In partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Harper Collins Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

One Jar of Magic

Written by Corey Ann Haydu

Publisher’s Synopsis: Magic is like a dream. Delightful. Terrifying. Unreal.

Rose Alice Anders is Little Luck. Lucky to be born into the Anders family. Lucky to be just as special and magical as the most revered man in town—her father. The whole town has been waiting for Rose to turn twelve, when she can join them in their annual capturing of magic on New Year’s Day and become the person she was born to be.

But when that special day finally comes, Rose barely captures one tiny jar of magic. Now Rose’s dad won’t talk to her anymore and her friendships have gotten all twisted and wrong. So when Rose hears whispers that there are people who aren’t meant for magic at all, she begins to wonder if that’s who she belongs with.

Maybe if she’s away from all the magic, away from her dad telling her who she’s meant to be, who she has to be, Rose can begin to piece together what’s truly real in a world full of magic.

Ages 8-12 | 352 Pages | Publisher: HarperCollins | ISBN-13: 9780062689856

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cHPUky

Audible: https://amzn.to/3oOWkjS

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9780062689856

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Corey Ann Haydu is the author of Eventown, The Someday Suitcase, and Rules for Stealing Stars and four acclaimed books for teens. She grew up in the Boston area, earned her MFA at the New School, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her dog Oscar.

Find out more at www.coreyannhaydu.com.

My Review of the book:

THE MAGIC WITHIN

One Jar of Magic

Written by Corey Ann Haydu

Rose Alice Anders lives in Belling Bright. Here everyone gathers magic in jars, and it appears that magic can make their world a beautiful place. Her father has the most magic in the town and is widely respected, but as the reader gets to know them better, one learns that appearances can be deceiving.

Rose is called Little Luck by her father. He believes that she will be even more powerful than he. Soon she will reach her twelfth birthday. On New Year’s Day, she will travel with the other twelve-year-old children to Too Blue Lake, where they will gather magic in their jars. Rose’s older brother, Lyle, assures her she will be successful.

Rose has her doubts. Lately, she does not feel lucky. Her best friend Cindy seems to turn away from her, and her father’s mounting pressure on her to succeed fuel her doubts. Things are not going well in the family. Her parents fight often.

When the big day arrives, it brings surprises for everyone. Rose learns about family secrets and the possibility of a vastly different future. What does Rose discover and how will she use this information to create a future for herself, her community, and her family?

This novel brings to light many of the worries and fears middle-grade students experience. As they mature, they begin to question things formerly accepted, learn to manage relationships, and create new friendships based on understanding themselves better.

The author also provides a list of resources for readers who discover themselves in situation like that of Rose. This book is highly recommended as a read-aloud discussion book for classrooms and library book clubs.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a set of books by Corey Ann Haydu, including One Jar of Magic.

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• A hardcover copy of One Jar of Magic
• A hardcover copy of Eventown
• A hardcover copy of The Someday Suitcase
• A hardcover copy of Rules for Stealing Stars

Four (4) winners receive:

• A hardcover copy of One Jar of Magic

The giveaway begins February 9, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends March 8, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

Click on the link below to enter the giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3d5cb282209/

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February 9	The Children’s Book Review	https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/	Book Review
February 10	Crafty Moms Share	https://www.craftymomsshare.com/	Book Review
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The Big Adventures of a Little Tree: Tree Finds Friendship

Written by Nadja Springer

Illustrated by Tilia Rand-Bell

A little tree possesses an overwhelming urge to travel and see the world. But how can he move? His roots are deep and entrenched in the soil.

The tree has an idea. He recruits the birds of the forest to help him. Slowly, he advances forward. When he comes upon a group of children, he has the opportunity to create deep friendships. Seasons come and go. Will the little tree be able to sustain his dreams?

I like the ideas and concepts that are conveyed through the simple words and illustrations. Having read the kindle version, the size of font was small even when enlarged. That is a drawback for beginning readers who want to read the electronic version.

This book affords the opportunity to explore many topics such as immigration, nature, environment, and mindfulness. That is why I would recommend it for readers of all ages.

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The Happy Hollisters and The Trading Post Mystery (Volume 7)

Written by Jerry West

Illustrated by Helen S. Hamilton

I love the Hollister series of books. They are vintage mysteries that harken back to a simpler life in the 1950s.

Sue has made a Christmas wish for a donkey. When the family receives a telegram to pick it up at the airport in New Mexico, Sue is elated. Soon they notice a note pinned around its neck.

How will the family use this Christmas gift to help other members of their community? What obstacles will they need to solve both mysteries?

Rollicking good fun with black and white illustrations of the period that will bring back memories to parents and grandparents and lots of questions from young readers.

This book is a good read for any age but especially for middle-grade readers.

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What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

Written by  Yewande Daniel-Ayoade

Illustrated by Renate Logina

What a charming book to encourage children who have social anxiety fears! This book will certainly benefit children who are moving into new neighborhoods or schools or those who are shy and introverted.

Kayla has just begun class in a new school. She desperately wants to follow her grandma’s advice to try new things and the words, “What’s the worst that can happen,?” echo in her brain. But somehow she is afraid to approach classmates or new situations. She feels physical and mental anxiety.

One day, Kayla is invited to a party that will open the door for her.. Kayla also reveals her kindness toward her younger autistic brother.

This beautifully illustrated multicultural book teaches empathy, kindness and social-emotional skills to primary grade children in an easy to understand format. Highly recommended to parents and teachers.

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Please check out all my learning resources at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

A Letter to My Fifth Grade Self (The Diary of Janie Ray Book 2)

Written by Lila Segal

Janie Ray gets a diary from her mom as a gift. She has the same problems most fifth graders experience. Janie spends most of her time with her best friend, Sheila. But fifth grade is full of social anxiety. There are snobs, bullies, teacher problems and family adjustments.

One thing about Janie is very different. When she was seven, she found a medallion. Together with Sheila. she has developed a secret language. Soon they would find a connection to the medallion that would allow them to travel back in time. Janie would learn about the perils of interfering with events and the responsibility of being the keeper of the medallion.

The book is a coming of age novel, mixed with fantasy and preteen relationships. It moves along fairly quickly and ends with a cliffhanger that will lead to the next book in the series. I did not read the series books prior to this one and did not find that a problem.

Recommended for readers ages eight through twelve.

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Superheroes Wear Masks: A picture book to help kids with social distancing and covid anxiety

Written by Chris Stead

Illustrated by Yohan Priyankara

A young boy narrates this story. He explains why he does not like wearing a mask. He cannot recognize the faces of people, they look scary, and these masks are uncomfortable to wear.

When he has a fight with this parents about wearing a mask, they ground him. That gives him time to think about people he knows who wear masks to protect themselves at work, like a doctor, a fireman, a construction worker, and a chemist. That reassures him. Maybe protecting yourself from harm is just being careful and smart.

This book is a good choice for parents and teachers to use in explaining the necessity of masks during the pandemic and reassuring the fears of young children.

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Her Name Was Flower

Written by Imani Cortez

Illustrated by Alexandra Ignateva

This book is a series of short stories to encourage empathy and acceptance of differences among members of the human race. The protagonist is named Flower. She is the daughter of the Sun and Moon.

Flower struggles to find her identity. She has trouble and sometimes disrespects her parents who try to teach her. When Flower becomes a bit older, she goes off to search why others do not accept her. Along her journey, Flower discovers that the most beautiful part of our Earth is the ability to respect and accept our uniqueness.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. Cortes’ sends her readers many worthwhile lessons. However, young children may be confused and need guidance as to how to interpret them.

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COLLECTING MEMORIES FOR YOUR CHILDREN

There’s something special about looking back through treasures from your childhood. A long forgotten picture or story that you wrote in fourth grade brings you back to memories of you and your family today. Wouldn’t it be great to preserve memories for each of your children?

CONSIDER THESE SUGGESTIONS FOR COLLECTING AND PRESERVING WONDEFUL MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD FOR EACH MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY:

Obtain a box for each child’s memories.

If you already have designated storage space for each child’s mementos, it will be easy to stash new items into their “treasure box.”

The box can be as large as you have room to store it. Decorative boxes of different shapes and sizes are available at your local big box or craft store.

Or consider purchasing a plastic storage draw unit from a big box or stationery store. Label each drawer with your children’s names. When you have something to add, open the drawer and pop it inside.

Save school papers and projects.

Put the date, the grade when the task is completed, and the name of the child’s teacher on the back of the papers and the artwork you want to save.

Depending on how specific you want to provide, you can include the name of the school and the address you lived at during that time.

Preserve special photo memories.

You can use computer storage for files of pictures for each child. Back up your pictures each month to a flash drive or an external hard drive.

Or you can take pictures, print the ones you like, and date them on the back of the print. Add a brief description or record one, if you prefer.

Store hard-copy pictures in the child’s memory box. Then placing them in a fireproof safe or safe deposit box at a bank will protect them from loss or natural disaster.

Document special events.

Another fun way to preserve memories is by recording your observations and thoughts about your child’s experiences. Recording a one or two-page summary will help you recall them later.

So many of us would love to remember our childhoods for many years in the future. Take a little time now to document these occurrences for them.

Some suggestions include successful moments in the classroom, dance recitals, sports triumphs, or graduations.

But do not forget about struggles. Overcoming obstacles or failures that made a child stronger is just as important to recall.

Don’t forget those funny moments. A funny situation or a silly question make lovely memories.

To sum up, recording snippets of time from your child’s experiences through writing, pictures, and video are now available to us through modern technology. They are valuable tools to make documenting our memories simple and efficient.

Ten or twenty years from now, you will be able to sit down and view these memories through the eyes of two adults who have shared so many memories.

Don’t neglect to build a family history because you are too busy with everyday chores. I can personally attest to wishing that I had the technology available today to preserve more of my own children’s memories.

START CREATING YOUR FAMILY’S HISTORY TODAY!

Welcome to Doom Farms (Bonegarden Book 1)

Written by Karsten Knight

Kayla Dunn had just begun fifth grade in Boston when her parents inform her that they were achieving a lifelong dream to buy a farm in her father’s hometown of rural Orchard Falls.

Trouble begins almost immediately. Kayla is determined to outsmart Charlie Slade, whose family has always won the local pumpkin growing festival. After Kayla plants her pumpkin seeds, it rapidly becomes clear these are no ordinary pumpkins.

Monsters, giant pumpkins, aliens, and family feuds pepper the plot of this middle-grade adventure. This book is an exciting page turner. I would recommend it as Halloween party story or a classroom read-aloud as well.

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Belle’s Christmas Surprise

Written by Carrie Joy Schafer Krause

Illustrated by Stef

This children’s picture book is beautifully illustrated with soft colors and detailed images of a close-knit family living in a small cabin on the Canadian prairie at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Belle is one of eight children living with her parents. Christmas is nearly here. She is excited. Each family member receives one small gift. Belle cherishes her delightful wiener treat. When she wakes up the next morning, her gift has disappeared! Will her Christmas be spoiled? Read the heartwarming tale to find out.

This multicultural book entertains and educates children. They learn a bit of history, culture and family traditions. Bonus activities include a find the hidden picture on each page, discussion questions for parents and teachers to use after reading, a Christmas cookie recipe, and instructions for a walnut Christmas decoration.

I recommend this book for elementary school and middle school children and their families or classrooms to share.

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