Blog Tour: Merlin Raj and the Forget Me Not Race

Title: Merlin Raj and the Love Me Not Race

Author: D.G. Priya

Series: Merlin Raj #2

Date Published: May 2020

Publisher: Vulcan Ink

Format: Kindle

Genre: Early Reader (Illustrated)    

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours
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Synopsis:

My name is Merlin Raj. I have a teeny tiny weakness for socks which makes life as a service dog difficult. Usually, I only have to worry about helping my boy, Matthew, walk at school. But when my family signs up for their first 5k race, this super-smart golden retriever who wears glasses will also have to become a racing trainer.

Yikes!

Will Boolean math help me uncover the heart of a champion?

~Try an Excerpt!~

Yes meant go. Yes meant on.

I turned on, bounding through the park to the tree. Not too fast because Matthew still wore the loop of the leash around his wrist. I galloped as Matthew grabbed the length of the leash and ran behind me.

The Zombie-bunny ducked into the hedges in a desperate attempt to escape, but I wasn’t having it. I thrust my face, nose first, into a hedge.

“No, Merlin,” Matthew yelled.

No meant stop. No meant off.

Excerpt Two:

Mom Raj leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You get a kiss value of 1.”

Dad Raj perked up.

I let out a little howl. I wanted a kiss value of 1.

“Eck,” Matthew said, his nose scrunching.

“Mo-om, gross,” Peter said. “Not where people can see.”

~My Thoughts!~

What a cute read! The book was totally adorable. Merlin Raj is our super smart (obviously, as he wears glasses) and super cute service dog with a penchant for socks. He's trying his best to help his family and in particular, Matthew, get along and in this case train for a 5k race! 

I did not realize this book was the second in a series until I looked it up on Goodreads. It was very enjoyable and did not have any information that I felt was missing having not read the first book. The pictures were a major plus for me. I love illustrated chapter books because you get the best of both worlds, and can keep some of the more visual-focused kids interested at the same time. 

I love that Merlin Raj and the Love Me Not Race was centered on STEM-related topics. There was binary code, Bolean math, and the main characters get along by using their brains to figure out their situations and problem solve. You can't get kids started to appreciating math early enough in my opinion. As someone who felt that STEM subjects were super boring, I would have loved it if I could have found a book like this that might have piqued my interest and had me on a whole new career path! 

~Meet D.G. Priya!~ 

Priya Ardis also writes as D. G. Priya for her new early reader chapter book series, Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm, a computer science fundamentals book for kids. She has a Bacherlor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Texas at Austin, #8 ranked in computer science. Her passion for early education in computer science comes from her experience as a senior engineer, parent, and volunteer. Her love for service dog stories is inspired her own golden retriever.

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D.G. Priya will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. a Rafflecopter giveaway