**Disclaimer – I received these books for review purposes from the Disney Book Group. All opinions are my own.
Story time is always a favorite in this Neurotic Disney home. NDK (Neurotic Disney Kid) is old enough to read, but not too old to still be read to! Books are wonderful on so many levels. We keep them everywhere – even in the car! Disney Books are a great way to keep Disney at home. Disney Book Group was kind enough to send these books for NDK approval – be sure to look for the NDK Review after the description of each book!
It is so hard to believe we are half-way through summer already! Summer reading opportunities are not slowing down with these new releases from Disney Publishing! These great books showcase the new, upcoming Disney Channel movie, Descendants! And of course, for your young Marvel fan, World of Reading releases a new story in the Avengers line, The New Team! Books are available online and on shelves TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2015!
Descendants: Mal’s Spell Book- Page Count: 192 * Price: $11.99 * Ages: 9-12 yrs.
Set up just like a “real” spell book, children will get the feeling as if they are really holding a spell book. Mal and her friends add their own thoughts to the book as well, making this book a fun read!
From the publisher:
For fans of Descendants, this spell book, which formerly belonged to Maleficent before she passed it on to Mal, is full of comments, notes, and inside jokes between Mal and the other villains’ kids. Laugh and cry along with Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos as they find their way in the world of Auradon Prep.
The NDK Review: I like this book.I am excited to see the movie “Descendants.” It is a movie about the children of the princesses, princes and villains of my favorite Disney movies. Mal is Maleficent’s daughter and Maleficent is the evilest of them all! Maleficent gives the spell book to Mal to help get the Fairy Godmother’s wand so Maleficent can bend both good and evil and take over the world! Muhahaha(insert evil laugh)! The spells can only be used in Auradon. Mal and her friends wrote all over the spell book, making it funny! My favorite spell is, “A spell for better hair.” It’s my favorite because it will help you get better hair. I haven’t gotten the spell to work yet, but I wish it did!
Descendants: Mal’s Diary- Page Count: 192 * Price: $9.99 * Ages: 9-12 yrs
This hard cover book features a die-cut front closing flap, that will magnetically keep Mal’s diary shut! This was a fun feature that NDK really enjoyed. The whimsical details added to the pages create a realistic feel of this “diary.”
From the publisher:
For anyone who wants to know more about what Mal is really thinking, this diary gives readers a special glimpse inside her world with super-secret journal entries and Mal’s doodles and drawings. Plus bonus pages for the reader to write down her own thoughts and feelings!
The NDK Review: Mal keeps a diary so she can remember about what she likes and does not like. I really like how the book “magically” shuts. The book won’t pop open, like a real diary! Mal talks about the last day she spent in the Isle of the Lost and all the days she spent in Auradon. Mal lives in the Isle of the Lost, but went to Auradon because Belle and Beast’s son, Ben, wanted to let the children of the Isle of the Lost live and go to school in Auradon. He wanted them to have a chance to decide if they wanted to be good or evil. Mal’s mom thought this was BIG so Mal could get the Fairy Godmother’s wand. Maleficent wants the wand so she can bend good and evil and take over the world. I think this is a great book.
Descendants: Junior Novel- Page Count: 176 * Price: $10.99 * Ages: 12+
This junior novel is perfect for anyone excited about the upcoming Disney Channel movie! Loaded with photos from the movie, this is perfect for summer reading enthusiasts!
From the publisher:
When four offspring of classic Disney villains are offered a chance to leave the island where they have been imprisoned and go to prep school in an idyllic kingdom, they must choose whether or not to follow in their parents’ evil footsteps.
The NDK Review: I like this story. This story is about the movie, not just Mal. The main four characters are Evie, Carlos, Jay and Mal. There are three places in this book: Isle of the Lost, Auradon and Auradon Prep. Isle of the Lost is where the villains live. Auradon is where the good guys live. Auradon Prep is where the Auradon teenagers go to school. The children of the villains get a chance to go to school with the children of the good guys. The book also has eight pages of photos! I’m really excited to see this movie!
World of Reading: The Avengers: The New Team- Page Count: 32 * Price: $3.99
- World of Reading Level 1
I love World of Reading books. Simple sentences and easy to identify words, this book is perfect for those just mastering the skill of reading. With the Avengers as the subject of the book, any young Marvel fan will love this!
From the publisher:
The Marvel Heroes of Reading line of early readers is designed to offer reluctant readers, specifically boys, books that they will want to read by featuring characters they love. The series is broken into three levels that invoke the rigorous training courses their favorite Marvel heroes must engage in to perfect their super powers. In reading this series, boys will prefect their own power to read. The New Team introduces readers ages 4-6 to MORE Super Heroes from Marvel’s most popular team, the Avengers, such as Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Vision, and Falcon.
The NDK Review: This story is about when Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Vision join the Avengers team! They help the Avengers (Thor, Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man) fight evil. My favorite is Black Widow. This book is great for kids that are just starting to read!
A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.
