Book Review and Blog Tour: Mineral Mischief

• Publisher:North Star Press
• ISBN-10:087839415X
• ISBN-13: 978-0878394159
• SRP:  $9.95

About The Book

Book 2 is titled Mineral Mischief. In the midst of having her friends visit her rock collection, Maple Moo’s rare mineral goes missing from underneath her large cow nose. She instantly turns to Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill, the most famous detectives in Acorn Valley, to find it. But they didn’t know the task was going to be an impossible one. 

The suspects were hard to figure out. Was it Candy Cardinal, who committed the crime? She collects various gemstones to make jewelry. Brutus and Betty Blue Beaver also collect minerals and have a fancy quartz collection. Liam the Llama looks suspicious with his igneous rocks and exploding volcano, or was it Huckleberry Moose with his sedimentary rock collection? Joe-Joe and Biscuit find themselves at a loss until some bullies roar into town.

Small Book Blurb

Joe-Joe and Biscuit found themselves in a dark and dreary cave, and in front of them, sitting on an ornately carved stone pedestal, was Maple’s mineral. To reach out and take it would be so easy. It glistened like stars in a midnight sky, attracting their attention, luring them. There had to be a catch somewhere. Something wasn’t right. 

Joe-Joe and Biscuit stood beside the pedestal, analyzing it. There was a circle in the center of the pedestal, and the mineral was placed in the center of that circle. A TRAP! Thought Joe-Joe as he glanced at his partner, who was wearing a russet-colored fedora, which matched his own—they definitely looked sharp. 

Joe-Joe glanced behind Biscuit, where he noticed a deep gap in the wall. The opening was barred like a cage. Barely any light shined through to reveal what was inside. Joe-Joe had an inkling that, if he removed the mineral, the cage door would open, unleashing a horrific Greek beast that would assuredly eat them both for dinner. Joe-Joe began thinking like an adventurer. He was suddenly consumed with the identity of Indiana Jones.

My Review

Thank you Cheryl Malandrinos for inviting me on the Virtual Tour for Mineral Mischief. I love Renee Hand's style of writing and enjoy her immensely.  Awhile back I posted a 5* review for Crypto Capers

I found the author's latest book, Mineral Mischief, to be a fun approach to learning all about rocks. Rock collecting is not boring, especially when a pair of funny detectives, Joe-Joe- Nut & Biscuit Bill (a squirrel and duck) help Maple Moo recover her favorite and very rare mineral. 

Kids from ages 7 and up will discover educational facts about sedimentary rock, volcanic and quartz. In addition, there are geological terms, charts, experiments and more towards the back of the book. This is a must-have for all science teachers, plus a great addition to school libraries, as well as home-school.

The humorous illustrations by Jake  Karwoski in black and white are a great addition to the story. Reading about the Greek Legend of the Onyx brought a smile to my face because I am Greek and will enjoy this wonderful book with my grandchildren.

What I especially like about this book is Renee's ability to help children learn about many of life's lessons, such as: You shouldn't have to handle the situation on your own when it comes to bullies and always remember to do the right thing when it comes to misunderstandings. ***** stars!

This review includes my honest opinion, for which I received no type of monetary compensation.

About The Author

Renee Hand writes because it is a passion in her heart. She is a homeschool parent and likes to create books that educate and inspire the children of today. She was born in Michigan and still lives there with her husband and two children. She has a degree in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry. Renee is the author of the amazing mystery series known as the Crypto-Capers Series that encourages children to read by incorporating several topics of interest. The reader participates into the story by solving cryptograms and puzzles to solve the case. 

She is also the author of the Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Series, which focuses on animal detectives. This series is a great way to teach children about animals in a fun and interesting way that captures the reader’s attention and yet fills them with knowledge they will be learning about in school. All books are great to use in a classroom setting to supplement various topics or to just enjoy. 

Renee is an award-winning author, receiving awards such as a Best Book Award, a National Literary Award and a Preferred Choice award for her children’s series and adult books. She has just recently won a Seal of Excellence award in Storytelling for her Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Series. 

She has been writing for over twenty-five years and has nine books published. When she is not spending time with her family or participating in author events, she is coaching and playing tennis, as well as doing research for her books and many other things that keep her busy. Not quite sure what a cryptogram is and want to learn more? Visit the author’s website at www.reneeahand.com to learn about cryptograms and how to solve the ones that are in the books.

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis