Witch-Themed Books

 

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

It is hard to believe that Halloween is next week! October is flying by. Today I am going to share two witch-themed books for different ages. The first is a new picture book about the Salem witch trials. Did you know that the Salem witch trials were not the first witch trials and executions in North America. There were significant ones in Connecticut early in the 1600s. (Source) There were even accusations and a trial in Virginia before the Salem ones. (Source) However Salem had the hysteria that was not present in these other places. It Happened in Salem by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Brad Holland. It is recommended for ages 9 to 12, so a bit older than most picture books.

Sophie and the Swans -- Book Review & Giveaway Plus Swan Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Expound Publicity to bring you this post. 

Have you ever seen a swan? They are so elegant and beautiful. We have some that swim at the reservoir near our home. I always love seeing them. Today we are sharing a beautiful picture book about a young girl who loves the swans near her home. She feeds them and they respect her. She has to defend them when there is a bully. The book is Sophie and the Swans by Holly Peppe and illustrated by Aeron Cargill. 

How to Pee Your Pants: The Right Way -- Book Review

 

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

We all have embarrassing moments in life, and some are so embarrassing that we remember them forever. What is yours? I remember vomiting at a school assembly all over the shoes of the boy next to me. To make matters worse he reminded me of it years later so he remembered it too. Often our embarrassing moments when we are young, or perhaps when we are old too, involve wetting your pants. Whether it is wetting your bed or having an accident in public or when you are older perhaps when you have a coughing fit or a laughing fit. Yup, we all have those embarrassing moments and need to learn how to deal with them. Today I get to share a humorous book about dealing with peeing in your pants. The book is How to Pee Your Pants: The Right Way by Rachel Michelle Wilson. The book is recommended for ages 3 to 5. 

I Worked Hard on That! -- Book Review with Spider Web Craft Round-Up

 

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

Have you ever worked hard on something and then had it destroyed by someone else? Perhaps you have watched a young child build a tower and then have another child knock it down. The frustration and anger the child feels. Today we are sharing a new picture book about a spider who works hard on creating beautiful webs only to feel that frustration when it is destroyed. The book is I Worked Hard on That! by Robyn Wall and illustrated by A.N. Kang. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. I am also including a spider web craft and activity round-up to go with the book.

Halloween Children's Book Round-Up For the Easily Frightened Child with Crafts & More

 

October always has me thinking. When Hazel was young, we would avoid Halloween displays in stores. They scared her too much. It was hard to go anywhere, and the displays got put up earlier and earlier every year. She was easily frightened, and I had to be careful what I exposed her to. However, she loved dressing up for Halloween. (Perhaps this is why she wants to go into theater.) I have been thinking back to some of our favorite Halloween books and I thought I would share some of them and more with you! This round-up includes our favorite books and books we enjoyed when she was young and more recent ones as well as DVDs, costumes and some crafts and activities to go with the books. 

Elephant Touch -- Middle Grades Novel About Loss & Healing

 

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

Lately I have been sharing many middle grade novels. To be honest I am behind in my reading and have several more to share soon. However today I get to share one of my favorite ones of recent reads. It is a book about recovering from extreme loss. The book is Elephant Touch by Susan R. Greenway. It is recommended for ages 10 to 12. 

Exit Nowhere -- Middle Grades Novel About a Haunted House, Friendships & Cooperation

 

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

It is October!! That means it is time to get scary. We shared a novel perfect for Halloween last week and are sharing another one today! Today's book is Exit Nowhere by Juliana Brandt. It is recommended for ages 9 to 13.

Lost -- Wordless Book Review

 

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

When Hazel went to a Waldorf School when she was young, we fell in love with wordless books. Some of Hazel's favorite books when she was young were wordless. Today I get to share a new wordless book. The book is Lost by Bob Staake. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Sea Without a Shore -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and W.W. Norton to bring you this post. 

Summer is over. The beaches are less crowded. Do you visit the shoreline off season? The beaches change so much in each season. Today I get to share with you an interesting nonfiction picture book that teaches us about the one sea on Earth that does not have a shoreline! The book is Sea Without a Shore by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Katherine Roy. 

Winslow Scarecrow: Scarecrows Are Supposed to be Scary - Book Review & Giveaway with Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Stephen Bowling to bring you this post.

Fall began on Sunday, and it is definitely in the air. This weekend was the first time the weather actually felt like fall in New England. It is time to put out the fall decorations--the pumpkins, mums, hay bales, and scarecrows! To celebrate the beginning of this wonderful season I get to share a book about a friendly scarecrow as well as a scarecrow craft round-up! The book is called Winslow Scarecrow: Scarecrows Are Supposed to Be Scary by Stephen G. Bowling and illustrated by Vitali Dudarenka. 

Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Ryan Cowan to bring you this post. 

It is almost the end of September which means it is almost Halloween month. Do you love Halloween? Do your young readers? Today I get to share a magical Halloween book that will get even the Halloween haters feeling a bit good about the holiday. The book is Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal by Ryan Cowan and illustrated by Halo Rife. 

Diverse New Picture Books Sharing Fun and Lessons

 

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

Once again life and school have gotten in the way of my posts. As a result, I am going to share three new picture books with you today. Each is unique and has its own purpose. The first is I Want to Read All the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Mousetronaut Saves the World

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

Know any space lovers or perhaps you are looking for a fun and humorous book to read at story time? I have the book for you, and it has surprising heroes. It is the third book in The Mousetronaut Series. The new book is Mousetronaut Saves the World by Mark Kelly and illustrated by C.F. Payne. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts Series for Middle School -- Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Erika Lewis to bring you this post. 

Do you or your middle schooler love books about magical schools and magical lands? Then I have the series for you!! Perhaps you are missing the release of new Harry Potter books. If so, this series is for you. Today I get to share with you a fantasy middle school series (trilogy) by Erika Lewis. It is The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts Series. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. It has magic, mystery, friendships, new creatures, goddesses, and a never-ending war between summer and winter.

Sylvia Locke's Cinderella and the Evil Fairy Godmother -- Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and David Horn to bring you this post. 

I haven't done a fairy tale post in quite a while. Today I get to share a modernized Cinderella story!! If you haven't checked out my Fairy Tales in Different Cultures Series please do. They are some of my most popular posts. And Cinderella stories are the most frequent ones I feature! The book is Sylvia Locke's Cinderella and the Evil Fairy Godmother by David Horn and illustrated by Judit Tondora. It is the second book in the Tairy Fails Series. 

A New Friend for Dragon -- Review & Giveaway Plus Dragon and Knight Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review to bring you this post.

With back to school there have been some great books coming out about differences. Let's face it when kids go back to school, they see people who are different from them in some way. It is important for kids to realizes that differences can be a good thing and that it is ok to be friends with people who are different. The book I'm sharing today is about just this. It is A New Friend for Dragon by Bianca Schulze and illustrated by Samara Hardy. 

Books for Back to School

 

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

When does/did school start where you are? My school starts back today. On Friday we dropped Hazel off at her new boarding school for the arts. Steve and I have officially become empty nesters. A new school year can bring many different feelings for kids (and teachers). There is the excitement of what is to come and there is the fear of what is to come. Whether it is a new school or just a new class and teacher, most people experience some anxiety this time of year. And it isn't just the students and the teachers. I remember all too well the stress of leaving Hazel at school when she was younger. So, I thought in honor of my first day back with the students, I would share three picture books that have messages about controlling anxiety, overcoming fears, being true to oneself and also accepting differences. The first book I will share is How to Train Your Amygdala by Anna Housley Juster and illustrated by Cynthia Cliff. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8, although I know some high school students it might be good to share it with.

A Tall Tale: How Ostriches Got Their Long Necks & Long Legs -- Book Review & Giveaway with Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Expound Publicity to bring you this post.

Do you like origin stories or how animals got their characteristic stories? Some are cultural and some are just made up. Today I get to share a book with you that is fun and a bit silly. It "explains" how ostriches got their long necks and long legs and has a few other messages in it. The book is A Tall Tale: How Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs by Scott Sollers and illustrated by Alejandro Echavez. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends - Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Expound Publicity to bring you this post.

My Facebook newsfeed is full of back-to-school photos. Has school started where you live? We drop Hazel off at boarding school for the first time today! My classes begin on Tuesday though. It seems everyone is thinking back-to-school. Today I get to share with you a perfect book for this time of year. It is Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends by Jen Kirkley and illustrated by M. Brayer. 

Webster the Beagle & His Adventures on the River -- Book Review & Giveaway with Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with Expound Publicity and The Children's Book Review to bring you this post.

Did you know that National Dog Day was this week? In honor of that I get to share with you a fun book about a beagle and his adventures to the river with his human. The book is Webster the Beagle and His Adventures on the River by Frank Payne and illustrated by Romney Vasquez. There is a giveaway at the end of the post, and I am sharing a round-up of crafts of some of animals he sees at the river.