Trusting Timothy: A Story About Cheating -- 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 Expound Publicity to bring you this post. All opinions are my own.

It has been a while since I have done a Christian review. Today I get to share a fun picture book that shows following God's Word (Scripture) can help you be a better person and win. The book is Trusting Timothy: A Story About Cheating by Bobby Bryant II, Bobby Bryant III, Ava Bryant, and Joseph Bryant and illustrated by Tim Crecelius. This is a post that is part of The Children's Book Review Virtual Book Tour so that means there is a giveaway! I also am including some free scripture coloring pages to go with the book.

The Mystery of Mystic Mountain -- 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 Janet Fox to bring you this post and giveaway.

Middle school can be hard. New friends plus personal changes and add in fighting and possibly splitting up parents and you have a very hard time. Today I get to share a middle grades book full of a mystery, adventure, friendships, family relationships and more. The book is The Mystery of Mystic Mountain by Janet Fox.

Glow in the Dark: A Streak of Light -- 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 T.J. Scripps to bring you this post.

Girls often go through a phase of loving rainbows and unicorns. Some never outgrow it. A couple of weeks ago Hazel and I were at the house on Cape Cod. We were trying to pack up and clean up as it was the day we were heading home. We heard thunder and a little bit later it started pouring. We kept going on with our chores. When the rain stopped the sun came out. It only rained for five to ten minutes. I happened to look out the window and quickly called Hazel downstairs and grabbed my phone. I was able to capture the full rainbow through the screen door and part of the rainbow without the screen. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality -- Book Review with Craft & Giveaway

 

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

Do you know a child who struggles to fit in? They have their own styles and perhaps are smarter than other kids. It can be very hard for them at school. I know, I have one. She often struggled to feel like she fit in or really had friends. There were times where she was bullied at almost every school she has attended. Today I get to share a book for this type of kid. It is all about accepting one's own individuality and I am sharing a craft activity to go with it. Plus, there is a giveaway at the end!! The book is Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality by Jennifer Nestor and illustrated by Victoria Mikki. It is being released on July 29, 2024.

The Magic Sea Turtle -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Kathleen Welton to bring you this post and giveaway.

When Hazel was young, she loved magical things. She loved fairies and unicorns. We made fairy gardens, and she had a magical fairy door where I would write her notes from the fairy. She loved magical stories. The book I am sharing with you today she would have loved!! It is The Magical Sea Turtle by Kathleen Welton and illustrated by Chau Pham.

Jo's Special Gifts -- 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 Mariam Shapera to bring you this review and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Do you know anyone with autism? According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with autism as of 2020. It is getting diagnosed more often. In 2000 the statistic was 1 in 150. It is also four times more common in boys than girls. (Source) I teach and have taught many students on the autism spectrum. I also have friends who kids' have been diagnosed with it. In fact, the only time I have had a guest blogger was my friend sharing her own experience as the mother of an autistic child. Today I get to share a very special picture book about a boy with autism and some of his behaviors, characteristics, etc. The book is Jo's Special Gifts by Mariam Shapera and illustrated by Lorna Humphreys. 

How to Make a Sandwich -- 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 Lorena M. Proia to bring you this review and giveaway.

There are times when I read a picture book and just think "Ahhhh." Today's book is one of those. I absolutely love this book and hope you will check it out. The book is How to Make a Sandwich by Lorena M. Proia. 

Else B. in the Sea -- Book Review & Giveaway with Under the Sea Craft Round-Up

 

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 Jeanne Walker Harvey to bring you this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

I love books that share about people you may not have heard of. Today I get to share a nonfiction picture book about a woman who explored colors and paints of under water to share what a scientist saw on his underwater exploration. The woman is Else Bostelmann. The book is Else B. in the Sea The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Melodie Stacey.

Mama's Love Language

 

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 Elisa Stad to bring you this post and giveaway.

Mother's Day is approaching, and I have a question for you. How do you show your love to your kids? Is it the same way your mother did? Is it the same way your friends do? Or your children's friends' parents do? Today I get to share with you a wonderful book about a Chinese American girl realizing there are different ways to show love and one is not better than others. The book is Mama's Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like Hainan Chicken Rice by Elisa Stad and illustrated by Ry Menson. There is a giveaway at the end of this post.

Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time -- Book Review & 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 P.J. Davis to bring you this review and giveaway.

What is time? It has been called the fourth dimension. It is also said to be made up by man to help explain life. The calendar has changed over the years and some places still change the clock twice a year for Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time. So what is time? For that matter, what is life? What would life be without time? Today we are sharing a middle school fantasy about an underworld force who is stealing time to overcome our world as well as other dimensions. The book is Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time by P.J. Davis and illustrated by Thomas Peacock. It is recommended for ages 8+.