**Disclosure – 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!
In our family, we have a tradition of gifting books on New Year’s Eve. I’m not quite sure how this tradition started,but I have, for as far back as I remember, gifted my children a book to start the new year. In this day and age, it can be hard to make time to read, or find books that will hold their interest or want them reading more. These new Disney books were a hit with my Neurotic Disney Kid – enough of a hit that she continues to reread these! But don’t just take my word for it!
- Gabby Duran: Multiple Mayhem
- page count: 224 * third in a series
The NDK Review:
Gabby Duran: Multiple Mayhem is a fun story for kids about Gabby Duran and her babysitting business. In this book, the third in the series, Gabby has to deal with her most difficult job of all, babysitting aliens. She is a proud member of A.L.I.E.N. – Association Linking Intergalactics and Earthings as Neighbors. They trust her to babysit the aliens in her neighborhood – and she is up against the wildest one of all – One.
This story is a fun, fictional book. Gabby has plenty of adventure and there are a lot of laughs. If you have ever babysat, or thought about it, this book will definitely make you laugh. I would recommend this book to any kid looking for a fun, adventurous story that will keep you laughing!
from the publisher:
CASE FILE: The Third (and fourth and fifth and sixth . . . ) Unsittable
SUMMARY: Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, Sitter to the Unsittables, has proven herself an integral member of A.L.I.E.N.–the Association Linking Intergalactics and Earthlings as Neighbors. She has amassed an impressive roster of alien clients, and is a trusted babysitter among humans and intergalactics alike. We here at A.L.I.E.N. are proud to call her one of our greatest success stories, and believe she is ready to take on more responsibility.
Which is why Gabby has now been entrusted with the care of one of our most volatile charges. His name is One and he’s a member of the Tridecalleon species. While One and his parents present the appearance of a normal, human family, they have some intriguing qualities that make caring for their young a unique challenge. And while, under normal circumstances, inviting outsiders to aid an agent with an Unsittable job would be strictly forbidden, we have decided to forgive Gabby calling in her friends Satchel and Zee in this case. After all, a babysitter only has so many hands. (Unless, of course, he or she is a Flarknartian.)
Making this highly unstable situation an even greater challenge? Gabby has also been assigned to protect a very dangerous object–one that, if it falls into the wrong hands, could cause the destruction of Earth itself. It remains to be seen whether Gabby and her friends are able to handle the demands of eleven . . . wait, twelve . . . no, thirteen babies, while ensuring the safety of the world at the same time. All we can do is wait, and hope, and trust. And ready our escape pods.
- Tales from Adventureland: The Keymaster’s Quest
- page count: 272 * ages 9-12
The NDK Review:
Adventureland is one of the best lands in Magic Kingdom. There is plenty of adventure to be found – pirates, a shipwrecked family, treasure hunters, head hunters, a genie and singing birds! Jason Lethcoe has picked one of Magic Kingdom’s best locations and wrote a story that includes a few of the best parts of Adventureland. This is Tales from Adventureland: The Keymaster’s Quest.
This is one, big adventure story! Andy Stanley, the grandson of Ned Lostmore (assumed dead), is the main character on a timed quest to keep one special key from falling into the wrong hands. If the bad guys get a hold of the key and wake the ancient god, Kapu, and the whole world will be over. The only way to stop Kapu is to awaken his brother, Kane, and that is one very dangerous job!
This book mentions a few Adventureland favorites. It actually mentions the Enchanted Tiki Room, talks about a jungle cruise and Polynesian islands. I think it is super cool that there is a story that talks about one of my favorite places in Magic Kingdom. Next time I am in Adventureland, I will definitely think of this story. I recommend this story for all people who love a good adventure – and Adventureland, too!
from the publisher:
Andy Stanley has never met his famous grandfather, renowned archaeologist and explorer Ned Lostmore. Then Ned goes missing on the search for a hidden temple deep in the Amazonian jungle, and everyone assumes he’s dead. But when Andy receives a mysterious letter and key from his grandfather, he is drawn into a quest to stop several lost, magical artifacts from falling into the wrong hands. His adventure takes him deep into the worlds of the attractions featured at Disney’s Adventureland—the Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, and more!
- The Adventurers Guild
- page count: 320 * ages: 9-12
The NDK Review:
The Adventurers Guild, the first in a series by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos, is an exciting book about two boys and how they try to save their world. The world had been taken over by monsters, and they need to do their part to help save the last two cities standing.
This is one serious, adventure/mystery book. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat as you wait to read what happens next. This book has a lot of twists and turns, unexpected foes and allies, and intense parts that will make your heart race. This story isn’t the happiest of stories – it is all action!
I would recommend this book for all adventure fans. If you are a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys fan, this would be a step up from those thrilling stories. It is definitely worth reading!
from the publisher:
Few ever asked to join the Adventurers Guild. . . . Their members often died young. In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone’s only half elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he’ll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild. But just as it seems the boys’ dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn . . . and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild. Led by the fearsome Alabasel Frond, the guild acts as the last line of defense against the Dangers–hungry, unnatural beasts from otherworldly planes. And when the boys uncover a conspiracy that threatens all of Freestone, Zed, Brock, and their new allies–Liza, a fierce noble, and Jett, a brave dwarf–must prove their worth once and for all. This start of a thrilling new series is sure to be a hit with readers who like their fantasies clever and action-packed, with tons of humor and heart.
- Munchem Academy: The Girl Who Knew Even More (book 2)
- page count: 304 * ages: 9-12 years
The NDK Review:
The Girl who Knew Even More is an exciting addition to the Munchem Academy series. Munchem Academy is a reform school. In this book, it’s Spring and the school is falling apart. It’s up to Mattie and his friends to save the school, and possibly the world!
There is a lot of excitement in this book! I was on the edge of my seat a few times while reading this story. To tell the truth, I have not read the first book, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, and I probably need to. I think I would have understood the story better. I will be looking for that book at my library.
If you have read The Boy Who Knew Too Much, you definitely need to read this book. I would recommend that you read that book before this one. It will help you to understand the characters better and know why they are there. The Girl Who Knew Even More is a great book, and I cannot wait to read it again once I read the first book!
from the publisher:
Spring has come to Munchem Academy. The snow is melting, the roof is leaking, and Mr. Larimore is now in charge. Mattie is worried, though. Mr. Larimore is taking the whole “let’s help Headmaster Rooney get back on his feet” thing seriously, and he’s whispering all sorts of suggestions to the highly suggestible Rooney. Then there’s the matter of the school’s weather. It’s getting . . . strange. Mini-tornados sweep up out of nowhere. Rain pours inside. And there was that snowstorm-that yellow snowstorm-that lasted for two days. Once Mattie, Caroline, and Eliot figure out what’s causing the chaos (the Weather-matic 9000), who’s causing the chaos (Mr. Larimore), and why it’s a chaotic an idea (weather weapons!), they need to act. Fast. There’s only one thing to do: save Mr. Larimore-and the world-from Mr. Larimore. It’s a tall order for a short kid, but Mattie has a plan. After all, what’s a little breaking and entering among friends?
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.
