Thomas Templeton and the Whispers of Branson Manor

Written by Emily A. Stewart

Illustrated by Chad Stewart

Sarah, Thomas, and Evie are three orphans who have been taken in by their Aunt Gertrude. Gertrude never wanted them in her life.

When the siblings overhear that she is planning to get rid of Sarah and Thomas but keep Evie around to do her bidding, they decide to run away. How will they survive with limited resources and no one to watch out for them?

The resilient trio go on an adventure, adopt a lost pup, and meet a bunch of friendly and unfriendly characters. As Gertrude attempts to get them back for punishment, the three children find themselves in the house where their parents died. Strange things befall them. They learn about witches and curses. Will they escape their aunt and find a way to stay together? Is the house cursed? What happened to their parents?

Interesting characters, a nice blend of humor, mystery, with just enough scariness, combine to make this a middle-grade page turner.

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The Giraffe Who Found Its Spots

Created by Adisan Books

Poor giraffe tries so hard to make friends with the other mammals. He approaches rhinos, hyenas, ostriches, monkeys, and many others trying to imitate what they do. They all seem to ignore him. Finally, he gets some good advice. Why not try to be yourself? Don’t change your spots. Rejoice in them. After a while, the giraffe discovers his value to himself and others teaching young readers to be themselves.

Large colorful illustrations of familiar animals plus large font make the book a good choice for a child learning to read. Most pages contain only one sentence so it lends itself to being a bedtime story short enough for toddlers and preschoolers.

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Anyone Can Draw Unicorns: Easy Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Kids, Teens, and Beginners How to Learn to Draw Unicorns Book 1 (Aspiring artist’s guide)

Written and illustrated by Julia Smith

No mystery here. The book matches its title. Smith presents 35 color pictures of unicorns. Then she gives a step by step method one box at a time to complete the drawing.

If you have a child who is enamored of unicorns, this book provides an opportunity to lend a creative outlet. Smith encourages young artists to add original details to make their drawings unique. She reminds them to practice over and over as artistic expression is a learning curve.

Budding artists who are in late elementary and middle-school will be entertained by the book

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Rattles,The Barn Cat Misfit Book 1 of 4

Written and Illustrated by Arlene White

This is a simply illustrated beginning reader for elementary school readers who enjoy stories about cats. The protagonist, Rattles, is a cat who lives in a barn on a farm. Her siblings enjoy rough and tough play amongst themselves. Rattles is different. She is the only wild cat who enjoys being with humans.

When Linda and Michelle visit their grandparents for three days, they play with Rattles and are sad to leave her behind. Rattles becomes ill and Grandma takes her to the vet. When the grandchildren return for Thanksgiving, they hatch a plan that will change the life of Rattles forever.

The book teaches young readers that it is okay to be different, and one should not be afraid to try new things. Recommended especially for ages six through nine.

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Delish Kids (Super-Awesome, Crazy-Fun, Best-Ever) Cookbook Free 12-Recipe Sampler 

Created by Joanna Salz

This book is a sampler of the full recipe book. It contains twelve recipes of the types of food kids absolutely love. These recipes include a unique spin on favorites like tacos, grilled cheese, and hot dogs.

Children will want to try grilled cheese on a waffle iron, taco mac and cheese, and unique recipes for chicken nuggets and Big Macs. Perhaps you can entice them to stir up the mix and match healthy grain bowls.

These are perfect for late elementary grade and middle-grade students. A nice way to set up a family cooking project teaching session. The authors have come up with a clever marketing technique. Many purchasers will want to buy the entire cookbook with 100 recipes.

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A Little Miracle (Little Bedtime Stories Book 1)

Written by R.J. Furness

Illustrated by Kathryn Short

Barnaby, a young badger, is eager to explore the wonders of his environment for the first time. As he awakens to face the night, he marvels at the moon. His mother takes him on a tour to explore the woodlands at night.

Barnaby discovers marvelous sights and sounds. He finds owls, insects, mice, grasshoppers, and flowers. Then his mother introduces him to a puddle and he discovers the greatest gift of all.

A cute book with beautiful illustrations appropriate as a bedtime story for toddlers and preschoolers.

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The Dragon Defenders – Book 1

Written by James Russell

Animations by Yongtao Zhang

Paddy and Flynn are two brothers who live on an island in the Pacific ocean. That may already sound like an adventure. They also have a dog named Coco, a pet falcon, and a horse. In addition their island is home to secret dragons.

Sounds like a promising beginning to an adventure series for late elementary school and middle-grade readers. The two brothers become detectives and try to thwart the evil boss who wants to capture one of the dragons.

This is a page turner that is made even more attractive by the ability for readers to download an app to turn the book into an interactive adventure. Readers who download the app are able to read secret codes, and view three dimensional animations. There is also a map to trace the journey.

Lots of authentic dialogue, intrigue, teamwork, colorful characters, and bravery to spur readers on and get them hooked on reading the entire series.

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Hopper and the Rollercoaster

Written by Amy Best

Illustrated by Michael Harris

Hopper, the rabbit, is so excited. He has just learned that an amusement park is opening near his home. That excitement soon turns to fear when he realizes that the park also contains his greatest fear. Hopper does not want to reveal that fear to his friends who think he is brave.

Hopper avoids invitations to the amusement park from friends until one his his best friends decides to have her birthday party at the park. That forces Hopper to face that fear. Will his friends be disappointed?

The tale ends with a twist that teaches young readers strength of character and courage. While the book is targeted for preschoolers, the lessons may be better understood by primary grade readers.

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The Universes Inside the Lighthouse: (Balky Point Adventure #1)

Written by Pam Stucky

A good choice for middle-grade and young adult readers looking for a summertime read. A vacation trip to an island turns into the adventure of a lifetime for teenage twins, Charlie, and Emma.

They cannot resist investigating the haunted lighthouse. Soon they get a lot more than they anticipated. This adventure combines real science, science fiction, magic, time-travel, and fantasy with two interesting characters.

Charlie and Emma become the detectives who discover multiple universes, two-dimensional characters, and a society that chooses to isolate its members. The twins are surprised to find alter egos and must figure out how to cope with them and find a way out of the void.

The dialogue is fun and the plot fast-moving. This is the first book in the series.

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The Tale of the Clownfish and the Great Shark

Written by Lily Lexington

This is a short picture book about a clownfish who is dared by Ozzie, the octopus, to dive down deep and steal a tooth from a shark in the deep.

Now Jake, the clownfish, is a joker who never refuses a challenge. When he goes down to the deep, he finds danger from and unexpected source. Will Jake survive the adventure? If he does make it back, what lessons will he bring back with him from the deep?

The pictures are a bit small and there is quite a bit of text, making it a bit of a challenging read for its intended three to five age audience. Still recommended as a read aloud or bedtime story for preschoolers and elementary school children who enjoy books about the sea.

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