Mailbox Monday - March 31

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

The last day of March is going out like a lion. Three days of rain has left us with flood warnings in many counties. Today, just as I was waking up, the rain turned to snow. Big, fat wet flakes that stuck to the ground quickly. Just as I was getting the feeling that I might see all of my grass pretty soon, Mother Nature showed me she has different plans. Sigh. Good thing it is supposed to be warm the rest of the week. The Red Sox should have decent weather for opening day on Friday.

Two books were delivered by the mailman last week.

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.

I've not had the chance to read any of MacColl's books, but they come highly recommended and I have promised myself I will read her soon. She is known for her fictional portrayals of historical women in their youth. From Beryl Markham to Emily Dickinson to the Brontë sisters, Publishers Weekly says, "MacColl offers a whip-smart, spunky protagonist and a worthy heroine to root for."

I'm offering this book as a giveaway at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection on April 10th.

The Do's and Don'ts is a whimsical lesson book aimed at teaching young readers the difference between good and bad behavior/etiquette. In the book Zack and Chloe go from being manner monsters to well-behaved children as they provide samples of typical scenarios that not only young children encounter but can relate to. For example, Zack becomes a Manner Monster when he loses a game, kicking and pouting like a poor sport. In contract, good behavior is then modeled depicting Zack congratulating the winning team. Unlike other etiquette books for children that tell a story or just communicate positive behavior, The Do's and Don'ts compares and contrasts between good and bad behavior. Simply, yet colorfully displayed, are examples of inappropriate behavior and decisions young children may display followed by behavior and decisions that are more socially accepted. Each compare and contrast anecdote is set in the same scene so that young readers can instantly see the differences between good and poor behavior.

This is a cute book. I read it the first day it arrived. After enjoying Rose's Fifo "50 States" book, I made sure to get in on this book tour right away. This book on manners is creative and fun. I'll be reviewing it at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection on April 15th.

That's it from my end. Hope you had some great books in our mailbox this week. Remember that the Blogging from A to Z Challenge starts tomorrow, so hope you'll look for our posts.