Mrs. Wiggles and the Numbers: Counting Book for Children, Math Read Aloud Picture Book
Written and illustrated by Lisa Konkol
Poor Mrs. Wiggles has lost her students. She stands alone in her one room school.
One day the numbers fall off the shelf and come to life. As they introduce themselves, the number zero finds himself without a role. The other numbers welcome him and teach young readers that each of us is important. Children learn to count with single numbers and groups of ten. Finally, they receive a bonus page on which numbers are matched to the corresponding number of objects.
This interactive book contains funny illustrations and appealing faces to entice the youngest readers. Recommended as a read aloud for toddlers, preschoolers, and reluctant readers to be enjoyed over and over.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Publisher’s Book Summary: Vivienne in Paris follows a young Parisian girl on a journey through Paris to find what makes her tick. Join Vivienne as she discovers the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the city that make her feel alive. What better place to explore, observe, and delight in her senses than Paris?
This book tells a story of mindfulness and insight into how the surrounding world can really move you. It unites curiosity, wonder, and marvel to enlighten, surprise, and tickle your deepest spirit. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that bring you the greatest joy.
Owner Entrepreneur, first-generation American, writer, and mother to four children. Maria Castellucci Moore strives to bring passion and enthusiasm to all her endeavors. A lover of all things European, María has found great passion through her travels to Paris, Italy, Spain, and South America. Her affection for winemaking, foreign languages, the arts, ballroom dancing, and traveling has given María a unique and grateful perspective on life. Her love for her family and helping others through charitable giving has enabled María to thoughtfully curate purposeful life adventures.
María Castellucci Moore earned her bachelor of arts degree in finance from Dominican University on a tennis scholarship, and later pursued studying at New York University and the London School of Economics with a focus on global affairs. In 2016, with her siblings, Maria founded Castellucci Napa Family, a luxury wine and real estate brand. María runs her wine label and a family real estate development company in the greater Bay Area. She is a board member of the San Francisco Opera Guild and is enthusiastic about building opportunity and community through the arts.
María resides in Saint Helena, California, with her husband and four young children. She enjoys writing; traveling; attending the opera, ballet, and symphony; flower arranging; winemaking; ballroom dancing; and playing tennis and the piano.
Come tour Paris through the eyes of a child. Vivienne takes the advice of her grandfather who counsels her to experience her favorite places by opening her mind and heart.
Vivienne sets off on her bicycle to revisit her favorite friends and places in Paris. This time she allows her senses to totally immerse her. She smells the food, the flowers, touches the fabrics, feels the wind, sees the beauty of its buildings, and hears its voices. Suddenly, ordinary surroundings flood her body and mind with rich imagery. Vivienne’s readers magically accompany her on a journey that feeds their imagination.
I appreciate the way Moore challenges her readers with new vocabulary, exciting verbs, and fanciful forms. The beautiful illustrations complement the text perfectly and entice elementary school age readers to travel to Paris on an armchair adventure they will want to repeat over and over.
GIVEAWAY
Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a signed hardcover copy of Vivienne in Paris and a Kindle!
One (1) winner receives:
– A hardcover copy of Vivienne in Paris signed by Maria Castellucci Moore
A charming picture book for preschool and primary grade children that stimulates the imagination and shares basic scientific information about the moon. This book also encourages parents to use everyday conversation as an opportunity to mentor and expand young minds.
The illustrations are simple but colorful and expressive. I appreciated the extension activities at the end of the tale. Different exercises allow the young reader to expand vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, while employing visual and spatial discrimination skills.
Highly recommended to parents, teachers, and librarians who work with children in the three to seven age range.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
The Haunted Lighthouse: Tales of the Lost and Found
Written by Shana Gorian
Thirteen-year-old Noah Wright and his twelve-year-old sister, Oakley have just begun summer vacation in Westport Harbor, a coastal town in Maine. Noah’s best friend, Andre, and the family dog, Cooper are ready to have some fun. What could go wrong?
Noah possesses insatiable curiosity and takes too many risks. Oakley demonstrates more caution but enjoys action. Andre’s personality tends to be more cautious, but he is also ambitious. Cooper, like most dogs, never hesitates to jump into an adventure.
It takes little time for the friends to snoop around and uncover a decommissioned lighthouse where they find clues about a mystery that has haunted the sleepy fishing village for the past century. An antique boat store, a mysterious shipwreck, and scares from the supernatural combine to create an intriguing novel for middle-grade and young adult readers.
I received an advance review copy from the publisher and voluntarily chose to read and review it with my honest opinions for no monetary compensation.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Publisher’s Book Summary: Beach days are the best days and Sara loves everything about the beach. Her favorite part is making her Famous Seaweed Soup. Collecting all the ingredients is a tough job but Sara thinks she’s up to the task!
Can she make it all by herself or will a busy family foil her recipe?
Antoinette Truglio Martin is a retired speech therapist and special ed teacher, who now enjoys life as an author and nonny. She finds wonder in children’s play and captures the magic with her stories. Antoinette lives in her hometown, Sayville, New York, where she writes and plays on the Long Island seashore with her beach-loving family and friends.
What young children don’t enjoy a day at the beach? Sara loves dipping her toes in the water, collecting shells, and finding treasures on the beach, but she has an unusual activity as well. Her favorite hobby at the beach is collecting seaweed and snails. Why? She has a recipe for seaweed soup.
Sara asks each member of her family for help. Dad, mom, and her younger sister busy themselves with other tasks. So, Sara goes off with her yellow pail and dedicates herself to the mission at hand. When the soup is finished, who will eat it? Read the book to find out.
Delightful illustrations and a unique topic entice young reading explorers from preschool through third grade.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for the chance to win a 30-book classroom set of Famous Seaweed Soup!
Publisher’s Book Summary: Thirteen-year-old Emma Murry has three goals for summer vacation: finish her art terms project, land an ollie, and help the environmental club save the monarchs.
But then her Instagram crush Jeb Scott and his celebrity dad Chester make a surprise visit to Black Mountain. At first, Emma is thrilled, but then she overhears their plans to destroy the monarch butterfly garden to build a ski resort. She and her best friend Sophie add a new summer goal: STOP. THE. SCOTTS.
Emma ignores Sophie’s warnings and makes friends with Jeb, convinced she can change his mind. Then when Chester receives a mysterious death threat, Emma teams up with Jeb to investigate. She slowly discovers people are not what they seem as she attempts to untangle friendships, organize a protest, and uncover supernatural secrets hiding on the mountain.
Emma will have to go through her own metamorphosis by overcoming her fears and facing what she dreads. If she fails, she could jeopardize everything—butterflies, friendships, and her family.
Rebecca Laxton has served school communities as an afterschool program director, reading specialist, and school psychologist. While working for Boone County Schools, she was named the Kentucky School Psychologist of the Year for collaborating with teachers and administrators to write and evaluate an emotional intelligence curriculum.
Rebecca is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Charlotte Literary Arts, and the North Carolina Writers Association. Her short memoir, “Throw Like a Girl,” about playing on a mostly boys Little League team can be found in The Love of Baseball (McFarland 2017). Currently, she is a dyslexia practitioner and enjoys reading, writing and spending time in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three dogs.
Gracie Laxton is a freelance graphic designer and dance choreographer from North Carolina but is currently based in New York City. A 2021 graduate of Central Academy of Technology and Arts in Monroe, NC, she studied art as part of The Savannah College of Art and Design’s high school joint enrollment program. Currently, she attends Marymount Manhattan College, pursuing degrees in dance and art.
MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK:
The Metamorphosis of Emma Murry
Written by Rebecca Laxton
Illustrations by Gracie Laxton
Thirteen-year-old Emma Laxton plans three goals for her summer. Emma needs to complete an art project, perfect her skateboarding skills, and plant a garden for the migrating monarch butterflies. She is spending the summer at Black Mountain with her family and best friend, Sophie.
Things rapidly get complicated when the Scotts come into town with a plan to develop a ski resort that will endanger the eco system. To make matters worse, young Jeb Scott develops a romantic interest in Emma. She is determined to get closer to Jeb to derail their family’s plans.
The dialogue in this novel fits perfectly with the characters who represent coming of age teens struggling to find their own identity and express their interests within their communities. Laxton manages to teach art lessons through her chapter introductions. That is an unexpected bonus to reading this novel. This book covers topics that may be of particular interest to middle grade and young adult audiences. I learned about the ollie in the art of skateboarding and the world of the monarch butterflies. The elements of a budding romance and hints of the supernatural keep the plot unpredictable and appealing to a struggling, coming of age audience.
The book kept a baby-boomer engaged; I predict that it will be a page-turner for the targeted pre-teen and young adult audience.
GIVEAWAY
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
A SWAG bag that includes:
– A signed hardcover copy of The Metamorphosis of Emma Murry
– A tote, puzzle, word search, small skateboard sticker, small butterfly sticker, and large vinyl butterfly sticker made with the illustrator’s graphics.
Five (4) winners receive:
– A signed paperback copy of The Metamorphosis of Emma Murry
Extra Special Heart: Highlighting the Beauty and Strength of a Child Born with CHD, Congenital Heart Defect
Written and illustrated by Carli Valentine
A beautiful picture book that tells the story of a little boy born with congenital heart disease. Children are told that the boy’s heart is super strong and that he is very brave in facing the challenges the condition brings to him. He faces surgery with courage and his spirits bouyed up by the support of his family and friends.
What a wonderful way to teach children about inclusion and to see physical handicaps as a strength rather than a weakness! It is a wonderful teaching tool to open up a discussion on all sorts of disabilities.
Highly recommended as a resource for parents and teachers of children with disabilities but also to build empathy for these children from kids in the general population.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
Publisher’s Book Summary: Phoebe loves anything that involves brainstorming, like jigsaw puzzles, riddles, and word searches. Her lifelong dream is to solve mysteries like her detective father—or ND, her favorite girl detective. So when a friend’s prized autographed book disappears, Phoebe immediately offers to take on the case.
Enlisting the help of her BFF, Phoebe gets to work searching for clues, interviewing witnesses, and compiling a list of suspects. But when the evidence implicates a friend, she realizes being a detective isn’t all fun and games. Phoebe must find concrete evidence before she points the finger. Can she do it, or will the book bandit get away with the dastardly deed?
Caron Pescatore was born in the United Kingdom. She spent her childhood in Jamaica before migrating to the United States. After practicing as a registered nurse for several years, she entered law school, getting her J.D. in 2001. She worked as an attorney for years before leaving the profession to become a stay-at-home mom—her most challenging career to date. Ms. Pescatore recently returned to law and now works for Legal Aid. Her favorite pastimes are reading, writing, and watching true-crime shows. At present, Ms. Pescatore lives in Florida with her husband and children.
Eight-year-old Becky and her best friend Luana belong to a soccer team. When Becky, a teammate, loses her treasured autographed book, Becky immediately decides to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a detective to solve the mystery and find the thief. The two best friends interview all the members of the team to uncover clues as to the identity of the bandit. They soon realize that the evidence may lead to an unfortunate conclusion.
One of my favorite parts of this chapter book is that the author takes pains to present both sides of the story teaching young readers that it is important not to jump to conclusions without looking at all sides. The black and white illustrations within the chapters are fun to look at and incentivize reluctant readers to sustain interest. Characters are age appropriate and relatable.
I highly recommend the first book of this mystery series to beginning readers and middle-grade readers.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a paperback copy of The Book Bandit, autographed by Caron Pescatore.
Four (4) winners receive:
– A signed paperback copy of A Phoebe Chen Mystery: The Book Bandit
My Name is Eva: An absolutely gripping and emotional historical novel
Written by Suzanne Goldring
At the beginning of this work of historical fiction, the reader meets Eva who is living in a nursing home in the English countryside. Is Eva actually suffering from dementia?
When an intriguing document is found in her home, Eva is questioned about it. That shifts the story to 1939 and the war in Germany. Readers learn about the husband who left Eva behind and the events that followed. The author discusses issues like the holocaust, the suffering of the citizens, and the atrocities experienced by all throughout the land.
The characters are interesting, the plot contains twists and turns, and the historical details add interest to Eva’s adventure.
A quick read that sustains interest throughout.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
Publisher’s Book Summary: Snail and Worm are having a dispute. It’s causing quite a ruckus in their home. Many of the other inhabitants of the garden are affected by their fight. Will they be able to put their differences aside when they learn the garden’s existence is threatened?
An earthworm churns away in the garden doing his job. He disturbs the snail, the bees, and the butterflies. Each of the garden creatures wants to get his job done, but they cannot seem to get out of each other’s way. When a monster appears, they scatter until the danger is gone.
Will the garden’s inhabitants learn to work as a team for the benefit of all? Is it possible to overcome individual differences for their mutual benefit?
This adorable picture book speaks volumes about friendship, cooperation, teamwork, and empathy for all kinds of life. Endearing characters and large text create appeal for the youngest audience as well as a beginning reader.
Highly recommended for preschoolers and elementary school age readers. A perfect choice to welcome the Spring season.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Mrs. Spring’s Garden and a $100 Amazon gift card!
May 17, 2023
bamauthor
Comments Off on WORKING SIDE BY SIDE
Barbara Ann Mojica's BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.