Picture Books for Everyone

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

It can be hard to pick the right picture book for your child. There are so many choices out there with so many different themes, messages and more! Today I am going to share a variety of new picture books with you and I am sure there will be something for each child in this group!! 

If We Make It Home -- Mommy Time Book Review

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

Some friends come and go and others last a lifetime. What happens when you see one who you grew apart from? Are back to your old ways or is there a distance? What happens it is when you feel like your own life is falling apart and are just trying to escape the chaos of it? And of course there is the question of how well you really know someone. If We Make It Home by Christina Suzann Nelson takes three college roommates back to their college home before it gets torn down. Each is dealing with her own challenges and must come to terms with life, disappointment and each other.

New chapter books for grades 1-3

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

Today I am sharing some books for our beginning chapter book readers. The suggested ages for these books are grades 1 through 3. I will introduce the books in order of easiest to read to hardest. The first book is Joe and Sparky, Party Animals! by Jamie Michalak and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. 

First Day of School Books

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

Are you getting ready for school? Perhaps your child like mine is going to a new school this year. This is always added stress for the child and with two and half weeks of summer vacation left the stress is showing here. What if the kids are mean like at my old school? What if the teacher is mean? There are so many worries there. The first book I am sharing is a perfect book for this situation. It is Origami Peace Cranes: Friendships Take Flight by Sue DiCicco. 

Real Friends -- Book Review

Disclosure: Macmillan Publishers gave me copies of these books free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

It always amazes me when I get a book at the perfect time for something in our lives. Today's book is one of those perfectly timed occurrences. Hazel has had a really tough school year and has had several issues with her classmates (as well as her teacher). A few weeks ago we pulled her from her school and I am homeschooling her for the rest of the year. She was in a very bad emotional state and we knew we had to get her out of it. She is mostly back to her normal happy self and will be once we have chosen a school for next year and that anxiety can be put to rest. The most important thing for us in choosing this school will be the classmates and the potential friends. Today's book helps her see that she is not the only one who has struggled with friends in school. The book is Real Friends by Shannon Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Now just seeing the author and illustrator was enough for me to know Hazel would love this book. They are also one of the authors and the illustrator of the Princess in Black series, which we love!!

Oh Susannah It's in the Bag

Disclosure: I was sent this book free of charge for this review in return for an honest review by The Children's Book Review & Carole P. Roman. All opinions in my review are my own and I will receive a small compensation for writing it.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation for your purchase.

Today we get to share a fun new book by Carole P. Roman and be part of the blog tour that includes a giveaway. Now I will admit we fell in love Carole's books back with the Captain No Beard series. Those books are wonderful picture books with imagination and lessons! Today's book is an early reader chapter book and it is her first! The book is Oh Susannah: It's in the Bag and it is illustrated by Mateya Arkova. The suggested age range for this book is 7 - 10 years old.

Well, That Was Awkward -- Book Review

Disclosure: Penguin Random House Books gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Do you remember your awkward middle school years? You know perhaps you all of a sudden liked someone you had known since kindergarten or perhaps it was your first date and everyone was involved in planning it. Or maybe you had an encounter with that popular kid that puts everyone down or just said something stupid. I can only imagine how much worse it is now with social media and texting. Rachel Vail's Well That Was Awkward has all of those moments and more. It really hit a chord with me and brought me back to eighth grade with the characters. I wish I had read this book back then.

Reflections on the work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther KIng, Jr. and a simple craft

As I thought about what I wanted to do this year for Martin Luther King Day for Kids I reflected on what we have done in the past. We have shared numerous books on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as other Civil Rights Activists. We have done various crafts about unity and diversity and peace. I'll be honest I wasn't sure what to do. Hazel understands the teachings of Dr. King and we have focused quite a bit on the Civil Rights Movement in the past. I want to first reflect on a few things.

New Year's Ideas -- Book Reviews & More

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.  Some of the links are affiliate links where I will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

New Year's always gets me thinking. I have found memories of sleepovers with a friend and each of my sisters' had a friend. I think this was the only time I had a friend sleepover when my sisters did, so there were some fun games we all played together as well as a ginger ale toasts at midnight.  I think about my "resolutions" from the past year and what I want to do for the next year. So today I am sharing with you four books that are bring these thoughts to my mind. Let's start with Girls' Night In by Gemma Barder and illustrated by Katy Jackson.

Ultimate Friendship Bracelets -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Reminder this link party is for all types of crafts, craft tutorials and craft product reviews!

 Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation. 

Today we are sharing another friendship bracelet kit. The Ultimate Friendship Bracelets by Patrizia Valsecchi comes with different color skeins of craft floss and beads as well as a book and a DVD. 

Summerlost -- Middle Grades Book Review

Disclosure: Penguin Random House Books gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

How does a twelve year old deal with the grief of losing her father and younger brother? How does anyone? How does the remaining family move on in life? What does it take? This is the basis of Summerlost by Ally Condie.

The Fairiest Fairy -- Book Review

Disclosure: Candlewick Press gave me a copy of these books free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

This week I have been on a fairy and fairy tale train. So I figured I would continue it with one of the sweetest fairy books around or almost around (it is being released on April 26th). We love this one!! It is The Fairiest Fairy by Anne Booth and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. 

Betty is a fairy that just never gets things quite right. She was always messing up all of her fairy spells and behaviors, however she would always stop what she was suppose to do for fairy school and help an animal in need. Every year the fairy king and queen had a fairy ball and selected the fairiest fairy of all. Of course to be picked the fairy had to perform all the fairy tricks that Betty could not do quite right. However all the animals she stopped to help come to help her and she is chosen because Betty demonstrates how to be a friend and that helping others is what matters. 

This adorable book is written in rhyme. The story is quite lovely and fun and the pictures are just adorable. They are colorful and yet simple. The book is a feel good book and really demonstrates the importance of helping others and being a good friend which is always a lesson a young child needs to be reminded of a few times. Hazel of course loves it. First it is about fairies and second it has a message that is very true to her. She is in many ways like Betty and for that I am proud. I hope you will check out this wonderful book!!

Feathers for Peacock -- Book Review & Craft

Disclosure: Wisdom Tales Press gave me a copy of this product free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today we get to share a beautiful book that is being released in April. Feathers for Peacock by Jacqueline Jules and illustrated by Helen Cann is a beautiful story about friendship and the book itself is gorgeous!! If you hurry you can enter to win a free copy of this book over at Goodreads (the giveaway ends today)!!

Punk Skunks -- Book Review

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Trisha Speed Shaskan. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

Do you remember ever feeling like your world was ending because you and your best friend did not agree on something? Perhaps the best friend wants to play something other than what you want and neither of you are able to budge. Often some mean things are said in anger and sometimes friendships end. Here is a book about that childhood (and perhaps adulthood) problem. Trisha Speed Shaskan shares this problem perfectly in Punk Skunks. It is illustrated by Stephen Shaskan.

Two Great Chapter Book Series for Younger Kids

Disclosure: Candlewick Press gave me a copy of these books free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

 We all want to do what is best for our children and want to bring them up to love learning and reading. It is hard to know what is best to do. I have seen articles about reading chapter books to preschoolers both pros and cons. I feel it is important to do a variety of reading. Chapter books can help kids begin to picture the stories in their own heads, but you need to be careful the story is appropriate for your child. We started reading chapter books by reading Charlotte's Web. I chose to read it to Hazel because we were going to a live production of it and I wanted Hazel to know the story ahead of time so we could discuss the sad part of Charlotte dying before seeing it. Reading this book opened the door to chapter books for Hazel. She loves them!! She also loves picture books and really loves any book. Then we discovered The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. Hazel LOVES the Princess in Black and even dressed as her for Halloween. She was so excited when Candlewick sent us second book in the series: The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party. And now the third book is being released on Tuesday, February 9th and we get to review it early!! Yes, Hazel was ecstatic about getting The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde.  

Dewey Bob -- 12 Days of Picture Books

Disclosure: Penguin Random House Books gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

I am so excited to share this with you today. Penguin Random House is celebrating the season with a 12 Days of Picture Books Gvieaway!!And I get to be part of it. The sent me some of the amazing books they are giving away to review. Today's book is Dewey Bob by Judy Schachner. 

Captain No Beard Series Review & Treasure Pouch Craft

Disclosure: I was sent the set of books with some hats, crafts and play doubloons and will receive a small compensation for writing this honest review. All opinions are my own. As always I am providing links for your convenience. I do not receive compensation if you purchase through them.

Today I have the pleasure of sharing a series of books with you. I will admit when I first was approached about these books, I was not completely sure they were our cup of tea, but I decided to try them anyway because I figured they might be one your child's things. After all Hazel is really not into pirates except Jake and the Neverland Pirates. However I was very pleasantly surprised by these books. Hazel and I LOVE them!! We were sent all nine Captain No Beard books by Carole P. Roman.

Cody and the Fountain of Happiness Book Review

Disclosure: Candlewick Press gave me a copy of this book free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Do you have a young reader who is ready to read or listen to a chapter book, but need to find one that does not have content that is too above their age level? I know I love reading chapter books to Hazel but since she is sensitive it is very hard to find good books to read and there are only so many Rainbow Magic Fairy books I can read in a row. Candlewick Press provides a wonderful alternative (well actually a few but I will post about more another time). Today we are sharing Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. 

Doozers Pod Squad DVDs Review and Giveaway!

Disclosure: NCircle Entertainment gave me a copy of the DVDs free of charge and is supplying the ones for the giveaway free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As always I am providing links to the DVD on NCircle Entertainment's site for your convenience. You can also find their DVDs at local retailers!

Have you met the Doozers? They are created by the Jim Hensen Company for preschoolers. The Pod Squad are a group of friends who live in Doozer Creek. They work together to solve problems and to learn. The show focuses on teaching preschoolers about teamwork, eco-friendly behavior, STEM-based adventures and more! We got the opportunity to review the first two DVDs which are on sale now at Target and will be available everywhere in September.

Parenting Resource Book to Help Discuss Sexual Abuse and Have a Plan

Today I am going to share a book I found recently. Now I do not remember where I saw it and cannot find the original place I saw it in the last month, but this is a must read to your young children. The book is I Said No!: A Kid-to-Kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private by Zack and Kimberly King. This book came about after Zack and his sister slept over their best friends' house while their mother dealt with an emergency with the baby. The house was right next door and they had known the neighbors for years. Zack was in kindergarten. Yes, in kindergarten like Hazel. Zack's best friend tried to get Zack to show him his private parts and also tried to get Zack to touch the friend's privates. He used bribery, peer pressure, and threatened to not be his friend anymore to get what he wanted. Zack told the mother and she told them to go to bed. He told his sister and she talked to the mother and again he was sent into the room with the boy. He eventually came up with the solution of staying in the bathroom and telling them he was sick to his stomach. Kimberly is a kindergarten teacher and thought she had prepared her children for any situation they might find themselves in, but she had not expected a kindergartener to use bribery, threats and such. Writing this book together helped the family heal and be able to move past this horrible experience. It is also written as five-year-old Zack is talking to the child reading it. It is very powerful.