I Love My God-Given New Baby Sibling: How to Be A Big Sister by Lamb Library Press

Genre:  Children's Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

A young girl grows up having so much fun. Then one day she realizes it would be a lot more fun if she had a brother or sister to play with.  She tells her parents she wants a sibling. Eventually her mom has another baby and the little girl is thrilled. This is where real life sets in. The baby cries a lot and needs a lot of time and attention from the mother. The little girl feels left out. Mom sits her down and explains that her sibling is a gift from God. From that point on the girl takes special care of God’s gift.  A wonderful way to let children know how special they are, and that all children are a gift from God.

Four More Picture Books by Various Authors

 Genre: Picture Books                    Source:  Purchased

Books for Benjamin by R.G. de Rouen

I absolutely loved this book. Benjamin is a worm. Unlike his family who lives on the rotten fruit and vegetables the store owner throws out, Benjamin prefers reading. He slips into the store one night to hide inside a paper. His idea is to be taken to a home where he can read books. Instead he is almost eaten by a parrot. Read this wonderful adventure to see if he succeeds in finding books to read. Cute, while showing the value of reading. There is extra information at the end of the book about libraries.

Night Cats by Pippa Pralen

This is the story of cats that are homeless. One day when the author left a restaurant she saw a hungry cat and decided to feed it. That was the beginning of her adventure.  I loved this book because of the humorous pictures. At the end she has pictures of the cats she takes care of. I could understand. We inherited five semi-feral cats from a gentleman across the street. He had been feeding them and took them to the vet to be fixed. When he passed he left them to us in his will. We still have four of them.  I couldn’t imagine not helping them.

 

The Unusual Penguin by Madeleine MacRae

I loved this book.  A penguin finds a lone egg on the ice with no one around. She takes it home and cares for it. When it hatches she proudly takes care of her son. When he begins school it is quite apparent he doesn’t fit in. He can’t seem to do what the other penguins do. He doesn’t even look like them.  There is a reason for this, but I won’t tell.  A great book about being proud of who you are and not worrying if you aren’t like each other.  We need to celebrate our differences.

 

This is Not Enough by Anna Kang

Two friends try to find gifts for each other to show how much they care.  Neither of them think what they have chosen or made is enough.  However as we learn, when it comes to friends, the love they show us in whatever form is always enough.  Cute little book about friendship.

Three Lovely Books by Lois Petren

Genre: Picture Books
Source: Purchased

Lulu and Lainey…the Lucky Day – Lois Petren

Lulu visits her grandmother with her knitting. Her grandmother suggests they take their knitting to the park. She watches the bees, plays with a boat, watches the ducks and then they go to the carousel. This was her favorite spot. Today was lucky because she caught the ring. They find a place to sit and eat and knit. Suddenly a squirrel grabs her favorite yarn she calls Lainey.  An adventurous quick read. You must read it to find out if her luck holds out.

Lulu and Lainey…a Christmas Yarn – Lois a. Petren

It is Christmas time and Lulu visits her grandmother with her knitting basket. After lunch she sits down prepared to make her brother a beautiful scarf from Lainey. Lainey her green yarn is not in her basket. She sees her grandmother’s cat playing with it, and then it disappears. Her grandmother gives her some red yarn to use for the scarf.  But, what happened to Lainey and will she find it?

Lulu and Lainey…at the Farm – Lois Petren

Lulu is excited. They are going to visit their grandparents on their farm. She loved visiting the farm. She loved the sheep named Lainey the best That is where her soft yarn come from. Her grandmother takes her out to the barn and shows her the new baby goat. That night her grandmother asks a special favor from Lulu. Read the book to see how Lulu and Lainey help out her grandmother.

Three More Cute Picture Books

Genre: Picture Books
Source: Purchased

The Little Mouse in My House – Adisan Books

A cat goes out to catch a fish for his dinner. When he returns he finds a mouse has moved into his house. He tries staring at him, scaring him, offering him cheese. The little mouse ignores him. The cat just really wants the mouse out of his house. Very cute bedtime story.

 

Parker & Penny Save the Penguin Olympics – Brent Stradford

Penny and Parker are penguins. They wake up excited. It is the day of the penguin Olympics. When they get down to the Olympic playing field they see their friends. Their friends are sad. There is a big ice block in the middle of the field. They try to move it on their own. When they can’t move it they have to think of another way.  This is a great book about friendship and teamwork. It leaves a message of never giving up.

 

Honey Bee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera – Candace Fleming, Eric Rohmann

Think you know everything there is about honey bees?  I used to think that. Then my husband became a bee keeper and I realized I actually knew nothing about them.  In this book, the author takes you through the life of a bee, which is approximately 35 days long. The end of the book is fabulous. The author has included a page that tells you about the body parts of the bee and what each part does. Then they have included information on what you can do to help the bees.  Very informative book.  Read it and find out like I did, what you thought you knew, but didn’t.

Three Wonderful Books by Darcy Pattison

Genre: Children's Picture Books, Early Chapter Book
Source: Purchased

Diego is a Galapagos Tortoise originally from the Island of Española. Over 200 years beginning in the early 1600s the tortoises were harvested for food.  Scientists visiting the island in the early 1900s found only three tortoises. A female laid eggs and a short time later they found the tortoise they would eventually name Diego. He lived in the San Diego Zoo. 

The book is all about how scientists work together to try to protect near extinct species. Once again I learned so much. I definitely recommend this book.

I have to say I love this author’s books. I teach 8^th grade, yet I put her scientific books on my shelves because my reluctant readers will pick them up. Then I hear them talking about what they learned.

This book has two parts on each page. The author takes you through the history

of the 1919 eclipse. In a second box she adds more detailed information. This is what my eighth grader enjoy.  I myself had never known about the first eclipse photographed, and what they learned from it.  I highly recommend this book.

I have to say I love this author’s books. I teach 8^th grade, yet I put her scientific books on my shelves because my reluctant readers will pick them up. Then I hear them talking about what they learned.

This book has two parts on each page. The author takes you through the history of the 1919 eclipse. In a second box she adds more detailed information. This is what my eighth grader enjoy.  I myself had never known about the first eclipse photographed, and what they learned                                        from it.  I highly recommend this book.

Student Saturday: Monster Blood for Breakfast by R.L. Stine

 

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Horror

Student Reviewer: Landon M.

This book, Monster Blood for Breakfast by R.L. Stine is a horror story that you do not want to miss. it is full of action and excitement. The setting is both at Matt Daniel's the main character's house, and his school. Matt is an athletic person. He is on the school swim team.  Bradly Wormser is his friend next door. They call him worm because he is super skinny.  This book is about two friends, Matt and Bradley. matt is strong and on the swim team. So, Bradley orders something called monster blood. Bradley brings it over to Matt's house and explains to him what it is and what it does. Bradley says that it is monster blood and if he eats it, he will be strong like Matt. He explains that Monster blood is dangerous, and he will get rid of it the next day.  But, they have a science project and Matt is mad at Bradley for stealing his idea. So, the morning that Matt has a swim meet he puts the monster blood in Bradley's cereal. When Matt goes upstairs to change his shirt Bradley noticed Monster Blood and switched cereals with Matt. The monster blood does not just make him stronger, it makes him a lot bigger. Now he must do the swim meet because his teammates depend on him.

Will he figure out how to be normal again, or will he have to be like that forever? Find out and read Monter Blood.  In this book  when he grew super big from accidentally eating the monster blood, I thought while reading this book of something I would have done. Something I would have done is try to throw up the monster blood. Another thing I would have done is act like I was sick and not go to the swim meet.  

This book was full of adventure and excitement. I thought it would have been scarier, but it was it was still good, and I still enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to ages 10-14 and to people who enjoy adventure. Also, for people who like excitement this book would be for you. 

Four Wonderful Books By Sarah Read

Genre: Children's Picture Books
Source: Purchased

A cute picture book that introduces to different unicorns with names that show their feelings. The book not only teaches kids about different feelings, but that it is okay to have them. In some cases it give them information on how to deal with them.

This is similar to many others the author has written. This is a book about feelings. Her characters are dinosaurs. The illustrations are wonderful. The setting for each dinosaur helps bring the picture to life, as well as the story. Since our youngest child learns to love reading through being read to. They will pick up a book with wonderful pictures first. This is one of those books.

This should be a book read to every kid getting ready to begin first grade. Through different animals we learn what first grade is about and how much fun it will be. The animals all show such excitement for first grade. Another great book by this author

Let me start by saying the cover of this book is adorable. It is full of dinosaurs in pajamas. A sweet bedtime story showing the dinosaurs preparing for bed. The author has covered quite a few. Most are well known to children, but some even I had not heard of. Cute way to prepare children for sleep.

Day Two Picture Books by Luna Lark

 Genre: Children's Picture Books

Source: I purchased

This is similar to the author’s egg book about feelings.  We have little dragons express a series of emotions, fear, joy, shyness, sorrow.  Each dinosaur is illustrated in a color that we usually associate with that emotion. Another cute book to have that talk with your child to explain emotions they may not understand and give them  ideas about how to handle them.

 

I love the way the author has each animal performing a night time ritual such as washing their hands or curling up for the night. This book gives the child a feeling of being loved by their mother and going to sleep feeling safe and secure.

 

A calm way to end the night is by reading about zoo animals as they prepare to go to sleep. As each animal snuggles with their parent a sense of calm surrounds them. A calming way to put your young one to sleep each night.

Day One of Picture Books By Luna Lark

 Genre:  Children's Picture Books

Source:  I Purchased them.

This picture book has some of the most gorgeous illustrations I’ve seen in a long time. It is a simple
bedtime story of forest animal big brothers, letting their siblings know they love them. They show this through reading bedtime stories to them. They run through the meadows with them. Watch the moon, take night walks and howl at the moon together. They gather nuts, sit and snuggle. All of these things we do with our young ones and it makes it so relatable.

A great picture book for explaining to young children that it is okay to have all kinds of emotions and feelings. It also explains what they can do to handle those emotions. I enjoyed this because I often hear parents that it is not okay to get mad about something. They are essentially telling their kid that you can only have certain feelings.  Instead this book gives them a way to handle them all. I loved the fact that each egg was colored in a way most of us think of feelings. For example we are angry we think of red, sad we think of blue.   Simple and cute way to talk about feelings.

A great story to read before bedtime. It shows little dinosaurs with their mothers doing things together. They brush their teeth, have cookies and milk, meditate, read, listen to music.  All of these things are done to get the little one prepared for a good night sleep.

Summer Math Bridge by MamTalk

 

Genre: Children’s workbook
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

 

For this review I am going to step into my teacher mode. I am currently teaching middle school English. However, my background is in elementary education. I started out teaching kindergarten. This would have been a wonderful book for that age.  I love the idea of using it to bridge the summer months when we see so many students slide backwards.

This book is geared towards children ages 5-7. It’s table of contents breaks it into  parts. Part one is learning numbers. The idea is that children learn their numbers or reinforce their learning by counting, tracing, and coloring.  Part two is all about counting. Kids count the shapes and circle the correct number, leading up to coloring, counting and writing the correct number. Part three is all about comparing things. They start out drawing lines from the same number to the same number shapes. They move on up from that to more, less, fewer, bigger and smaller.

Part four is about putting objects inside, outside, to the right, left, top or bottom of shapes. This section reinforces direction and shapes and of course there is plenty of coloring to make it interesting. Part five is all about recognizing patterns. I believe this is an area student  don’t get enough practice with. When asking middle school students to recognize patterns in different subjects, and especially math, many struggle. Maybe if they had a book like this when they were younger they wouldn’t struggle so much in middle school.

Part six is all about recognizing size, such as big, small, tall, short, long.  This not only asks the child to recognize  the difference, but is teaching the youngest child important vocabulary words they will need to be successful in school. Part seven introduces them to basic, simple addition. We start with simple shapes, fingers and finally writing and adding the numbers. Part eight is your basic subtraction. It is handled very similar to the basic addition. Part nine  is naming the basic shapes. Some of this is more of a reinforcement as they will have been introduced to many of the shapes throughout the workbook.  Connecting real life objects to the basic shapes help with that reinforcement, as does making them choose the shape that is different.

So, putting my teacher hat back on for a minute, only because my grandkids are in upper elementary or have graduated. This is a book I would recommend to parents of all young children who would like to keep the learning fresh over the summer. With this book it can be done in as little as ten to fifteen minutes.

Twell Town by Harriet M. Winter

 

Genre:  Children, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I absolutely loved this book.  It was fun and full of humor. The author created an alternate world that is so interesting. All the characters of Twell Town are made from fabric, yarn, and other recyclable items.

Bunny Thread is a very unique character. Bunny lives with her mother at the back of her mother's button shop.  Bunny has no school friends.  She doesn't exactly fit in with them.  She makes all her own clothes.  They are very unique to say the least. One day she comes home from school and decides to make herself a friend. She gathers up her materials and sews up a friend. Her first few tries are rejected as they aren't quite good enough. Finally she grabs some yarn and knits herself a bear. She goes to bed with him that night and when she wakes up in the morning he is gone. She finds him sitting in her window. When she goes to him he speaks to her. He makes sure she knows his name is Dexter, not Buttercup, like she had named the bear she created. He tries to explain where he is from. Finally he takes her hand and off they go to where he lives, Twell Town.

Bunny is given a tour of the town which is quite fascinating.  Everyone accepts her there. Then they get to his house. She is impressed, but he is not. Someone has been in his house. She doesn't understand how he figures that since everything is in place. That is when we learn he is definitely not a neat freak.  He is sure he know who was in his house and what they are looking for.  He tries to explain that to her but she doesn't quite understand. But she will. Dexter must get her back to her land and then try to stop the fiends from getting what he has hidden from them. But, what happens when they find Bunny and the item?

Fun adventure from the very beginning.  I loved the author's play on words.  When they visit a clothing store in Twell town the owner of the store starts listing off clothing designers whose names are very similar to those we know today. She also used a lot of figurative language that made the images jump off of the page.  Everything was well thought out and planned.  At the end I wondered if maybe there would be a sequel to this book.  It was wrapped up nicely. However, there could be more adventures down the road. 

Student Saturday: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Student Reviewer:  Malia W.

Genre: Elementary, Middle Grade, Adventure

" I couldn't possibly", said Despereaux, backing away form the book.  "Why? Um," said Despereaux. "It would ruin the story." You see this might not seem like much but Despereaux was always the odd one in his family, but from this point on ...everything would start to go downhill. To me he had an emotional intelligence that the other mice did not - it made the reader feel more connected to him but for the mice in thebook, he wasn't normal -- that wasn't normal. Regardless of that when Despereaux said he couldn't possibly because it would ruin the story it reminded me of myself. There's often times I want to tell my friends something but then I don't because I'm afraid it would ruin our friendship.

You know when you were little and your mother might say "I'm disappointed in you" yeah, well I'm starting to think that's just a mom thing. In the book Despereaux's mother gave birth but all the other mice died except him -- and even he was so frail that she said he would die like the others. "All that work for nothing," said the mother. She sighed. "It is so sad. It is such the disappointment." Disappointment was something she said often, it was her favorite words.Sometimes it makes me wonder if it's my mom's favorite word too. There was just this time where my mom would always say she's disappointed in me, little me didn't reallyunderstand why at the time but Ido do now. I guess much hasn't changed since I still make selfish-idiotic choices that give my mother al the rights to be disappointed in me - to give everybody that right in fact. It often makes me wonder why people like me, still have faith in me. 

"But his existence was cause for much speculation in the mouse community," You know that feeling when you're the odd one in the family or on the side lines in the friend group? I think that is what this quote feels like. Like the guild-eating, self-conscious that's telling you that whatever you're thinking is 99.iiii% correct. When you feel like your existence is something to question, not just for you but for others too. It's almost like everybody you know and consider your friend starts to blur out and blend in with the darkness and start to questions why the even became friends with  you and why you're even here. Though in Despereaux's case, it was worse, even so he ignored it all and just did him. Sometimes I was ore like that instead of focusing on what others think about me.

This small book has so many lessons to teach and I highly recommend it.

 

The Whispering Storm: Respecting Mr. Ravi by Christopher

 

Genre: Upper-Elementary

Source: I received a copy from StoryOrigin to facilitate my review. The Opinions expressed here are my own.

I have enjoy this book which shows Alex Thomas trying to help his school janitor. I have noticed throughout the books that take place in Timpleville, that Alex has a respect for Mr. Ravi. Mr. Ravi is a great mentor to Alex. In this book he realizes that everyone including the principal treats Mr. Ravi with little respect. Alex has plans to change that. If you have read any of the books involving these characters you quickly learn that what Alex plans doesn't always come out the way he expected.  This is a quick read.  It addresses issues of bullying and respecting others.  Another great book I can't wait to introduce to my students.

The Giant Inside by Christopher Francis

 

Genre: Upper-Elementary
Source: I purchased a copy

This book followed Meeting Henry Greenfield. Alex has definitely made an enemy of Damian Dermite. The bully has a reputation to uphold and it seems that Alex is getting in the way of that reputation.  Things will get better if he can just figure out how to handle Damian Dermite.  Once again I love the continuing story of these characters. Had I read this book before the Screaming Ridge books it would have seemed more cohesive. This author definitely has the upper-elementary lower middle-grade students figured out. The story comes across as realistic and relatable.

Meeting Henry Greenfield by Christopher Francis

Genre: Upper Elementary
Source: I received a copy from StoryOrigin to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Alex Thomas has started sixth grade in the worst way possible. He has found himself partnered with the new kid, and gotten himself on the radar of the biggest bully in Timpleville. If I had been introduced to this author earlier I probably would have looked at the order of books. I know some of them are middle grade and some are upper elementary books.  There is a carry over between them. I have already read “Remembering Kaylee Cooper” and “Alex Was Here”. Both of these books are about the main character in this book. In this book Alex has just started sixth grade. His best friend has moved away and his brother has moved on to high school. Then Alex is paired up with the biggest and newest kid in the school, Henry Greenfield.  I was happy to see how the character of Henry had changed from the book “There’s an Ogre-Beast in the Playground”. It is a small change but that is what we want to see in a book. If not the characters feel flat. I think I am loving these books because I teach middle school. For us this begins with sixth grade. I know a lot of places still have sixth grade as elementary. I see the pecking order that is shown in this book and understand what the characters are going through. It is an awkward time for kids. Christopher Francis has done a wonderful job of capturing this in his books. I have to say well done. I have somewhere between 10 and 12 more of his books to read and think I will read and review at least half of them before I move on to other books. After all, why deviate when you have such good books?

There’s an Ogre-Beast in the Playground by Christopher Francis

Genre: Upper-Elementary
Source: I received a copy from StoryOrigin to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved this upper elementary grade book.  Being different is tough. It is even tougher when someone is there to always point out those differences and make fun of you. Henry is that boy. He is a six foot tall fourth grader with red hair. Everyone, including the teachers bully him in some way. He doesn’t like being different. It isn’t until an ogre-monster comes to the school that Henry realizes that sometimes being different is okay.

Adventures With Scarlet and Twinkle by Janice Ford

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Genre: Children's Book

This author has once again given us five wonderful little stories to share with our young loved ones.

A Little Girl and Her Doll

Scarlett received a stuffed elephant as a Christmas gift one year. Now she and Twinkle play together every day. One day while climbing the ladder to their treehouse Twinkle slips. Scarlet rushes down to help her friend. They discover Twinkle’s skirt has gotten dirty. Scarlett knows what to do, it is mom to the rescue.

Scarlet Loses Twinkle

Sometimes making a choice can be difficult. Scarlet and Twinkle get permission to go to the park one day. Twinkle reminds Scarlet that the next day is mom’s birthday. They decide to pick some berries for mom and surprise her with them the next day. After picking berries Scarlet has to leave Twinkles in the park so she can carry the berries and hide them. Unfortunately she has to go to bed without Twinkles. When she wakes up the next morning Twinkles is in the kitchen with mom. Mom knew that Twinkles had been left in the park and went to get her and bring her safely back home. Leaving Twinkles behind had been the hardest choice Scarlet had ever made.

Feeling Scared

School is the one place Scarlet can’t take Twinkles. When her teacher announces they all must participate in the school play Scarlet is scared. She explains her fear to her mother, who promises to help her memorize her lines. She tells Twinkles who explains how speaking in front of others is just like one of the adventures they have. She learns it is okay to be afraid and that sometimes you have to face your fears.

Helping a Friend Out

Scarlet was play with Twinkle when she noticed a rip in her shoulder. She took Twinkle to the house where her dad quickly fixed Twinkle right up. As she went outside she saw her best friend from school crying. She sat Twinkle down and went to Jennifer. Jennifer had secretly taken her doll to school and forgot her. The school was closed and she would have to wait until the next day to get her. Scarlet helped her out by letting Twinkle spend the night with Jennifer so she wouldn’t be sad and lonely. This is a story that teaches children about sharing and caring.

A Very Important Lesson

Scarlet and Twinkle get permission to explore their neighborhood one day. They decide to go a different direction. At the end of their street they see a forest and decide to enter it. The deeper they go the darker it gets. When they decide they should go back they realize they don’t recognize the way because it all looks the same. That is when they notice a ball of stuffing and realize a hole in Twinkle’s foot has actually saved them. All they need to do is follow the stuffing to get back out. Scarlett tells her parents about the forest and the lesson she has learned about not going to unfamiliar places without an adult.

The thing I love about Janice Ford’s books is that they are simple stories for the youngest child with simple lessons. 

The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin

Genre: Children, Biography, Holocaust
Source: I own a copy

When Ela Stein was a young child she and many other family members were shipped to Terazin. This was a Czech ghetto.  Shortly before they were shipped to Terazin her father was taken away for expressing his opinion about Hitler. That was the last that Ela saw of her father. In the ghetto her mother made a hard choice to send Ela and her sister to a barrack that was specifically for girls around her age. The living conditions were somewhat better and they received a little more food. The girls in room 28 formed a tight group. Soon someone decided they were going to present an opera. They practiced and practiced.  At one point the Nazis used their production for propaganda.  This book is a book that shows us what friendship and music can do to help people survive. It was a ray of hope in their lives.   This is a short book to read, but filled with so much information and lots of pictures to help understand.

I Escaped the California Camp Fire by Scott Peters and S.D. Brown

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Adventure

Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers

For a small book this packs a powerful punch. Fourteen-year-old Troy is left in charge of his younger sister while his parents are away for twenty-four hours. Troy wakes to his cell phone ringing, his dog tugging on his sleeve and pitch blackness.  Unable to reach their parents Troy goes next door to the neighbor for advice. Mrs. Jones makes it clear they should stay put. When Troy sees houses on their street erupt in flames he decides they have to leave. Unfortunately he can’t convince Mrs. Jones. Troy loads up his sister and their two pets in their dad’s Bronco and heads for what he hopes is safety. 

This book is full of realistic action between the older brother and younger sister. He takes his promise to his parents to protect his sister even when she becomes annoying. This is fast-paced, on the seat of your chair action from the very beginning.  For those who are fans of the “I Survived “ series by Lauren Tarshis, I guarantee that you will enjoy this series. I highly recommend this to all adventure readers.

Two Middle Grades and Seven Children's Picture Books

Purple Pup -Karl Steam
Genre: Middle Grade, Science Fiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This book exceeded my expectations. I loved the premise and the book didn't disappoint. Imagine a lab that is experimenting with genetics. Imagine one of those genetically modified animals is a purple puppy. I'd love a purple puppy. This lab has created a new set of animals. Two of the dogs have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, not to mention having camouflage colors. You know that if the military is involved that all cannot be good. What happens when the purple pup escapes and finds a family that treats him with love? When the purple pup is seen and put on the news things change. He is returned to the lab where he helps several of his friends escape. The adventures this little pup finds keeps you turning the pages. It was a quick read. I sat and read it in about two hours. This is one of those books that make you think how cool it would be to have some of these animals. Then you have to think about how fair it is to the animals.  This would be great to read in conjunction with a science unit on genetics. The possibilities for conversations with students about genetically modified things could bring about some great discussions.  Not only do I love this book because of educational reasons, but I love it because it is well written and sure to keep young and old alike reading.






The Left Behinds: Abe Lincoln and the Selfie that Saved the Union – David Potter

Genre: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Want a fun way to teach some history? This is the book you must read. Imagine three kids traveling back in time through a phone app. That is what happens to Mel, Brandon and Bev. There is a first book to this series. I will need to read it and add it to my shelves. Don’t let me misguide you with my first statement. This is one of those fun books with just enough history to make kids the inquirers we want them to be. An added bonus is the author notes at the end of the book that five you so much more information. I know my middle school students will love this one because it has history and technology. What a great mix. These three children are left behind at their boarding school and use the app one of their professors invented to escape back in time. They must stop history from being changed. This is such a fun premise. Yes I am a lover of time travel books and a lover of history. What could be better? The only thing that could be better would be reading the first book, and then the next book in this series.

The 30 Most Amazing Geography Facts – Nuhh Adams

Genre: Children’s, Picture Book

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This book is a combination of geographical facts and science facts. This will give readers a basic knowledge of our planet. I would even go so far as to say this would be a great resource for classrooms, especially for parents who homeschool. There are many other books in this series. I would recommend you check them out.

Dr. Ella Has a Surprise – Alon Tamir

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a cute book that shows three kids with three ailments. Then we meet Dr. Ella. The repetitive stanzas demonstrate to readers that there is nothing to fear when they go to the doctor. A list of items doctors use helps familiarize children with the doctor’s office.

Gracie Lou and the Bad Dream Eater – Danielle A. Vann

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Gracie Lou has a problem. Every night a bad dream monster keeps her awake. She wakes her parents up until one of them sleeps with her or she crawls into their bed. Her dad and mom are tired of getting no sleep. Dad decides to become the Bad Dream Monster Eater. Will his plan work? This is a wonderful story to read to children who fear going to bed alone at night.

The Very Tall Tale of Ranger the Great Pyrenees and his Adorable Friend Miss Keys – Danielle A. Vann

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a strange story of a friendship between a great Pyrenees dog and a very young skunk. When Miss Keys’ momma skunk goes off to join a circus, she leaves behind her daughter. She and Ranger become great friends and travel all over the place. But, what happens when they become homesick and meet up with Miss Keys’ momma” A cute book that shows no matter how different we are there should be nothing to keep us from being friends.

A Kooky Spooky Stroll by Stephanie K. Adams

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This fun rhyming story follows two young children as they are out at night on Halloween. They walk through many scary things to go trick or treating. Can you figure out how scared they will get?

Nola – Stephanie Lisa Tara

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Nola is based on the real rhino named Nola. She was a rare rhino. She was taken to a zoo to protect her because her species was almost all gone. For me, the information from the zoo keeper, and the back of the book, made this a wonderful book.  Oh yes, there is also all those cute illustrations of Nola.

Autumn Snow by Flitzy Books

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Ginger is excited for the “autumn snow”. She takes her younger brother Tommy outside to enjoy the autumn snow. I grew up in Indiana on a farm. We had lots of maple trees nut trees. We had a lot of different types of leaves and my sisters and I loved to play in them. I could identify with Ginger. It took me back to my childhood. I live in Florida and the falling leaves is one thing I really miss up north. I loved the way the author incorporated photos into her illustrations a wonderful and heartwarming book.