program. I watched her giggle while she played a game (a lot like Frogger) that required her to get the frog across the logs using the words she was learning. She already knew the words but for me, I liked the way that the words were shown. There was an explanation of how the words were built and put together. To me, the phonics really made a difference.

If you have a child that is struggling to read or you just want to give them a little extra practice with fun, online games, consider trying out Reading Eggs. Parents start can start with a free 14 day trial and do not need to give a credit card to get started. You can register multiple children and keep up to date on each one's progress. Reading Eggs is for kids up to 7 years old. If you have a child 7-13, consider signing up for The Reading Eggspress.

If anyone tries Reading Eggs, be sure to let me know what you think and how it worked out for you.

**I received a free three month trial courtesy of Reading Eggs for trying out the product and posting my review.