Book Advent Calendars -- Get Them Reading While Waiting for Santa

 

Disclosure: I was sent these Advent calendars to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Yesterday I shared a new picture book about getting ready for Christmas. Today I thought I would share some Advent calendars. Now Advent is one of my favorite times of the year. The first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of a new church year. I love the preparation time that is Advent. It is time for each of us to prepare for Christmas and as a Christian that means preparing myself for Jesus. I use it as a time to reflect on my life and what I can do differently to be a better person -- more like Jesus. Over the years I have shared quite a few posts about Advent including ones specifically about Advent calendars including fun facts and a roundup of them including ones you can make. Today I am going to share two secular Advent calendars for different ages that are books. This will get your kids reading while they prepare for Christmas. The first features the popular Bluey. It is Bluey: The Most Amazing Advent Book Bundle by Penguin Young Readers License. The suggested age range for this one is 4- to 8-year-olds. 

12 Days of Getting Ready for Christmas -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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

The holiday season is upon us. Or should I say the holiday prep season is upon us. Between the baking, cooking, decorating, and shopping I would say there is a lot of preparation for the holidays. Today we get to share a fun new holiday book that is a spin-off of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." In fact, the lyrics can be sung to the tune and there is a YouTube video teaser to begin to share the book.  The book is 12 Days of Getting Ready for Christmas by Tanya Harvey and illustrated by Chelsea Peters. And there is a giveaway at the end of this post!! Perfect to help you get ready for Christmas!

Vanya and the Wild Hunt

 

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

Here is a review a long time coming. I am still working on my pile of chapter books from this summer. This one actually finishes the books I shared back in June but the pile has grown with some new ones. I'll share them at the end of this post in case any will interest you or a reader in your life for the holidays. Today I am sharing a fun fantasy middle grade novel that is full of magic and adventure. The book is Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. 

The Incredible Adventures of Casper the Cat Who Got Lost in Africa: Book 1-The Pangolins -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital 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 Jennifer Ussi to bring you this post.

Cats can do amazing things. I know I have three of them. I love my cuddle times. In fact, I have one on my lap as I write this post. Today I get to share a fun middle grade/early chapter book with you about a curious cat who gets lost in Africa and has many adventures to find her way home. The book is The Incredible Adventures of Casper the Cat Who Gets Lost in Africa: Book 1-The Pangolins by Jennifer Ussi and illustrated by Lekshmi Bose. And there is a giveaway at the end of this post!

Ode to a Pug: Not the Vet! -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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

Ode to a Pug is back!! This time he is off to the veterinarian and has all sorts of fears and adventures. Get ready for a humorous story of everyone's favorite pug!  The book is Ode to a Pug: Not the Vet! by Jill Rosen and illustrated by Stephanie Rohr. There is a giveaway after my review.

Autism: My Invisible Backpack -- 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 Dalisse Siqueiros to bring you this post.

All kids can feel big emotions but imagine what it is like for a child or person with autism. I teach many students with autism, and it has honestly been eye-opening to talk with some of them and get a peek inside their brains. They are truly wired differently. It is not worse or better but different. And as much as people fear having children with autism, if we didn't have autistic people, we would be living in a very different world without a lot of the things we depend on every day. Today we are sharing book from a series meant to help autistic kids and their parents deal with living in a world for people who think differently. The book is Autism: My Invisible Backpack: Discovering Emotions, Masking and the Joy of Being Seen by Dalisse Sequeiros and Luis Barros. After my review there is a giveaway!

Adventures with Allie and Friends: Chef Cherie's Cafe -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book to review honestly. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Melanie Moore to bring you this post.

Have you ever noticed some books are just about stories and some are about teaching a lesson? We have needs and wants for both types. Today I am sharing a book with a story that has kids doing a lesson in it. The book is the first in a series. It is Adventures with Allie and Friends: Chef Cherie's Cafe by Melanie Moore and illustrated by Juan Diaz. There is a giveaway after my review!

The Magic Maze Trilogy -- 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 Samuel Warren Joseph and Phil Proctor to bring you this post.

Do you have a reader who loves fantasy and mystery? I have a wonderful book trilogy for you. It is The Magic Maze Trilogy by Samuel Warren Joseph and Phil Proctor. The book is full of mystery and adventure in a magical realm with two siblings just trying find their way home. There is a giveaway after my review!

New Picture Book Roundup

 

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

My pile of picture books is growing fast (almost like my chapter books). Today I am sharing a roundup of books that have come out recently (including this week). Some teach lessons and some are just fun and there is definitely something for everyone here! We will start with Gray Squirrel Loses It! by Cassandra Federman. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

I Love You 100: A Counting Book Full of Love

 

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

What are your feelings about math? I feel like so many people do not like math and they have a stigma around it. In fact, our society tends to portray high school math as something that is torturous and not used.  However, mindset plays a HUGE role in this success. If you tell your children, watch television shows that tell your children, etc. that math is hard and bad, then they will not have success in math. Mathematicians and especially math teachers are fighting this battle and today's book actually shares how parents can help in the Author's Note. Start them young with math. Today's book is I Love You 100: A Counting Book Full of Love by Danica McKellar and illustrated by Josée Masse. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 and I would say it would be great to read to even younger children!

Zen and Tea -- Picture Book Reviews

 

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

Something I find missing in many people today is connections. People need connections with one another as well as nature. We also need to stop and just be. Today I am sharing two picture books that emphasize these messages. The first is My First Book of Zen: Simple Wisdom for Children by Tracy Gallup. It is recommended for ages 5 to 9. 

Did You Hear What Happened in Salem?: The Witch Trials of 1692

 

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

Happy Halloween! Did you know that over 1 million people have already visited Salem, Massachusetts in October 2025? And they are expecting over 80,000 to visit today. Salem is known as the Witch City and even Salem High School's mascot is the witches. Now I live pretty close to Salem. People from around here know there is no parking in Salem for the month of October (and actually for most of September as well as into November) because of all of the tourists that flock to the Witch City. Salem has embraced its witch history and has become a huge tourist site for it. However, the witch trials and happenings in Salem were quite different. Today we are sharing a wonderful book about the Salem witch trials, and it is told in first person. The book is Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692 by Katie Kennedy and illustrated by Nick Thornborrow. It is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Turning Twelve -- Middle Grade Graphic Novel Review

 

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

On Sunday I shared a post about Banned Books Week and reviewed a couple of banned books. I was a couple of weeks late for Banned Books Week. Did you know that graphic novels are often banned books? Many schools don't want their kids reading them as they don't think of them as real books. Can you imagine? For some readers, the illustrations of graphic novels are what help them get into the book. Personally, I feel that if a child enjoys reading a book, it is a good thing. The more we force kids to read certain books or types of books, the less the child wants to read. I know this was definitely true for Hazel. She dreaded summer reading assignments. She hated being forced to read certain books. Even books she may have chosen on her own, when forced to read them she did not enjoy them. So I say let the kids read graphic novels and banned books. Let them read books about the topics that interest them as well as ones that relate to their lives like the book I am sharing today. It is a middle grade graphic novel all about turning twelve and the changes that come with this new age. The book is Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee and illustrated by Molly Brooks. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Santa's 18-Wheel Chrome-and-Steel Sleigh -- 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 J. Brandon Boron to bring you this post.

Halloween is on Friday!! That means Christmas is getting closer and closer. I know I have seen the memes that say October 31 at midnight the Christmas music begins to play. Well, I'm going a little earlier to bring you a fun new picture book with sing-along lyrics that will have little ones rocking! The book is Santa's 18-Wheel Steel-and-Chrome Sleigh by J. Brandon Boron and illustrated by Shaun Ivie. There is a giveaway at the end of this post!!

Banned Books -- Late Banned Books Week Reviews & More

 

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

I read banned books. In fact, I even review banned books (often before they are banned). Banning books seems to be an epidemic lately. Books are banned or challenged (before banning) by people who are trying to protect children. They feel these books are inappropriate for children. Perhaps for their own children, but they don't want their own children's friends reading them either because kids talk. In early October every year there is a Banned Books Week. This year it was October 5-11. (Next year it is October 4-10, 2026.) It is a week to make aware some of the books that are being challenged and possibly banned around the world. You may be surprised by some of the books on the list. There are many I read in school when I was young, or my friends did in other classes I didn't take. There are books like Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and George Orwell's 1984. There are other classics like Animal House, Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Number the Stars, Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, ... the list goes on and on and includes The Holy Bible. Books tend to get challenged if they share cultural identity like A Place Inside of Me or Fry Bread or sexual or gender identity like Spin with Me or It's Okay to be a Unicorn or sexual encounters like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Speak is our first book for review today. It is recommended for ages 12 to 18 or young adult. The other book we will be reviewing is a picture book!

Mimi and Ary -- 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 Rashad Mirzayev to bring you this post.

Kids have many experiences that can make them feel scared or lonely. It takes time and experience to learn how to deal with these moments. Today I am sharing a book that helps teach these lessons in a fun and creative way. The book is Mimi and Ary by Rashad Mirzayev. There is a giveaway at the end of this post. 

Lost on Doll Island

 

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

It is hard to believe that Halloween is next week! It is the perfect time for a spooky book and today I am sharing one. It is a middle grade book that has creepy dolls, magic, ghosts, and witches. It takes place in Mexico. The book is Lost on Doll Island by Cassandra Ramos-Gomez. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Books to Teach Music and Its Importance

 

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

What is your favorite music? Do you play it for your kids? Do you play other types of music for them? Today we are sharing some amazing books--four board books with sound and one picture book about music and a person with dementia and its importance. We will start with the picture book which is Searching for Mr. Johnson's Song by Ariel Vanece and illustrated by Jade Orlando. It is recommended for ages 5 to 8 but I would say it could be enjoyed by older kids as well especially if they have someone close to them experience some type of dementia. 

Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign

 

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

Life is hard when your family moves all the time. It is hard to make friends and to really get to know someone. Today I get to share a new middle grade novel that is about a sixth grader whose family finally settled down after years of moving. Sixth grade brings all sorts of new things--new teachers, new subjects, the same bullies and so much more. The book is Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign by Sara F. Shacter. It is recommended for 9- to 12-year-olds. 

Dude. Be Nice -- 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 Sarah Scheerger to bring you this post.

Have you ever had a moment where you are trying to help but your "help" is making things worse? Perhaps you are just trying to make things better but the "help" is not wanted? Today we are sharing a book about this situation. It is called Dude. Be Nice by Sarah Scheerger with Brent and Jamie Camalich and illustrated by Alex MacNaughton. There is a giveaway at the end of the post.