I Am A Big Sister by KidsUp

Genre: Children's Picture Book

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

What a wonderful book to read with your soon to be big sister, or even your soon to be big brother. It puts a positive spin on being an older sibling. The story takes you through the things your child can do to help take care of your new baby. Instead of feeling left out they become a very important part of the help with the new baby.  I didn't have a book like this when my second child was born. However, we sat down nightly with our son and talked about the things he could do to help with his new sister when she was born. There was no feelings of being left out. He took his "job" seriously. Before she was born he talked to her in my tummy nightly and kissed it and told her good night. The funny thing is, he was the only one who could calm her down. She recognized his voice. They maintain that closeness today, forty years later.  

This is a must read book for all new to be brother or sister.

 

Student Saturday: Tales of the Cryptids by Kelly Halls, Rick Spear, and Roxyanne Young

 

Genre: Children, Science and Nature
Student Reviewer: Dylan H.

“TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS” by Kelly Halls, Rick Spear, and Roxyanne Young is about the authors investigating reports of many different cryptids around the world. Cryptids are animals that come from legends, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. The book goes into extreme detail about the number of interviews and information that they found out about each and every cryptid mentioned in this book. Most importantly cryptids such as, Hellhounds are legendary dogs that accompany the newly dead into the afterlife, or the New Jersey Devil with the earliest reported sighting was during the American Revolutionary War. Did you know in the mountain ranges of the Himalayas local villagers have reported sightings of the Yeti, also known as abominable snowman, which resembles Bigfoot. Overall, this is an incredibly good book and has so much information about cryptids and the stories that go with them.

Wilda Reads at Recess by Karen Georgiev

 

Genre: Children's Picture Book

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

There is a reason my blog is called "The Musings of a Book Addict". Read below to learn why.

I absolutely loved this book. I was Wilda in first grade. My friend played on the swings, slides, and monkey bars while I sat against a tree and read. I preferred reading over everything else. This type of book should be in every kindergarten through second-grade classroom. It shows how some people value reading over everything else. It also shows that it is okay to be that person. This would also make an excellent mentor text when teaching alliteration to students. The story flows naturally, making it easier for children to pick up on. I loved the illustrations. My favorite was the picture of the children looking at Wilda reading, their mouths open in awe or surprise. Definitely, a book I will recommend to my friends who have younger children.

On a personal note, as I said above I was Wilda in first grade.  However, I did not stop there. My first-grade teacher asked if I would help another young girl with reading because she was struggling and I did. I tutored other students throughout my school years.  I have been a teacher for thirty-one years.  I teach middle school English. I make it my goal to turn non-readers into readers. I make them set a reading goal, and in exchange, the classes all choose my reading goal. (Just as a side note, this year my reading goal was set at  95 books by the end of May. When I left school last week I had read six.  I will add four more to that list since we were out for the hurricane.) I check in on them weekly. I know my first two - three weeks are hectic so I get little reading done. When I come in and write books on my list and tell them I'm trying to catch up, the game is on. I've been able to turn several in to life long readers. The best compliment I ever received was on the last day of school. A student told me he hated me. This was just before he grabbed me and hugged me and told me the reason was because I made him love reading.  He had stopped reading when his mother was accidentally killed before his eyes. She had read to him as a young child. His dad remarried 8 months later and that was the end of reading for him.  He keeps in touch and asks for recommendations for his young kids. It is fulfilling to get email with recommendations from former students.  So whether you are a teacher, parent, grandparent, or just someone who loves gifting kids with great books. This is one you must read.

Student Saturday: The Lost by Natasha Preston

 

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Student Reviewer:  Benjamin T.

This book is about Piper and Hazel, two teenagers with Hazel having curly hair and usually being a strong person, and with Piper, the main character and which the point of view is from. Piper has dark hair and learns to become hard-minded and is the most rational out of them. Teens in their neighborhood have been going missing and everyone says that they are just runaway teens, as their area is small and there is a bigger city a bit far from there. One day, Piper and Hazel get kidnapped, and they are led to a big old building that was renovated and has a lot of doors and confusing pathways. It has 6 rooms for different physical and mental challenges. As well as other rooms for the group to stay in, with a bathroom and sleeping area. Room 0 puts two people up against each other and there is water, sound, temperature, sleep deprivation room etc. There are some other people there, Theo, Lucia, and Priya, who Theo has been in there the longest, tall, and calm while Lucia has just been put in for a few days and is short and blonde. She also has a temper. Priya is the one who comforts everyone and has been in there for a few weeks. The main antagonists are three people, Matt, Caleb, and Owen who love twisted games and seeing people suffer. They lure in people by trying to be their friends or showing interest. The story follows as Piper goes through the rooms and they plan to break out. Will they escape? What will happen in room 0? Will the three masterminds get caught? If i were in their situation, I would immediately try to create a plan to escape, instead of waiting a bit, but their plan was very thought out and is what I would’ve done in that situation.

Overall, I was not expecting anything from this book, but as I read it more, it became increasingly interesting to me. In all, I liked this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Mystery or psychological thrillers. The ending was surprising, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A Place of Refuge by Marlayne Giron

 

Genre: Adult, Christian Fiction
Source: I purchased a copy.

I loved this sequel to Second Chance Inn.  I have known a few Amish people who were shunned by family and friends because they chose a different path.  I know this is a part of their faith, but I always wondered how they would feel if God shunned them because they did something he didn’t agree with.

Rachel is having a tough time. She is fresh home from the hospital and is really unable to do much. She came back to a disaster. Dishes have been piling up in the sink.  Laundry is sky high. It really isn’t because her daughter just didn’t care. It is because her daughter was trying to help keep the farm running and trying to keep things running smoothly in the Inn.  All Rachel can do is pray that God will provide.  He does just that when Emma shows up. She has been shunned by her family, her car has broken down. She has no money and doesn’t know what to do. Lucky for her she broke down near  “The Second Chance Inn”. She wonders if God is giving her a second chance.  Emma contacts three of her friends, Like Emma they don’t fit into the Amish or the English world. These young men are also give a place to stay and food for the night.

Rachel awakes from a dream and asks God for confirmation, so she will know his will, and she gets it. It becomes clear that the Inn is to be a place of refuge for those like the young kids she has just taken in. She and Samuel had the same dream. The burden is lightened with the help of the three young men and Emma.

There is so much more in this book.  The characters are well developed. Whether you are a Christian or not you will enjoy this book. The author has created characters who have real trials like we do. She doesn’t put them in a fake Amish world where everything just turns up roses. What she does is shows what happens when the two worlds collide. She has shown realistic issues that show up and take them on a rollercoaster ride. She shows that our faith can get us through even the most terrible of trials.  This is a must read. If you have not read her first book, “Second Chance Inn.” You really must read it.  I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I really need to see what happens and how God answers their prayers.

Book Giveaway and Book Trailer for Second Chance Inn

To everyone who has been eagerly awaiting the sequel to Second Chance Inn, your year-long wait is finally over!

A Place of Refuge has officially released in both paperback and Kindle format and is available at all of your online retailers. The story continues right where Second Chance Inn ended, with Rachel narrowly surviving a buggy accident and Samuel forsaking all he has out of his love for her.

New characters emerge, and significant events are on the horizon!

Available at Amazon

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Student Saturday: GOATS of Basketball by Bruce Berglund

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Nonfiction

Student Reviewer:  William F.

 In the story “GOATS Of Basketball” we can see the legends of the players in their prime.  First was Michael Jordan, he played 15 seasons in the NBA and out of them he won 6 NBA championships. He went on 2 repeats of winning two times and switched from the Chicago Bulls to the Washington Wizards. As a fun act the stories says that “Michael Jordan also played in the MLB but never was good” next there was LeBron James who has been in the league for 21 seasons! He won 4 NBA championships throughout his entire career and still plays to this day. He Has played for 3 teams, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, And the Los Angeles Lakers which he still plays for today. This book is structured around who had the best legacy which in my opinion was Micheal Jordan. I would recommend this book to a friend to teach them all about the best players in basketball of all time.

Student Saturday: On the Run by Tristan Bancks

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery
Student Reviewer: Dominick O.

There is this kid named ben, ben had always wanted to be a cop ever since he was a kid. When cops showed to bens door he was intrigued. The cops were looking for ben's parents, but his parents were not home at the time. Shortly after the cops had left bens’ parents had showed up and immediately started packing clothes and food and rushed ben and his sister into the car saying they were going on a vacation. Ben was skeptical only because his parents never go on vacations. They hid out in a remote cabin in the middle of the woods, and ben using his detective skills he found out his parents had committed a crime. When the police found their cabin, they were forced to split up into 2. Ben and his sister are now alone, and ben doesn't know if he should find help, or keep the secret and live life on the run.

 

In a Deep Dark Magic Wood by Scott Peters

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy

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

Wren has lived all her life in the tower of a private school. She has three mentors who feed her and teach her. Every day, she goes to the tower's roof and sits, waiting for the young boy who struggles to walk. He always smiles at her. He seems to be the only one who can see her. 

On her thirteenth birthday, she is whisked away from the school and driven to a place she knows nothing about. She overhears a conversation between her mentor and the woman, who she learns is her grandmother.  She also learns she is to be the Griffen Queen. She follows a chipmunk and is transported into another world. Her grandmother yells something to her as she goes through the portal.

Wren finds herself surrounded by thorny vines with no way out. A young girl with green hair sees her, grabs her and pulls her through. This young girl, named Nessa believes Wren is the Herald who has come to defeat the next ascendant to the throne. Since this is the first friend she has ever made, there is no way she can tell her who she really is.  Now she has two problems. The first is that she has promised, and she meant it, to save Nessa's land. The second problem is that the monsters outside the vines want her to destroy her. How can she accomplish everything she needs when those she has promised to protect find out who she really is?

The way this ended I am hoping there is a sequel. This is an on the edge of your seat, can't put the book down read. I ordered a copy for my classroom shelves because this is such an awesome book.  Great for those who really love fantasy.

Write Like This by Kelly Gallagher

 

Genre: Educationa, Informational

Source: I purchased a copy

If you are a teacher or a homeschooling parent and don't know how to teach your children the important skills of writing based on real-world experiences, then this is the book you need.

Kelly is a wealth of knowledge in this area. His students are taught from the first day that writing is very important in his class. There are nine chapters in this book.  One of my favorites was the chapter called Express and Reflect.  I have been a reflective writer for years. I have had my students reflect on their work. I never considered teaching them the difference between expressive writing and reflective writing.  Throughout the book he makes it clear that you need to demonstrate with the kids what you are trying to teach them. Show them that you too make mistakes in writing and that writing is hard, but reachable.  The book is full of not only his examples, but also student examples. We as a teacher get to see his teaching method throughout the book.  I have read this book at least three times. I learn something new every single time.  I recommend all teachers take a look at this book.