Lia Park and the Missing Jewel -- Asian Middle Grade Fantasy Novel Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share with you a new middle school fantasy novel. It is the first book in a series and is being released on May 3rd. Since the main characters are Korean it is also a perfect book to pick up for Asian Pacific Island American Heritage Month. The book is Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon. It is recommended for ages 8 to 11.

At the Sea -- New Picture Book with Flaps to Teach All About the Ocean

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Spring is here. That means summer is almost here and that means the beach! With Earth Day last week, we need to talk about the ocean. Today I am sharing a beautiful, oversized picture book about a trip to the sea that even goes into the Earth Day topics! The book is At the Sea by Emma Giuliani. It has a reading age of 8 to 12.

The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls -- a new Native American themed middle school novel


Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share a new middle school novel with Native American characters--Ojibwe to be exact and written by someone of Ojibwe descent. It is about finding oneself after you have hit rock bottom. It is The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls by James Bird. It is recommended for ages 10 to 14.

Animal Books & Crafts for Earth Day

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books (digital for stories and physical for crafts) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy Earth Day! I am one who believes every day is Earth Day but today is the day the world celebrates this amazing planet and the nature that fills it. To celebrate today I am sharing three new children's books about animals with perfect messages for Earth Day and craft round-ups to go with them as well as two craft books with animal themes. We will start with the first two books. They are from the Surviving Wild series by Remy Lai. The series are graphic novels for ages 6 to 9. The first is Surviving the Wild: Rainbow the Koala

The Wild Garden -- New Picture Book Perfect for Earth Day Everyday!

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Earth Day is this week! I wanted to share a book with you that screams Earth Day to me. Sadly, the book is not being released until May in the US, but it is the perfect book to talk about some of the Earth Day issues. The book is The Wild Garden by Cynthia Cliff. It is recommended for ages 5 to 9. I am also sharing a round-up of gardening crafts, activities, and recipes for kids.

Unicorns & Other Mythical Creatures

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Unicorns, dragons, and other mythical beasts have been the center of attention for many people. I know most girls go through some unicorn phase and some never grow out of it. Today I am going to share with you a picture book based on the unicorn tapestries and a fun fact book about mythical beasts. I am also sharing a unicorn craft round-up to go with these fun books! We will start with The Lady and the Unicorn by Béatrice Fontanel and Vanessa Hié. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Fun Facts about Bling! -- Review of Level 3 Reader from National Geographic Kids

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you have a rock collector? Young children love to collect rocks, pebbles and more. Today I get to share with you a book for new fluent readers filled with fun facts about rocks and gems. The book is from National Geographic Kids and is Bling! 100 Fun Facts About Rocks and Gems by Emma Carlson Berne. It is a Level 3 Reader and is recommended for ages 7 to 9.

Guide to Decorate Fun Easter Eggs

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Can you believe Sunday is Easter? It creeped up on me this year. Hazel is beyond the age of decorating eggs with me. I however love decorating eggs even though we don't do it very often. I had a supply of wooden eggs and paper mâché eggs that open and decided to try some of the ideas in Show-How Guides: Egg Decorating by Renee Kurilla and illustrated by Keith Zoo, plus I came up with some of my own.

The Littlest Airplane -- Review, Giveaway and Airplane Craft & Activity Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I am working with The Children's Book Review, Brooke Hartman and a grant from the Alaska Writer's Guild to review this book. A digital copy was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I will receive a small stipend. All opinions are my own.

When my nephew was young, he was really into airplanes. He loved Jay Jay the Jet Plane. Perhaps it was because my sister's family moved from New England to North Carolina, so we had to get on an airplane to visit him. I remember we would put our arms around and pretend to be Jay Jay. Needless to say, today's book would have been perfect for him over a decade ago, but it wasn't written. The book is The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman and illustrated by John Joseph.

My Old Friend, Then -- Book Review, Mindfulness for Kids Round-Up, & Giveaway

 


Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Riverlet Press and will receive a small stipend for this post. All opinions are my own.

Mindfulness has been the rage lately. Have you tried to teach your kids to be mindful? Today I am sharing a book that teaches kids a bit about mindfulness in a manner that is similar to the approach of a child. The book is My Old Friend, Then by Katherine Davis-Gibbon and illustrated by Allie Daigle. 

Oi Gets Lost -- Book Review, Cat Craft Round-Up & Giveaway

 


Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Bright Light Books and will receive a small stipend for this post. All opinions are my own.

Do you have a cat lover in your house? We are all cat lovers here and have two cats in our household including a kitten (at least for a few more weeks). Most kids love animals including kittens. If you have an emerging reader you will want to check out today's book. It is Oi Gets Lost by Lorna Likiza and illustrated by Yeveheniia Melnyk. 

The Kindness Machine -- Picture Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Purple Butterfly Press and will receive a small stipend for this post. All opinions are my own.

"Spread kindness like confetti!" and "Be kind!" are two very popular sayings these days. Let's face it, today's world really needs more kindness! We are teaching our kids to be kind to others but are we teaching them to be kind to themselves. Are we being kind to ourselves and others? How do we really teach kindness? The answer to many of these questions can be answered with today's book. The book is The Kindness Machine by Chirstina Dankert and illustrated by Chad Dankert.

New Fantasy/Futuristic Books for Middle Grades & Young Adults

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Do you have a reader who loves fantasy and science fiction? Today I get to share two new books with you that fall in these genres. One is a middle grades novel and the other is a young adult graphic novel. Both novels are multicultural with diverse characters. We will start with Area-51 Interns: Alien Summer by James S. Murray and Carsen Smith. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Spring Means Gardening--Fruits, Vegetables & Cooking Farm Fresh!

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Spring is in the air!! Up in New England the weather is slowly getting warmer--or at least more consistent. We have been having a roller coaster of temperatures this year. As spring starts up people start thinking about about gardening and fresh fruits and vegetables. Today I am sharing three picture books that focus on just that--gardening, fruits, vegetables and cooking with fresh garden harvests. All three books have an age range of 4 to 9. And all three books are being released today!! The first is I Love Strawberries! by Shannon Anderson and illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett. 

Easter Board Books Perfect Additions for Little Ones' Baskets

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Now that April has begun, Easter is just around the corner. This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. Over the years I have struggled with what to put in the Easter basket. One of my favorite non-candy items is books. Today I am going to share two new board books with you that are perfect for those Easter baskets for kids whose age ranges from 1 to 4. The first is The Story of Easter by Patricia A. Pingry.