Written and illustrated by Sally Huss and Elizabeth-Hamilton Guarino
Olivia sits on the sidelines because she suffers from diabetes. When her friends ask her to play sports, go swimming, travel, or attend group events, Olivia replies that she wants to sit it out to play it safe. Her friends respond to her objections and give her examples of others who take precautions but instead choose to live their lives like normal children. Olivia wonders, are there others afflicted with diabetes who are pursuing and succeeding in their dreams?
Read this beautiful multicultural picture book that proves all children with disabilities can find a path to follow their fondest dreams. All children deserve an opportunity to succeed.
Recommended for any reader who has ever dared to dream.
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A short, interesting read that can be picked up or put down according to your schedule. Probably a good book to read on a lunch break or work commute.
The author takes upon himself the challenge of writing autobiographical thoughts down while commuting to work. His point is that sleeping on the train on the way to work is an utter waste of time after spending the previous night snoozing.
His recollections are random ranging from funny to trivial, to serious. While the book is amusing in spots, I would not classify it as a comical read.
If you are looking for light reading that can be readily interrupted, this book is a good choice for you.
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Publisher’s Book Summary: Alycat hosts a big sleepover, complete with games, s’mores, and ghost stories. A surprise guest adds suspense!
People are talking . . .
The Alycat Series features Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day, Alycat and the Monday Blues, Alycat and the Friendship Friday, Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday, Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday, and Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday.
The books in this series have won more than 17 awards, including the NYC Big Book Award, the Mom’s Choice Awards, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards; have been featured in Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly; and have appeared in the Oscars celebrity swag bag and the Grammy Awards gift bag. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, featured Bourque and her life-size mascot, Alycat, on her popular YouTube channel Little Red News.
Award-winning author Alysson Foti Bourque is a certified elementary education teacher and attorney who practiced law for six years before turning to writing full time. Her books featuring Alycat have been recipients of the NYC Big Book Award, the Mom’s Choice Awards, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards; have been featured in Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly; and have appeared in the Oscars celebrity swag bag and the Grammy Awards gift bag.
Alycat eagerly awaits her Saturday night sleepover with her kitten friends when she receives a phone call from Luna. The phone reception is poor, but Alycat thinks she hears that Luna cannot come but has an important secret to share.
The kittens enjoy playing Drop the Cake, cooking s’mores and telling ghost stories. As darkness falls, fear sets in. Suddenly a shadow falls on the outside of the tent and the kittens scream.
Who is stalking outside their tent? Will Luna reveal her secret? Read the newest release in the Alycat series to find out the answers.
Vibrant illustrations and large text will please the primary grade audience or beginning reader. The book includes a sleepover checklist for readers who would like to enjoy one with their friends.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a copy of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover, autographed by Alysson Foti Bourque.
Two (2) winners receive:
A copy of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover, signed by Alysson Foti Bourque
Katt Scallion and the Oracle Bird: Katt’s First Adventure
Written by E. K. Issacs
Illustrated by Taru Haimi
This is the first book in an adventure/mystery series for elementary and middle school readers. Katt is a feline space pirate, accompanied by a sloth named Speedy. Things have been slow in the pirate business lately until he is dispatched to retrieve the egg of an oracle space bird.
Off the readers go on this mystery adventure. Katt meets lots of interesting characters on his quest. The book features lots of dialogue and humor. The characters are interesting and the plot moves along quickly. I would describe the book as a chapter book for advanced elementary school readers or an introductory middle school read. There are a few black and white illustrations that enhance the tale.
Recommended for ages six through twelve who enjoy mystery, adventure, humor, and animal characters.
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Adventures into the Heart, Book 2: Playful Stories About Family Love for Kids Ages 3-5
Written and illustrated by Eric Klassen
A rhyming picture book for preschool readers that explores the concept of beauty through an explanation of familiar objects in the ocean. Part of a book series featuring the characters of a bear and a fox.
Children learn through words and colorful graphics that when one has love in the heart its expression cannot be measured. A perfect bedtime or read aloud picture book for toddlers and preschoolers.
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First book in a mystery detective series that targets middle grade readers. It’s a little more than one hundred pages so it might also be considered a beginning or reluctant reader choice.
Three friends, Matt, Steve, and Jenny team up to solve the mystery held within the suitcase purchased for one dollar at an auction. Turns out a poem written by a pirate long deceased holds the key to a hidden treasure. When someone else offers a lot more money for the suitcase, the three amigos are sure they need to follow the clues and resolve to uncover the treasure.
The characters are not complex and the plot not too intricate but readers who like detective and mystery stories probably won’t be disappointed.
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How to Shrink the Doubt Monsters: Novo the Space Robot Book 1
Written by Charity Froh
Illustrated by ZuzanaSvobodova
This book is part of a picture book series that helps young children gain confidence and solve problems.
Novo is a space robot from the planet, Infinata. When a group of self-doubters invade his planet, the happy robots begin to doubt themselves. Soon after, they can no longer enjoy their favorite pursuits because they no longer believe in themeselves. Novo makes a trip to the planet earth but discovers self-doubters are present there as well. However, the children of earth teach him a valuable lesson. Will Novo succeed in teaching that lesson to his robot friends and save their planet?
The vibrant illustrations pop and the alliteration sentences are so much fun to read aloud. This book invites rereading and its lessons open up children’s minds to discussion of problem-solving.
Highly recommend this series to readers ages five through seven and their caretakers.
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Amy’s dad is ill and she must temporarily move in with her grandmother. She cannot anticipate the adventure that awaits her when she discovers the fairy land of Titania.
This is the first book of a well-written series. The characters, whether human or fantasy, are carefully detailed and endearing. Language is descriptive and appealing with enough twists and turns to keep the plot lively and interesting.
I would highly recommend the book to its middle-grade target audience, but I must admit adults will find it just as enjoyable.
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Another fun, fast read from the mystery adventure series that features Harley, an almost twelve-year-old cryptologist and official member of The Society for Mysterious Objects. She is the daughter of a famous, archaeologist, Russell James. Harley and her dog, Daisy are accompanying her father on a new job outside of Paris.
An announcement that an object has been stolen from the Louvre sets the plot in motion. Harley joins an educational group of young explorers and meets Veronica, her partner for this adventure. They feel duty-bound to explore the clues and solve the mystery. The setting of underground catacombs provides an eerie background for the middle-grade target audience but this fast-moving adventure will hold the interest of any age reader. Likeable characters, entertaining black and white illustrations, and short chapters appeal to beginning or reluctant readers. Each book of the series stands independently and apart from the rest.
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A picture book that is a feast for young eyes. The pictures come in brilliant colors that seem to pop off the page.
A brother and sister come across a Tyrannosaurus Rex on the way home from school. Quickly deciding that he is hungry, the female sibling names him Henry and offers him a sandwich. When she decides to bring Henry home to her kitchen, the mischief escalates.
This book is part of a series of fanciful adventures for young children. Rhymes are crisp and sharp. While the vocabulary is challenging, it serves to enrich a young child’s language skills. Recommended especially for children with active imaginations in the three to six-year-old range.
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March 22, 2023
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