Vampire Breath (Classic Goosebumps #21, Goosebumps #49) by R.L. Stine

 Vampire Breath (Classic Goosebumps #21, Goosebumps #49) by R.L. Stine-114 pages

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Tough. That's Freddy Martinez and his friend, Cara. They're not afraid of anything. But that was before they went exploring in Freddy's basement. Before they found the secret room. Before they found the bottle of Vampire Breath.
Poor Freddy and Cara. They should have never opened that bottle of Vampire Breath. Because now there's a vampire in Freddy's basement. And he's very, very thirsty....

Thoughts: Freddy and Cara end up going back in time to a vampire's castle in the late 1800s. There are dozens of vampires living there and all of them are so thirsty. Will they escape back to the future and Freddy's basement? This one has a pretty good twist at the end that actually makes sense, too. I liked this one. 

Deep Trouble II (Goosebumps #58) by R.L. Stine

 Deep Trouble II (Goosebumps #58) by R.L. Stine-113 pages

⭐⭐⭐

Billy Deep and his sister, Sheena, are spending another summer in the Caribbean on their uncle's totally cool floating lab. The weather is beautiful. And there are lots of neat places to go swimming and snorkeling.

Billy and Sheena are great swimmers. But even great swimmers get into trouble — especially this year. This year there's something really scary going on under the sea. The fish all seem to be growing. Bigger and bigger. Into monster-size sea creatures. With monster-size appetites . . .

Thoughts: Sheena and Billy Deep are back along with Dr. D, their uncle, for another adventure. This time they discover giant fish and other giant marine animals. Why are they all so big? This one isn't quite as good as their first one, but it's still a decent read.

The Kissing Hand, A Pocket Full of Kisses, & Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully

The Kissing Hand - 30 pages

A Pocket Full of Kisses - 32 pages

Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully - 32 pages

Audrey Penn, Ruth E. Harper (Illustrator), Nancy M. Leak (Illustrator), Barbara Gibson (Illustrator)

Summary for The Kissing Hand (From Goodreads)

Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away. 

Summary for A Pocket Full of Kisses (From Goodreads)

In this tender sequel to the New York Times bestseller and children's classic The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn provides parents with another tale of love and reassurance to share with their children. Chester Raccoon has a baby brother—and the baby brother is taking over his territory. When Chester sees his mother give his baby brother a Kissing Hand—his Kissing Hand—he is overcome with sadness, but Mrs. Raccoon soothes his fears with her own special brand of wisdom, finding just the right way to let Chester know he is deeply loved. 

Summary for Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully (From Goodreads)

When Mrs. Raccoon learns that there is a bully problem at school, she decides to investigate the situation. But after seeing the bully for herself, she shares a story about a forest that was full of smooth yellow stones, and how the animals living there changed a pointy stone they found into a smooth stone so that it wouldn't hurt any tender paws. Chester, Ronny, and Cassy follow the spirit of Mrs. Raccoon's story when they next encounter the Bully. Approaching him as a group, they invite him to play, proving that the best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him or her a friend. 

Review

I remembered loving the story of the kissing hand when I was little, so I decided to go back and read it again as an adult.  This led to me discovering it was the first of a series, so I decided to check those out, too.  They are all so sweet!  I'd recommend these in a heartbeat to any parent with a child starting school!  

Deep Trouble (Goosebumps #19, Classic Goosebumps #2) by R.L. Stine

Deep Trouble (Goosebumps #19, Classic Goosebumps #2) by R.L. Stine-144 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Billy and his sister, Sheena, are visiting their uncle Dr. Deep on a tiny Caribbean island. It's the perfect place to go exploring underwater...and Billy's ready for an adventure. There's only one rule to Stay away from the coral reefs. Still, the reefs are so beautiful. So peaceful. Billy can't resist. But he's not alone in the water. Something's lurking deep below the surface. Something dark and scaly....Something that's half-human, half-fish...Now with all-new bonus materials including real-life shark tales and more.

Thoughts: This was a fun read. This one isn't a typical Goosebumps exactly. It's part fantasy, part horror, and just plain fun. I didn't expect mermaids when I began reading this book. 

The Chinese New Year Helper

The Chinese New Year Helper - 40 pages

Ying Chang Compestine, Ginnie Hsu (Illustrator)

Summary (From Goodreads)

A young girl finds an exciting role for herself at the Chinese New Year celebration in her family’s restaurant. At last, she isn’t being told that she’s too young to help! Jia’s family is busy preparing for the Chinese New Year feast at their restaurant in Chinatown, and Jia wants to take part. But each time she tries to help she’s told that she’s too too young to be in the kitchen, too young to light the lanterns, too young to carry the plates. And then the feast begins, and something wonderful happens. When Jia is scolded for getting too close to the exciting lion dance, one of the dancers swoops her up and into the costume, and suddenly she’s a part of the performance—a crucial part that saves the show. Never again does her family tell her that she’s too young to help!

Review

Reading about a holiday tradition as told through the eyes of a child really got me thinking about experiencing some of my own holiday traditions when I was a child!  

Mungo on His Own

Mungo on His Own - 48 pages

Matthew Burgess, Julie Benbassat (Illustrator)

Summary (From Goodreads)

One evening, young Mungo ventures into the forest to find the sweet, red berries he’s been dreaming about. But he soon finds that foraging alone can be hard for a kit like him, and Mungo gets lost. Very lost! Will he find the berries—and his way back home—all on his own?

Review

I picked this one up for the adorable fox, and I stayed for the equally cute story!  

Club Microbe

Club Microbe - 56 pages

Elise Gravel

Summary (From Goodreads)

It's a germ’s world. We’re just living in it!

In Club Microbe , Elise Gravel teaches young readers that germs live all around us―and even inside of us! Guided by Gravel in this formidable introduction to the fascinating world of microorganisms, we learn that some microbes get a bad rep for making us sick, but that most are helpful creatures that allow us to digest food, make cheese, and even enable snowflakes to form in winter.

In her signature colorful cartoon style, Gravel describes the invisible work of microorganisms that aid in creating our food, producing oxygen, and keeping our planet alive. She gives us a tour of the heroes and the villains of the microbe world, stopping to marvel at their unique names and wondrous shapes.

Review

This was as charming and humorous as it was educational -- the perfect way to get kids (and me!) interested in learning more about science!