Frostbite by Julia Dweck

Synopsis: Bestselling children's author, Julia Dweck, shares the magic of the holiday season in a delightful story of one boy’s wish for a dog of his very own. After a wintry mix of snow and love, two icy mounds of snow come to life with a bark, a wiggle and a wag. The wonder of childhood is born in this frisky snowpup named Frostbite. Children will be enchanted by the artistry of Robb Mommaerts, whose illustrations perfectly capture the magic of this imaginative picture book. Told in rhyme by a little boy whose dream comes true, this tale will warm the heart of young readers and any parent who remembers wishing for a dog of their very own. 

Thoughts: Another winner for this author. The rhyming text is simple and fun. It is a great book for reading to younger children, or for beginning readers to try out their new skills. And its subject matter makes it a great read for this time of year.

The illustrations are perfect for the text. I especially love the very first page, where you can tell that the boy is TOTALLY dog obsessed by the illustration. And every page after that reflects the words in amazing detail.

I believe this will become a new winter classic!

**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

My rating:  Five stars

Frostbite (Vampire Academy, Book Two), by Richelle Mead

Synopsis: Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if handto- hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks.... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

Thoughts: Yet another series where I have to learn not to become attached to any one character...darn it!  I enjoyed the interaction between Rose and her mother, especially the scene of them in combat practice against one another. The bond between Lissa and Rose is changing, and I'm looking forward to seeing where that goes. I think I'm starting to understand what "shadow kissed" means, and hope to find out more about that in Book Three, since the title is Shadow Kiss.