Four Wonderful Children's Christmas Books

 I should have gotten these reviews out earlier. However, I know that the weeks before Christmas break are full of testing at school so this year it didn't happen. However, these books would be a beautiful way to begin your holiday celebrating next Christmas with your little ones. Sit back and see what  can be in store for them.

The Nativity Story Advent Calendar for Toddlers and Kids by MamTalk

A wonderful book for children ages 3-5.  It not only tells the story of the birth of Jesus, but also is full of activities that children and families can do each day leading up to Christmas day. It teaches children about gratitude and the true gift of giving of themselves. As you read it also prepares children to put on a play about the meaning of Christmas and also has masks to cut out to help with the play. This is another wonderful book from MamTalk

Nativity Story Directly from the Bible: The Birth of Jesus Christmas Book for Toddlers, Kids, Preschoolers, Little Boys and Girls

Let me start by saying that the pictures are absolutely gorgeous. I love that it is not only a retelling of the birth of Christ, but done in scripture that kids can undestand. This is the kind of story that as a child would entice me as I got older to read the story from the Bible on my own. One of a few children's books I have seen that give the actual scripture reference to children.

The Nativity: A Bible Study Book for Young Scripture Explorers by Pure Lily Press

I enjoyed this book immensely. Growing up, Every Christmas Eve started with the reading of the story from the Bible. I remember being bored when I was only 5 or 6 because I didn't really understand the story read straight from the Bible. As I got older it made sense.  This book would have been perfect. You have the top of each page straight from the scripture for older children and then the bottom of the page is a condensed  version of it complete with scripture reference for the much younger child. Just a piece of personal info, I did carry that tradition on with my own children and have had the pleasure of watching my daughter carry this on with her children. Books like these are so important and this                                                 is one of the best I have seen.

The Nativity Book by Faithful Pages Press

Another beautiful retelling of the Christmas story. In this book for children 3-8 we have the beautiful retelling of the birth of Christ. At the bottom of the pages the scripture reference. I guess the reason I really like the picture books with the scripture reference is because we can sit with our youngest and show them where we find it in our Bible. This introduces them to one of the most important books around. The pictures are simple, yet beautiful. This is another wonderful book I will recommend to parents and grandparents everywhere.

Student Saturday: The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

Student Reviewer: Jillianna H.

Genre: Middle Grade, Traditional, Fantasy

  Marinka is a red haired girl who is also what is called a yaga. A yaga is someone who is in charge of guiding the dead through The Gate. She lives with her grandma, named Baba, who is also yaga and has been raising Marinka since she was a baby. Marinka's house has chicken legs and moves to a different spot about three times a year. The house does this so that Marinka and Baba can guide the dead.  

   As a baby Marinka used to love playing with her house and helping her grandma guide the dead. But as she gets older, she realizes that she doesn’t want to be yaga or guide the dead. Marinka does everything to try to change her fate of being yaga. She tries to make human friends, which wasn’t allowed, and she even tries to make a ghost friend. All of these events lead to trouble, either for her, Baba, her friends or the house. She ends up having to make a big decision that would risk her life but maybe save another. During this I wasn’t sure whether to think she was being selfish or making the right decision for herself and her future. This is because she wants to do it because she doesn’t want to be a Yaga or guide the dead. There are a ton of risks if she decides to go through with it, and she gets told all of these risks by another yaga but doesn’t mind them and is only thinking about what would be best for her.

  I found this book very entertaining and would recommend this book to everyone who likes stories that have unexpected endings. The book definitely surprised me and kept me on my toes.                             

Student Saturday: Surviving Sharks and Other Dangerous Creatures by Allan Zullo

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Nonfiction

Student Reviewer: Elijah S.

This book talks about ten stories about different animals attacking humans and how those humans survived those terrifying encounters. All ten chapters had different stories and different animals. These animals consisted of sharks, elephants, bears, snakes, wolves, alligators, bulls, monkeys, moose, and cougars. In the situation for the bears, the person had to punch the bear several times to get it off of him. In this situation I would’ve tried to poke the bear’s eyes because I think it would have ran away sooner. I would recommend this book to adventurous people who like to go out to woods and oceans so that they know what to do if they were in situations with these dangerous animals. In my opinion, I love this book because it's very interesting and I love animals books so if I had rate this book a one out of ten it would definitely be a ten out of ten.

Student Saturday: One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

 

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller 

Student Reviewer:  Campbell P.

The book "One of us is next" is a part of a suspenseful mystery series. The story is based on a group of kids called the Bayview four, who recently solved a mystery on their friends' death. It takes place in the town of Bayview in present times and contains much high school drama as well as a dangerous game of truth or dare. The three main characters, Maeve, Knox, and Phoebe are all very determined to solve this mystery of who runs the truth or dare game. This book reminds me of the book A Good Girl's Guide toMurder,   as they both feature friend groups being the target of someone's plan. This is a very suspenseful, yet a must-read book that I would recommend to readers who love thrilling, mystery, and good plot twists.

Student Saturday: The Art of War by Sun Tzu

 

Genre: Adult, Nonfiction, History, Leadership

Student Reviewer: Zachary M.

The Art of War is one of the most influential books in the world. It has helped many a general achieve a decisive victory that changed the tide of the battle against all odds. Its author, Sun Tzu, was allegedly a Chinese general and strategist who lived in between the years 771 and 256 BCE. While he is credited as the author of the Art of War, there is little proof of him participating in any battle or even existing. But none of this is as important as the contents of the texts, as the knowledge and wisdom found within it are rich and true.

The Art of War is not just about how to strategize in battle, but about how to be a proper leader and solve problems in general. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to be better at leading others and organizing, and anyone simply looking for something intellectual or philosophical to read. One personal connection I have with the book is that I use it to help me lead student run organizations like TSA (Technology Student Association). Overall, this book is a phenomenal read and I personally insist on getting a copy that has a commentator making notes about everything Sun Tzu says because they often share relevant quotes and anecdotes that further enhance your understanding of what the enigmatic text is really trying to say.

Son of the Sea by Andrew E. Kaufman

Genre: Adult, Realistic Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

Let me start off by saying, "wow!"  This was such an emotional rollercoaster ride for me.  The author has developed the character's so well that anyone can identify with them. His main character Griffin is carrying around a lot of baggage. We see Griffin and his father together at a fair. They are celebrating his birthday, while his mom and twin sister are out celebrating hers.  We are shown a loving father who loves his son, until the mother dies.  This father, a lawyer by day, becomes a monster by night, spewing his anger our on his son. Fast forward many years and we see grown up Griffin. He works out and runs to excess when he is stressed, which seems to be all the time. The woman he loves tries to help but has her own baggage. All of his actions are pushing her away. Then the unthinkable happens. Griffin is in an accident and the person who hit him is his estranged father. Old feelings return and threaten to destroy him. Griffin learns his father has Alzheimer's.  You will just have to read the book to find out what happens.  The turmoil in his life is one so many go through. Whether you have been through anything like this or not it puts fresh eyes on relationships and I would recommend it to everyone.

 

A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Animal, Adventure

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

This book is based on an actual wolf somehow separated from his pack. Anyone who loves stories that tug at your emotions will love this book. Swift wants only to be the head of a pack. His life is not an easy one. He faces many challenges in his life. His will to survive is strong. What I loved most about this book is that both kids and adults will enjoy this book. There is information in the back that will reach out to that person who loves reading nonfiction information. The story carries you along to a satisfying end. As a teacher I enjoy reading books that I can recommend to my students. This is one that I know they will really enjoy.

Student Saturday: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy

Student Reviewer: Sophie E.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a passionate fantasy book with a wonderful theme about friendship. The Wishtree, also referred to as Red, lives in harmony with its best friend Bongo the crow. Red is known around town as The Wishtree because on the first day of May every year, people traditionally tie its branches with paper or cloth with their wishes written on them. None of these wishes have been known to come true. 

However, recently a young girl, Samar, who had just moved to town started showing up at Red's roots each night. When the day of wishing begun, the quiet girl decided to share a wish with Red. After being bullied and shamed for her religion and looks, will Red be able to grant her one single wish with the help of its forest friends? Will Samar be able to fit in like everyone else?

Second Chance Inn by Marlayne Giron

 

Genre: Adult, Amish Fiction

Source: I received an advance reading copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I usually read this author’s books in one to two days. However, I have been sick for almost a month. I had finished the first half of the book and got sick again. I am glad I was finally able to finish it. My husband said he knew how sick I was when I didn’t even feel like reading. I am sorry it took so long to finish this wonderful book.

Marlayne Giron is a very talented writer. In Second Chance Inn we meet Rachel Wilson and her daughter Karen. It is obvious from the start that they don’t get along and Rachel isn’t sure how to make it work. After her husband dies Rachel and her daughter move to Pennsylvania. She has bought a farmhouse belonging to an Amish widower. The idea is to turn it into a bed and breakfast so everyone who stays can have a full Amish experience. The only difference is there will be electricity and inside bathrooms.

Samuel Miller has sold the farm to Rachel after losing his family. He stays on to work with the animals and continue to be a part of his Amish community, even if he has had a falling out with God. We see the way God uses both adults to help the other heal. We see a teenager who lived in the world of social media and immediate gratification embrace the Amish lifestyle and turn from being an angry teen to very pleasant young lady. We see Karen’s attitude toward her mother completely change.  It is obvious that God is in the details here. Marlayne has obviously done a lot of research into the Amish lifestyle. Her characters are well developed and her setting puts you right in the middle of the story. I hope Marlayne continues to write in this genre. She is natural at it. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater

Genre: Young Adult, Nonfiction
Source: I own a copy

This is a true story that took place in 2013.  It explores many issues and how they are handled. Sasha is an agender, autistic teen who likes wearing skirts.  Richard is a teen who decides to set Sasha’s skirt on fire while they are sleeping. It was meant to be a prank. Many things played a role in the sentence that Richard was given. The actual event was horrific no matter what gender.  However, when you look at all the facts several things come to mind. So let me start by saying that the incident, no matter what race or gender the victim and perpetrator were needed to be punished.  When reading the book I noticed a couple of things in particular.  The first thing I noticed was that Sasha was white and Richard was African American.  The second thing we notice is their gender identification and their financial status.  When you read a book and the victim’s family stands up for the person accused of the crime and it is ignored then you have to imagine something is wrong with the system. Richard is questions without a lawyer and makes statements that paint him as homophobic. Due to this and other circumstances he is tried as an adult. Yes I do believe what he did was wrong on so many levels. Do I believe he should have been tried as an adult?  No.  This crime changed both lives. By the press and everyone involved focusing on race and gender there was a lot of bias found in this case.  The author brings a human side to the story. By telling what happened to both teens and telling us both sides of the story we get a better picture of the humans these two are.  So often the news takes a story and puts their own slant on it to fit the politics of the time. I can’t have it on my shelves, but I can sure recommend students check it out from their local library.