Archive for September, 2023

I BELIEVE IN ME

I Am an Amazing Asian Girl: A Book of Positive Affirmations

Written by Yobe Qiu

Illustrated by Jade Le

This book features an Asian-American girl as the narrator, but the story is strongly multicultural. Qui discusses adjectives that describe qualities of the character like being adaptable, appreciative, and assertive. She is also independent in her opinions, while also being very community oriented. She interacts with children of different cultures while pursuing her own interests and projects.

There are not too many books available with female Asian protagonists and this book is a good choice for primary grade children to encourage self-confidence and reinforce self-esteem.

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A MOVING EXPERIENCE

Adventure in Butrint National Park (Magilicious Journeys Book 1)

Written by Barbara Pinke

Illustrated by Tehreem Igbal

Siblings Simon and Olivia experience mixed emotions when waking up in a new house. They feel sadness at friends left behind but nervous anticipation of new adventures.

That anticipation is heightened when they discover a magical book hidden in the floorboards of Olivia’s room. They decide to visit Butrint National Park in Albania as they already possess a keepsake to activate their time travel. Soon they whisk readers off making a new acquaintance who serves as a tourist guide.

Not long after, tragedy strikes when a precious statue is stolen. The siblings must confront a band of pirates. Will Olivia and Simon find their way home safely? The answer is at the end of this first book in a series, perfect for new chapter book readers. The book is packed with information about Albania. There are a plethora of learning activities including mazes, puzzles, reading comprehension, and design activities which also appeal to middle-grade readers.

Highly recommend this series to parents and teachers of children ages eight and older.

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Grandma’s House is Haunted – virtual blog tour and giveaway

This post is sponsored by Stephen Bowling. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Grandma’s House is Haunted

Written by Stephen G. Bowling

Illustrated by Vitali Dudarenka

Ages 4+ | 34 Pages

Publisher: Valley of Mexico | ISBN-13: 9781950957248

Publisher’s Book Summary: Everything is fun until nighttime comes. Are the howls in the dark only in their imaginations, or do ghosts and goblins become real when the full moon rises?

The children love visiting Grandmother. Playing great games and reading cool books goes perfectly with eating her delicious cookies and cakes. But when bedtime comes and off go the lights, things get a little scary as they say their goodnights.

The kids shiver at the creepy sounds from the attic and the strange shadows floating through the air. But Gran’s not worried at all; in fact, she has a secret to share…

Will they find a way to get over their dread, so they can finally rest their heads?

Grandma’s House is Haunted is a delightful children’s picture book, both spooky and sweet. If you like Halloween fun, bumps in the night, and doting grannies, then you’ll adore Stephen G. Bowling’s cheerfully eerie Picture Book that shows children there’s nothing to be afraid of when the lights go out.

Read Grandma’s House is Haunted to happily hide under the covers today!

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

Bookshop

Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen G. Bowling is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Much like Peter Pan, Steve never wanted to grow up. Or rather, while he didn’t mind getting older, he never wanted to lose the child-like enchantment of imagination and wonder. Creating colorful worlds and stories for children has allowed Steve to both preserve his own imagination while sharing the joy of learning with children worldwide.

Steve has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Brandeis University. He is an entrepreneur who has worked on and holds several U.S. Patents. He heads The Prometheum Foundation, a non-profit philosophical organization that helps teach students critical and analytical thinking, freedom of thought, and entrance into the marketplace of ideas. He is a lifelong weightlifter, an avid student of history and philosophy, and has a fascination with astrophysics.

Visit his website ➜ stephengbowling.com

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/stephengbowling

Instagram:➜ https://www.instagram.com/stephengbowling

MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK

NO GREMLINS OR GHOULS

Grandma’s House is Haunted

Written by Stephen Bowling

Illustrated by Vitali Dudarenka

A charming picture book that is clever, charming, and creative. The narrators are a brother and sister who describe their experiences when visiting their grandma’s house. While they thoroughly enjoy reading books, playing games, and laughing during the daylight hours, grandma’s old house transforms into a scary place at night.

The children imagine ghosts, goblins, shadows become witches, wolves, and all manner of beasts when darkness descends. Grandma calmly dispels all their fears by pointing out the sources of their imaginary visions and sounds.

I love the vintage feel of the illustrations painted with emotional expressions and coupled with crisp rhymes. The author deftly uses onomatopoeia and alliteration that promotes a fun read aloud. Vocabulary can be difficult in spots, but readers are encouraged to use context clues to stretch their reading comprehension.

I would highly recommend the book to both elementary and middle-grade readers for a Halloween choice or any time of the year.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for the chance to win a set of five books by Stephen G. Bowling, including Grandma’s House Is Haunted, and a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

– A paperback copy of Grandma’s House is Haunted

– A paperback copy of Calvin the Christmas Tree

– A paperback copy of Simon’s Tree Party

– A paperback copy of Simon’s Search for the Scary Dragon

– A paperback copy of Rocket to the Moon

– A $25 Amazon Gift Card

One (1) runner-up winner receives:

– A paperback copy of Grandma’s House is Haunted

– A paperback copy of Calvin the Christmas Tree

– A paperback copy of Simon’s Tree Party

– A paperback copy of Simon’s Search for the Scary Dragon

– A paperback copy of Rocket to the Moon

Six (6) runner-up winners receive:

– A paperback copy of Grandma’s House is Haunted

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

https://gleam.io/eG5D2/grandmas-house-is-haunted-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 12, 2023The Children’s Book ReviewBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Wednesday, September 13, 2023Joanna’s BookshelfBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Thursday, September 14, 2023The Momma SpotBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Friday, September 15, 2023icefairy’s Treasure ChestBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Monday, September 18, 2023Heart to HeartAuthor Interview with Stephen G. Bowling
Tuesday, September 19, 2023One More ExclamationBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Wednesday, September 20, 2023Barbara Ann Mojica’s BlogBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Thursday, September 21, 2023Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Friday, September 22, 2023My Reading GetawayBook Activity to Pair with Grandma’s House is Haunted
Monday, September 25, 2023Shooting Stars MagBook Activity to Pair with Grandma’s House is Haunted
Tuesday, September 26, 2023Cover Lover Book ReviewAuthor Interview with Stephen G. Bowling
Wednesday, September 27, 2023The Fairview ReviewBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Thursday, September 28, 2023Because I Said SoBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Friday, September 29, 2023Twirling Book PrincessBook Giveaway of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Monday, October 2, 2023Life Is What It’s CalledAuthor Interview with Stephen G. Bowling
Tuesday, October 3, 2023A Blue Box Full of BooksBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted and Little Free Library Drop
Wednesday, October 4, 2023Stargirls.Magical.TaleBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Thursday, October 5, 2023Froggy Read TeachBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted
Friday, October 6, 2023Country Mamas with KidsBook Review of Grandma’s House is Haunted

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EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD

Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon: A Middle Grade Fantasy (Bringer of Light Book 1)

Written by Justin M. Stone

How much bad news can one twelve-year-old handle? Allie has just learned her best friend is leaving, her mom has been deployed overseas, and Allie is about to start seventh grade in a new school.

If that were not enough, Allie faces bullies, her mother’s disappearance, and finding a necklace belonging to her mother that appears to have mysterious powers. This is the first book of a series that contains themes familiar and popular to a middle-grade audience but written in a way to appeal to an older audience as well.

Allie meets Daniel who will participate with Allie on her quest. I enjoyed the interesting sketches of the characters included in the book that make them come alive. This feature also will engage reluctant readers.

Readers of coming of age, paranormal, fantasy and magic will find something to like here.

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NO MORE WORRIES

Feeling All My Worry: A Rhyming Picture Book

Written by Kim T.S.

A beautifully illustrated picture book that explains the emotion of worry to even the youngest child.

The author covers the nature of worry, reassures children that it is a common occurrence, and presents examples of situations in which a young child might be afflicted with worrying. It instills a feeling of self-confidence and urges children to either take action or seek advice from an adult when facing the problem.

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SCOUNDRALS AND HEROES

The Douglas Bastard: A Historical Novel

Written by J R Tomlin

An interesting choice for young adults and adults who enjoy medieval history. Narrated from the perspective of a nine year old boy, Archibald Douglas, who is orphaned in fourteenth century Scotland and exiled with the Scottish king to France.

It follows the career of Douglas as he passes through the stages of knighthood and eventually returns to Scotland to revenge the king. The author has a lot of experience with nonfiction so there is much attention to historical detail. The language with Scottish inflection is sometimes difficult to follow. Tomlin attempts to remedy that with an extensive glossary.

This book is part of a series. Readers who seek a satisfying ending may be disappointed. For readers who enjoy history with interesting characters and battle scenes, this series will fit the bill nicely.

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TO BE OR NOT TO BEE

A Bee or Not a Bee (Early Science Books)

Written by Audrey Sauble

A wonderful nonfiction picture book that encourages elementary age school children to become young scientists.

The illustrations are colorful and fun but the biggest value of the book is the amount of information crammed into its short length. Readers not only learn about the types, habitats, and daily lives of bees but they are contrasted with many different types of insects. Children will learn about the likenesses and differences as well as learning about both bees and insects.

The author includes the scientific names for each and provides an interactive activity for matching pictures with information. They are also given a bee survey chart that they might complete by exploring bees in their own neighborhood.

A wonderful resource for parents and teachers to place in their home or school libraries.

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GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

The Mirror Box

Written by Wade M. Bergner

Illustrated by Alan Brown

This is a tender picture book dealing with a topic families dread facing, the death of a loved one. In this book, the protagonist is a young boy who loves and enjoys spending time with his grandfather playing football, taking walks, sharing memories, and telling jokes.

One day his parents tearfully approach him with the news that his grandfather has passed away. The message confuses him. How could his grandfather leave without saying goodbye. Suddenly he remembers a gift that his grandfather gave him with the promise the boy would not peek. Will that gift be the key to relieving his grief?

I believe this book could be an important tool for parents or teachers with children who are grieving a personal or community loss.
Recommended for elementary grade readers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and voluntarily decided to read and review it with my honest opinions for no compensation.

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