Reviews

 The Joker's Revenge by Nancy Beaule is a young adult mystery that revolves around Darci, a seventeen-year-old secretary at Camp Chickadee. Excited and ready for some new experiences, Darci is looking forward to what the camp has to offer her. The fact that her boss is a handsome young man she has a huge crush on is just icing on the cake. However, things start to go downhill from the very beginning when an incident results with a clue in it and the word 'Joker' written on it in red ink. While everyone is scared, Darci finds out that the pranks that are happening now are all connected to what happened when her late mother used to be the secretary of the same camp. If this is true, then no one is truly safe at this camp, especially all the young women. What happened all those years ago when her mother was the secretary? What will happen now and how will they stop the Joker before the pranks turn into something dangerous. Wow, this is the perfect young adult novel that takes the reader on a thrilling journey. I was transported back to Camp Chickadee with Darci; I lived her anticipation, her fear and then her determination as she decided that she had had enough of the fear and uncertainty. The flow of the story was just right; it is a fast-paced mystery that is perfect for teens and young adults who enjoy light reading with a brilliant plot. This reminded me of many R.L. Stine novels that I read when I was a teen and I am sure that many of those fans will enjoy Nancy Beaule's writing style as well. A great mystery that readers of all ages will enjoy. 

           -  Rabia Tanveer, Readers' Favorite

 The Secret Formula: Chompy & The Munchy Bunch by Nancy Beaule is a cute children's book with spooky undertones. Chompy the Carrot and his friend Salty read about a secret formula that gives them super-eye powers. Chompy must have that formula, so he asks Salty to help him get it. The paper says the formula is somewhere in Dr. Peppa's house. Only, it has been rumored that Dr. Peppa's house is haunted! Salty and Chompy must get up the nerve to go into Dr. Peppa's big, spooky house to look for the secret formula that will give Chompy super-vision. As they plan their mission, they decide to take along Candybar, a known prankster, so that they can keep an eye him. Together, with Candybar's little sister, they all start for Dr. Peppa's creepy mansion. Will they find the formula? When they begin searching the house, strange things start happening. If Candybar is with them, then who is giving them warnings to leave?

The Secret Formula: Chompy & The Munchy Bunch by Nancy Beaule is a fun children's book featuring food characters and a cute little plot. I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the illustrations! The illustrations are colorful and engaging. The story was not at all scary, a perfect kids' adventure book for younger, more sensitive children. Although the story was cute, I found it to be a little confusing, in that the characters tend to eat things related to themselves. Chompy is a carrot, and he is in search of a secret formula made from carrots. I wasn't sure what a child would think about that. I liked that the story's adventure was mild, so as not to scare younger readers. The bully was not really mean, and any danger was dealt with quickly. Although as a parent, I found certain elements of the story to be questionable, the illustrations were fun. I would suggest this little adventure book for children ages 4-6. 

            -  Alyssa Elmore, Readers' Favorite 

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 Search for the Hidden Treasure is the second book in the Chompy & the Munchy Bunch series, written by Nancy Beaule and illustrated by Lauren Goldstein. Depressed at his failed attempt to replicate Doc Peppa’s super eye formula which had previously been made at Peppa Mansion, Chompy sits on his swing and looks despondent. After Salty shows Chompy a coded message about a hidden treasure at Peppa Mansion in Munchytown, Chompy immediately cheers up, thinking it could be the missing secret ingredient for the super eye formula – a carrot juice which had enhanced his vision tenfold. Although afraid to return, Chompy, Salty and Weiner sneak into Peppa Mansion, not realizing that the evil Candybar had overheard their conversation and was waiting to sabotage their efforts to find the hidden treasure. Candybar finds himself in an awkward situation when his evil plans backfire, but luck is on Chompy’s side, as Candybar’s trap unveils what they had come in search of.

Nancy Beaule's delightful children’s book puts forth the message that you reap what you sow. Candybar’s evil intentions led to a bad ending for his deeds, while Chompy and his friends’ bravery led them to the bounty which they had sought out. Search for the Hidden Treasure teaches children that determination pays off, while sitting around sulking, thinking about failure, is a path that leads nowhere. I like the different examples of fear playing tricks on the imagination; when the main characters feared the worst from what they thought they were seeing, the eventual realization of what they were looking at embarrassed them somewhat. All in all, their bravery and determination landed them the prize which they sought and the bad guy got a royal kick in the pants for his efforts. I enjoyed the second installment of Chompy & the Munchy Bunch, and recommend it to those aged between 4-7, enabling them to realize their full potential, regardless of the fear and obstacles in their way. 

              -  Rosie Malezer , Readers' Favorite 

reviews picture books kids books

Spud's First Day Surprise (Chompy and the Munchy Bunch volume three) by Nancy Beaule is a fun children's book that follows a young potato named Spud. Spud is beginning at a new school, and it's getting off to a rocky start. He bumps into the teacher's desk and falls over, and people laugh at him. A few people play a prank on him, and they laugh at him. Spud runs away and into the forest. In the forest, he sees the house of the gourds, but he accidentally falls into the window and gets stuck. Meanwhile, his classmates are trying to find him. Will he ever get out of the window?

I really enjoyed reading Spud's First Day Surprise (Chompy and the Munchy Bunch volume three) by Nancy Beaule. The book is very well written and descriptive. The story has many funny parts. The characters are likeable, because the gourds help to cheer Spud up, and Spud kept the rain away from the gourds. The book teaches that sometimes people are teased because they're different, but it doesn't mean they should be bullied. It also teaches that often bullying is based on appearance. The book is very relatable, because many young readers have had to go to a new school, just like Spud. The illustrations by Lauren Goldstein are very well done, and depict each scene vividly. The pictures are also very colorful. Children will enjoy reading this book. I would definitely recommend this book to all young readers.

-  Kristen Van Kampen, Readers' Favorite 

 The Greasy Chip is the fourth book in the children’s series, Chompy & the Munchy Bunch, written by Nancy Beaule and illustrated by Lauren Goldstein. When word gets out that Coach Brock O. Lee is assembling a new baseball team at Munchytown’s school, the students are excited and can’t wait to try out for the team. Rivalries between Chompy and Candybar raise their ugly heads as the two both try out for the same team. During practice, after selections are made, the coach is disheartened to discover that the players he has chosen are sluggish, and puts them through a tough fitness regime in readiness for the first game. To his shock and surprise, however, he then discovers that lack of exercise is not his players’ only problem.

I never get tired of reading stories from the Chompy & the Munchy Bunch series due to their high educational value. Nancy Beaule and Lauren Goldstein have beautifully portrayed how vitally important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, both through diet and exercise, if a child (or even an adult) is to succeed in any sport. The Greasy Chip shows that surviving on nothing but junk foods which are high in salt and sugar, containing absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever, will leave the consumer feeling lethargic, slow and unable to concentrate. With all the grease and sugar that the body is consuming, it has nothing with which to provide nutrition to the muscles and brain. The nutritional facts provided at the end of the book are presented in a fun way so that children will enjoy reading them and be more likely to adhere to the advice provided. I love how each of the characters really brings home the message of healthy eating and healthy living to children at such a young age. I wholeheartedly recommend The Greasy Chip to be read by those aged 5-12, as well as by parents, teachers and guardians in the school’s education system. 

-  Rosie Malezer, Readers' Favorite

 When the circus comes to town, Chompy and his friends volunteer to help out and receive tickets to the show in return. Chompy overcomes his fear of clowns and, with the aid of his Chompy Juice, helps out a friend.

Along with Chompy, children reading this book should overcome their fear of clowns by learning that, underneath the makeup and costumes, clowns are just like anybody else.

A nice story of friendship and bravery, supplemented with the colorful illustrations by Lauren Goldstein.    

                             - Lynda Dickson, Books Direct

 Going to school can be difficult for a child, but it doesn't have to be. School can be a great place where you hang out with your friends, play games, learn a lot of new things, and have a good time. Besides, studying can be a lot of fun like playing a game; you just have to find a way. The Spelling Test (Chompy & the Munchy Bunch) by Nancy Beaule gives us these enjoyable lessons with the story of Candybar, who at first doesn't want to behave, but with the help of his friends, he discovers the importance of being responsible, how fun it can be to study as a team, and act honestly and responsibly. With this book, getting together to study spelling easily becomes an exciting and unique game.

In The Spelling Test (Chompy & the Munchy Bunch), every page is highly entertaining. Nancy Beaule in a very pleasant way handles a great lesson such as responsibility with Candybar's interactions both in school and outside. I liked how Nancy Beaule handles teamwork and, best of all, the idea that studying can be so much fun. All these values are very useful in general and this book is perfect to teach these ideas in an understandable and empathic way. Many funny moments in history motivate reading, so this is a good book to enjoy and learn from. It also contains entertaining images that help readers understand the feelings of the characters by being very expressive and colorful.