All the animals in the forest are excited. It is time to decorate the Christmas tree.
As each of them scurries to find a gift that can be used to decorate, the crow becomes frustrated. He has been commissioned to find something bright to become the star for the top of the tree. As the crow continues his search, nothing seems good enough.
Read the story to reveal the important message that the crow’s forest friends bestow on him for his efforts.
A charming story with an impactful message for our youngest readers.
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The Epic Activity Book for Genius Girls: A Multiverse Adventure with Fun Brain Games, Logic puzzles, and creative challenges for smart young explorers … kids 8-12) (Doc’s Activity Books for Kids)
Written and Illustrated by Doc Enigma
I loved how this book was put together. Rather than a random collection of activities, the author weaves them into an adventure that engages the mind and stimulates the imagination. Each of the twelve missions is linked so that when they are completed, the final quest is achieved.
There is a wide assortment of activities that challenge different skills and learning styles. These include coloring, mazes, word searches, cryptograms, riddles, find the culprit, spot the differences, and blueprints.
While the book is advertised for girls ages 6-12, the complexity of many of the activities, suggests that it is better suited for ages eight and older.
I highly recommend it for classroom challenges, travel, and homeschool activities.
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Willy the Dinosaur & the Father’s Day Project: A Heartwarming Gift Picture Book About Dad, Love, Laughter, and Growing Up
Written and illustrated by Robert B. Grand
A very cute book for Father’s Day or any time you want to reflect on the important role that fathers play in a child’s life.
It combines the message with a character that appeals to most children: the dinosaur. Willy is a young dinosaur who loves his dad deeply, but when Willy’s teacher asks him to design a project for Father’s Day, he cannot think of anything special to draw.
Willy spends some time reflecting, and then he concludes that the ordinary things his dad does every day to show his love are what make his dad special.
A great gift for elementary school-age children to read for themselves or present to their own dad.
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Bees Full of Wonder: An educational, rhyming book about the magic of the bees for children, kids (World Full of Wonder 3)
Written by Anna Smithers
Illustrated by Nino Aptsiauri
Smithers manages to pack a lot of information plus a wealth of problem-solving resources in this illustrated picture book.
Even though the language is not colloquial, the rhymes are fun to read out loud, and important vocabulary words are highlighted in color for emphasis. Children learn about the different types of bees and their work in the hive. I especially liked the interactive challenge for the reader to locate twelve different types of bees in the story. Young readers also discover the problems bees face today due to urban expansion.
The illustrations are multicultural, and they include children with disabilities. This book will appeal to children who enjoy nonfiction for information about the life of bees, but also to young community activists who will appreciate the seven practical solutions they can use to help the rapidly declining bee population.
I would highly recommend the book for parents, teachers, and librarians of elementary school readers.
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The heartwarming tale of a family exhibiting true Christmas spirit.
Doodle lives with her grandparents on a farm. Her grandfather is creative and inventive, spending much of his time creating toys and inventions for his granddaughter and her friends. When Doodle and her friends discover an old tractor on the farm, they plead with their grandfather to allow them to fix it up. Soon the entire family is involved in transforming the old tractor into a beautiful Christmas float for the town’s Christmas parade. Doodle and her friends plan to ride on it and distribute candy and Christmas cheer to their community.
This warm, holiday tale exemplifies families who work together and share love and kindness throughout the community.
I highly recommend it for parents and teachers of school-age children.
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Bacon’s Very Important Christmas Job! (It’s Bacon’s World! Book 2)
Written and Illustrated by Tina Neely
Bacon, a pot-bellied pig, loves his family. He wants to be helpful. When his mom, dad, and grandma begin preparing for the Christmas holidays, Bacon tries his best to get involved. Unfortunately, he only gets in the way and gets rebuffed for his efforts.
This book series is based on the exploits of the author’s pet pig. Children get a preview with a genuine photo included at the end of the tale. I like the interactive feature, which requests readers to count the number of hearts on each page.
This book is a perfect holiday choice for families of primary grade readers.
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Back-to-school season is exciting—but it can also put a serious dent in your budget. Whether you’re sending a child to kindergarten, high school, or college, the costs of clothing, supplies, electronics, and other essentials can add up quickly.
The good news? With a little planning, you can save money without sacrificing quality. Here are a few smart strategies to help stretch your back-to-school dollars.
Take Inventory First
Before heading to the store, check what you already have at home. You may discover unused notebooks, pencils, folders, backpacks, or art supplies tucked away in a closet. Creating an inventory helps you avoid buying duplicates and makes it easier to create a shopping list based on what you truly need.
Watch for Sales and Coupons
Many retailers offer excellent back-to-school discounts during the summer. Compare prices, browse weekly store ads, and look for digital coupons or cashback offers before making your purchases. A few minutes of planning can lead to significant savings.
Shop Online and Compare Prices
Online shopping makes it easy to compare prices across multiple retailers. Be sure to check shipping costs, read customer reviews, and watch for free-shipping promotions. Don’t overlook gently used or refurbished items—especially for electronics, calculators, and textbooks.
Buy in Bulk
Frequently used school supplies such as notebooks, pencils, tissues, and glue sticks are often less expensive when purchased in larger quantities. If you don’t need a full package, consider splitting the cost with another family or stocking up for later in the school year.
Stick to Your List
Impulse purchases are one of the quickest ways to exceed your budget. Before you shop, create a list of necessities—and do your best to stick to it. Staying focused on your list helps keep spending under control.
Back-to-school shopping doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. With a little preparation and smart shopping, you can send your student back to school with everything they need—while keeping your budget on track.
An interesting coming-of-age story for middle-grade and young adult readers.
Bella Burke desperately wants to be an actress. She lives outside of London. Her family is not wealthy, and they do not have unlimited resources to make her dreams come true.
Bella receives an opportunity to attend a local high school where she will be able to receive acting training, but she will also have to apply herself to singing and dancing lessons. These are not Bella’s strong suits. Can she muster the strength to put out the extra effort required to achieve her goals?
The author portrays Bella’s struggle to cope with the competition, the jealousies, and difficulties of succeeding in an industry fraught with challenges. Bella’s mom is her number one advocate, but her father harbors doubts and fears about his daughter’s chances of success.
This book inspires readers who aspire to find their own path to success.
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Alex teaches Mateo a valuable food lesson. After finishing lunch, the two friends are ready to get rid of the trash. Alex shows Mateo the compost bin and explains how it can be used to grow more nutritious food.
They teach readers that not all trash can be composted. Their friends, Mr. Squiggles, the worm, and some friendly bees, join to complete the process.
At the end of the book, parents and teachers find a list of questions for children to answer, and a step-by-step list of directions for creating their own compost bin.
Another book in this author’s series that I recommend highly for preschool and primary grade readers.
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Jack’s Noisy Day Colouring and Activity Book: A Raucous Romp Through The Alphabet
Written by Sarah Tinney
Illustrated by Ricky Audi
The author released this coloring book as a companion to Jack’s Noisy Day. I enjoyed this one even more than the sound alphabet book.
Here, the author allows the reader to add imaginative color drawings to fill in the black and white illustrations of the original. In addition, there is a word search, practice tracing the letters on pages, and unscrambling the words. Near the end of the book, readers face the challenge of placing letters of the alphabet in the correct order.
Differentiating the types of activities attracts young children who have different learning styles and provides a plethora of opportunities to learn the alphabet.
As a retired educator, I highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of toddlers and preschoolers.
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September 6, 2026
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