A.J. Kormon

Scruffy Muffin Loses his Money is a great picture book by A.J. Kormon.

This book is deceptively awesome! When you look at the cover and title you think it's just a typical picture book, but it's not! This book can be used as a fun, light hearted read OR you can look at the back of the book that prompts you on how to talk about money, budgeting and saving with your little ones!

I absolutely adored this book! It had a great story with a fun rhyming scheme (I started singing in my head), on top of an optional educational bit. If you know me, I love my educational side pieces! The back does a great job of informing parents of the many ways they can help install good money management skills in kids. It's not all accounting and boring, it's all about starting conversations and being open with kids.

Throw in the colourful illustrations and the awesome array of friends Scruffy Muffin has, and you've got yourself a real winner! I highly recommend this book to young readers.

Five out of five stars!

I received this book for free from the author, A.J. Kormon, in exchange of an honest review.… (mehr)

Hiding Out on Halloween by A.J. Kormon is a delightful, middle grade read!

I really liked this book, and not just because it features my favourite holiday! This craft middle grade book is aimed at readers who have trouble reading or just don't enjoy it as much. It combines a fast paced book with a compelling story and larger font/type to make it easier for kids to read. There's also lots of realistic and current day themes all packed into this book, but it's loads of fun!

Avery is your average, everyday kid - he loves Minecraft, he has school bullies and he's just living his best life. He ends up borrowing a book from the library, Super Ultimate Minecraft Hacks, and everyone wants it. But, lucky him got to it first! Maybe that wasn't the best thing to happen to him though, because he accidentally uses a potion from it and his bully Becky disappears! Avery feels bad, but he's determined to make it right and help find Becky! Along the way we meet his friend Jordan, a black cat who keeps stalking him throughout the neighborhood and secrets that we wouldn't always know about our friends.

I think this book is really sweet and well written. Middle graders will absolutely love this fast paced book that always keeps you on your toes. There is some real (and somewhat sad) aspects of this book, but that is what make sit really relatable to kids. Don't let that thought steer you away though - visibility matters! Sometimes we have losses in life that suck, but we are able to learn how to cope with them.

All around, this book is a magical experience! If you have a reader that has difficulty reading or has a hard time getting into books, give this one a try. It's well worth it! I highly recommend it.

Five out of five stars!

I received this book for free from the author, A.J. Kormon, in exchange of an honest review.… (mehr)

A.J. Kormon is one of my recent favourite authors for middle grade series. I always love myself a little middle grade read. It brings me back to my youth and reminds me of how much fun reading back then was. Getting a little nostalgia is nice through all of the craziness of our current situation, you know?

Anywho, Creeping Up on Christmas is a continuation of the Halloway Hills Middle School Mysteries series (yes, it's quite a mouthful for a series). This series is marvellous for many reasons: relatable characters, realistic scenarios, and these books are designed for kids who have trouble reading! Larger print, engaging stories and an easier font to read. I highly recommend this book if you have some picky readers or readers who don't like the typical font/sizing of your everyday middle grade books.

Onto the content! We don't follow the same characters as last time, but that's a good thing! There's no need to read the first book in this series to understand what's going on in this book. It's definitely nice so you can smile at the references when our past friends swing by, but you don't need to rush out to buy the first book (I recommend you do anyways, it's fantastic!).

Our new friends from Halloway Hills Middle School are helping with a Christmas fair for the school. It's going to be raising money for local charities, so they are ready and willing to help! Violet crocheted a whole bunch of hats for this event and is super, duper excited to sell them!

Side note: A middle schooler who can crotchet hats?! I'm lucky enough to get a dishcloth done and have it look presentable. Go Violet! That's a real skill!

Violet's hats disappear one day and she's pretty sure she knows what happened to them. Unfortunately, the adults in her life suggest to keep moving forward and come up with new ideas for the fair instead. With a little help from new and old friends, Violet is going to tackle this mystery and find her missing hats!

My collection of notes for this book are as followed:

1. More cats! I swear A.J. Kormon keeps writing these books with me in mind. I love the furry friends featured in these books.

2. Violet has purple hair and a nose ring. I was always that weird kid with funky hair throughout middle school and high school (and adulthood, minus the pandemic of course) and I never felt like I fit in. I wish I had a book like this to show me it's totally normal to have funky hair that sparks your fancy and shows your style.

3. The hints along the way help steer you in some different directions for who is suspicious. The intrigue and mystery was super fun and I really enjoyed it!

Overall, I'm totally digging this series! A.J. Kormon is onto something great and I highly recommend you pick these books up while they're still hot!

Five out of five stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the author, A.J. Kormon, in exchange of an honest review.
… (mehr)

Veering off Valentine's by A.J. Kormon is another super sweet, middle grade read for your eager readers.

I do really enjoy these books. I've been on a bit of a middle grade binge lately, but can you blame me? This series specifically is designed for readers who aren't too enthusiastic about reading. There is big font, fast paced storylines and relatable characters and arcs. This series has a little bit of everything! Most middle graders are going to be hooked in on this series and loving every second of it, I just already tell!

Anywho, this book is the kind of book I wanted way back in my middle grade reading days (and, well... I guess now? Since I'm reading so much of them). There is friendship, drama, a pinch of romance in this book (look at the title, it's Valentine's Day!), and there is always a cat.

This time around we are following Jordan Cartwright. She's one of our many friends from Halloway Hills Middle School. Things get a little awkward for her when the Valentine she made for her best friend Avery gets leaked to him. It's cute and romantic, but she's almost certain he doesn't feel the same way about her. He already has his eyes set on a friend in their class! To make it every worse, her cat keeps disappearing! This is a mystery her and her friends (including Avery!) need to solve. Jordan doesn't want to lose her lovely, cuddly kitty! There's no time for that!

I think this book is such a delight! We already met Avery in the first book (Hiding Out on Halloween), but there's no need to worry if you haven't read the first book. Each of these books can be read as a standalone. If you want to know a little background, feel free to binge the whole series (it's worth it, honestly). The book sets itself up that you will get the base information needed (for example, relationships between the characters or any major past events you'd need to know) and lets you dive into the story without worry. It almost feels like some of the comments mentioned are more like Easter eggs for eager fans.

Either way, this series is a must read for middle graders wanting to dive into positive chapter books. All of these stories scream positivity, friendship, growth and learning. They are feel good books that will make your heart feel very happy. No negativity around here!

Five out of five stars. I love this series oh so very much. Give me more!!

Thank you to the author, A. J. Kormon, for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.… (mehr)