Give the Gift to Kids of Cooking & Food

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

"Food is a love language." "The way to the heart is through the stomach." Let's face it, there is a lot to be said about food and being able to prepare it. One of the best gifts my mother gave me was making sure I knew how to cook. I started cooking dinner for the family once a week in third grade. In middle school we still had cooking and sewing classes as well as woodshop and metal shop. I grew up in the generation where they were still teaching life skills to us, but I learned most of them from my parents prior to the classes. Plus with Thanksgiving approaching it is the month of feasting! Today we are sharing five books for different ages about food or actual cookbooks! These books make perfect gifts for this holiday season or any time really! Two of the books are board books and the other three are cookbooks for kids. We will start with the board books. The first one is kind of about food and kind of not but is perfect for Thanksgiving or should I say pie season! It is You're the Apple of My Pie by Rose Rossner and illustrated by Jill Howarth. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3. 

Books to Help Kids Be Their Beautiful Selves

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Being a kid today is tough. There is so much to pay attention to and it can be overwhelming. With all the technology information is available 24/7 and mistakes are shared worldwide. The societal pressures for girls about their looks are even worse than ever because it is everywhere! Today we are sharing two very different books that deal with some of this and will help kids be their beautiful selves. The first book is a picture book. It is Penelope and the Vase by Danyail Lawton. It is recommended for ages 4 to 10. 

Some Silly & Fun Picture Books That Will Have Kids Laughing

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

When kids are young sometimes it is fun to get them laughing. They love being silly and as adults we often aren't silly, so it is fun for us to read them silly books and they love them! Today we are sharing three silly picture books that will have everyone laughing! We will start with Don't Push the Button! by Bill Cotter. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 but I could see younger kids enjoying it as well. 

Cracking Monsters -- The Uncrackables Book 2 - Middle Grade Mystery Review

 

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

I love a good mystery! But I also love a book that gets me thinking about things like good versus evil and selfishness and is fun to read. Today we are sharing a new middle grade novel that combines all of this. The book is the second in The Uncrackables series. It is Cracking Monsters by David Meyer. It is recommended for ages 8 to 14.

Picture Books to Celebrate November

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

November has begun!! November is a month full of so many things. Often here the weather is changing (although this year we have had warm weather thus far). The leaves are falling. There is Day of the Dead, Election Day, Veteran's Day and of course Thanksgiving! November is colorful leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, and a month of gratitude! Today we are sharing a roundup of picture books that are November themed!! They include the month, pumpkins, gratitude, and turkeys!! The first book is Meet November by April Martin. It is part of The Calendar Kids series. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

If You Live on a Farm -- Picture Book Review

 

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

What do you think of when you hear someone lives on a farm? Do you think of a red bard with animals? Or perhaps big fields of grains and vegetables? Today we are sharing a fun book all about different types of farms. The book is If You Live on a Farm by Kari Ann Gonzalez and illustrated by Marie Hermansson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 10. 

Hidden Heroes: Ten Overlooked Trailblazers -- Picture Book Review

 

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

Why are diverse books so important? Why is it important for everyone to be exposed to diverse books? There is a lot out there about diverse books. However, I think the author's introduction to this book says a lot about how I feel. In her own childhood and adulthood, she wanted to know where were the stories about people who look like her and in particular women. Even when she was working for a newspaper she felt like they were writing obituaries for famous white men and not really anyone else. Today we are sharing a book that comes from the New York Times Overlooked project. The book is Hidden Heroes: Ten Overlooked Trailblazers by Amisha Padnani and illustrated by Dominique Ramsey. It is recommended for ages 6 to 9. 

Before going any further, look at the cover and see if you can identify any of the ten from their illustrated portraits. Personally, I had only heard of one of them before.

Dog Days Series -- Early Chapter Book Series Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you have any emerging readers ready to start chapter books but needing to take it slow? Today we get to share an early chapter book series that shares real life problems and solutions that young kids may have. The series is called Dog Days and is by Dori Hillestad Butler and illustrated by Genevieve Kote. There are two books in the series, and we are sharing both of them. The first is Hazel Helps Out. The series is recommended for ages 6 to 9. 

The Heavenly Juggler -- Picture Book Review

 

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

With teaching and a busy life, I noticed I was not as focused on my spiritual growth as I have been in the past. Every time I go to our church for the past few years I have an allergy attack in the sanctuary. Like an embarrassing cannot stop coughing and sneezing attack, so I haven't been going. Add in getting up early all week and trying to get things done on the weekends and I lost most of my motivation. With Hazel out of Christian school, I also haven't been looking at the Christian books as much. That is going to change. Today we are sharing a fun Christian picture book called The Heavenly Juggler by Demi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Quagmire -- Middle Grade Novel Review & Giveaway

 

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

Family, memories, loss, mystery, new friends...today's book has it all and it has words like its title that kids may never have heard before!! Today we are sharing a middle grade novel that is packed with mysterious things and people. It is called Quagmire and is by Sam Campbell. After my review is a giveaway.

Better Pets -- Picture Book Review

 

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

What makes a good pet? Is it a cat or a dog? Or perhaps something else? Does it need to have special talents? As the owner of four pets, I have to say I don't think there is one thing that makes a good pet. For me it is that they have to show love and feel loved. Today we are sharing a book all about pets and what makes them good. The book is Better Pets by Leigh Bardugo and illustrated by Liz Climo. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6.

Turkey on the Run! -- Picture Book Review

 

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

Halloween is coming fast and that means Thanksgiving is also around the corner. There are so many good Thanksgiving books out there and we have shared quite a few as well as crafts and more. Some of the books are serious about gathering and sharing with others and some are quite fun and humorous. Today we are sharing a fun one. It is Turkey on the Run! by Alayne Kay Christian and illustrated by Neha Rawat.  It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power -- Middle Grade Novel Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Michael J. Bowler to bring you this post. 

Do you have someone who has trouble sitting still? Often in school, boys struggle to sit still and get in trouble for fidgeting or not "behaving" because they have so much energy that needs to be released. It is part of why recess and breaks where kids can run and play are so important. I remember when my nephew was visiting us and he was elementary school age; I found him running around our sectional couch in the family room after I put Hazel to bed. He was one of those boys that just had so much energy he needed to release it, and we had so much snow at the time he hadn't been able to get outside much. Today we are sharing a middle grade novel about such boys and a perfect read for such kids. It is actually the second book in a series, but we did not read the first and still found the book great! The book is Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power by Michael J. Bowler. It is recommended for ages 9 to 12, and there is a giveaway after the review!

Halloween-Themed Books for the End of October

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Vampires, black cats, monsters, costumes and trick-or-treating! It is that time of the year that the spooky and scary things are out everywhere. When Hazel was young, we couldn't go into stores without her freaking out with all the Halloween products. She would get so scared. We were always on the lookout for Halloween books, activities, etc. that were not so scary. Today we are going to share three picture books and one early chapter book that are not too scary but have a Halloween theme. They have the vampires, black cats, monsters and more in them but are full of fun! The first book is actually more of an emotion awareness book, but it features a vampire! It is Vlad Is Mad! by Su Moon. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6.

Hear Me Roar! I'm a HANUKKAHsaur -- Picture Book Review & Giveaway

 

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

The holidays are fast approaching. Halloween is just a couple weeks away and once it hits all the holidays seem to fly by. Today we are sharing a book about Hanukkah that is perfect for dinosaur lovers! The book is Hear Me Roar! I'm a HANUKKAHsaur by Naomi Gruer and illustrated by Mel Zohar. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. There is a giveaway after my review!

Board and Picture Books Released This Week

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Over the weekend we traveled to Michigan to see my goddaughter get married and visit two colleges. It was a lot and I will admit I was tired. We woke up Monday to discover our return flight was cancelled, and both Steven and Hazel had to be home for Tuesday, so their free option was not working for us. I decided to take yesterday off from writing book reviews so today I am combining my review for three books released yesterday! One is a board book and the other two are picture books. The board book is Bizzy Bear: It's Bedtime by Benji Davies. It is an interactive board book with tabs to push, pull and slide. It is recommended for ages 0 to 2 and is part of the Bizzy Bear series. 

Lionborn and the Secret of Dark Rider -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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

I love a good fantasy book and really love a good fantasy series. Today we get to share the second book in the Lionborn series. You can check out our review of the first book here. This series is a fantasy series for ages 10 to 14 that is full of mystery, magic, adventure and friendship. The second book is Lionborn and the Secret of Dark Rider by Sharique Zea. After my review is a giveaway! Get ready to be amazed with the creativity of this book.

Brave Like Me -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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

Facing different things can be very scary especially for young children. It could be simple as facing a new place, having to do something for the first time or as difficult as going through treatment for a serious disease like cancer. One of the best ways for kids to be brave is to be with someone else they trust--family or friend. Let's face it all of us face tough times better with someone else to help. Today we are sharing a beautiful picture book that shares this message. The book is Brave Like Me by Karen Henrich and illustrated by Jordan Foster. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 and there is a giveaway after my review!

Books to Celebrate Indigenous People's Day, Native American Heritage Month & More!

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Monday is Indigenous People's Day. A great way to celebrate is to learn more about indigenous cultures. Today we are sharing three fun books that share indigenous stories and reading them is a wonderful way to learn about the cultures as well as celebrate. They are great for any time of the year and also for people who want to celebrate in November, Native American Heritage Month. I get really excited about Native American stories and always have and these three are no different. The first book is First Fire: An Algonkian Story retold by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac and illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

A Forest, A Family, A Harbor, A Home -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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

What makes a home? What is your home? I remember taking a diversity awareness class when I was a pretty new teacher and one of the assignments was to write a paper about who you were and what made you that person. When we shared them, it was really interesting to hear the different stories and different backgrounds each of us had. The group of teachers was unfortunately mostly white but each of us had so many different things that mattered to us in our upbringing and life to create the person we each became. It is a project I would love to do again now that I have a family of my own and am on the other side of my career. Maybe someday I will. The book we are sharing today however reminded me of that assignment. It is A Forest, A Family, A Harbor, A Home by Nikki McClure. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. At the end of this post there is a giveaway!