Our Hearts: A children’s book about how we navigate all of our feelings together with the ones we love.
Written by Kathleen Davis
Illustrated by Martyna Nejman
This beautifully illustrated rhyming picture book imparts a beautiful message for any age. The feelings we hold in our hearts belong not only to us but to those around us who love and care for us.
Our parents and friends experience the joys and sorrows, successes and failures we hold in our hearts. As we grow older our hearts expand as does the ability of others to share in those feelings. Our ability to love always outshines the feelings of fear and sadness.
I especially enjoyed the multicultural illustrations and the interactive feature, which encourages young readers to find and identify scenes and objects in the book.
Highly recommended for elementary and middle school readers, but a joyful message for all ages.
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A charming legend from Kenya relates the tale of an elephant who cooperates with the humans and animals of his village by watering the crops.
One day, a cabbage is missing from the fields. On subsequent days, more crops are missing. Elephant becomes distressed as do the other animals and humans of the village. The members of the beehive community invent a clever solution.
Readers discover the problem and the innovative solution after reading this book. They also learn facts about elephants, honeybees, the environment, and conservation.
A good choice for the classroom or home bookshelf for children who enjoy learning about animals, problem-solving, and conservation.
Recommended for ages six through twelve.
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The Fairies – Petal & Nettle and The Best Story Ever: A magical picture book celebrating friendship, imagination and the joys of storytelling!
Written by Kirstie Watson
Illustrated by Tilia Rand-Bell
A cute picture book about two friends who are fairies. When Nettle decides he will write the best story ever, he soon gets stuck.
Enter his friend Petal. She coaxes Nettle not to give up by revealing one at a time the elements necessary to a good story. Characters, setting, plot, and a problem to solve.
Together these two friends, along with others that they meet during their adventure, inspire young readers to persevere and never give up on their dreams. They also teach children the qualities and value of true friendship.
This book is appropriate for elementary and middle grade readers.
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The story begins with dark images of Salma, trapped under the rubble. Just a moment before, she was with her family. Now she is calling out for them.
Finally, she hears her brother’s voice. Then she meets a bird who asks where are her wings. Salma is confused. She wants to join her family, but apparently, this is not her time.
The author paints a picture of everyday life for children who live in war-torn areas. The illustrations carry the message perfectly.
This book will encourage discussion of the topic among children and their adult caretakers. Appropriate for older children and teens. Not recommended for primary grade readers but highly suggested for teachers and parents who want to discuss difficult topics with older children.
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From the Desk of Lizzie Lazowski: A Middle Grade Novel
Written by Melody J. Bremen
Lizzie is an eighth grade student who has difficulty making friends. When her teacher assigns her the task to find a pen pal, Lizzie decides to put her message in a bottle and launch it into the ocean at the beach. To her surprise, she receives a response by email. She is disappointed that her bottle did not travel far across the ocean.
As time goes by, Lizzie reveals more details about her life. Her pen pal signs only as Grand Slammer. Will Lizzie discover the identity of her friend? Is he or she someone she may already know?
I would describe this 300 page book as a coming of age novel with well-defined characters and a plot that is appealing to both middle grade and young adult audiences.
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S Is For Swords: And So Are All The Other Letters (The Amazing World of Swords)
Written by Luke Ralliston
What a unique and fascinating book!
The author has managed to find a sword that begins with every letter of the alphabet. In addition, Rawlings lists the advantages and disadvantages of each with wry, sarcaster humor. The illustrations are amazing!
Readers learn letters of the alphabet along with the history and culture of each sword. A must for sword fans of any age. This book can be appreciated by a reader of any age who has an interest in swords.
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Every child is different—and so is the way they respond to discipline. How you parent impacts how your child learns boundaries, responsibility, and emotional control. Here’s a simple guide to how parenting styles shape discipline and how you can adjust to better support your child.
4 Parenting Styles and Their Discipline Approaches
Authoritative (Balanced and supportive) o Sets clear rules and explains them. o Focuses on guiding, not punishing. o Try this: Help your child make a plan after a mistake instead of just punishing them.
Authoritarian (Strict and controlling) o Enforces rules without discussion. o Often uses punishment. o Watch for: Anxiety or rebellion in sensitive kids.
Permissive (Lenient and avoidant) o Rarely sets rules or follows through. o May avoid conflict. o Risk: Kids lack structure and may push limits.
Uninvolved (Detached or inconsistent) o Few rules or expectations. o Minimal supervision or guidance. o Consequence: Kids may feel insecure or unsupported
How to Adjust Based on Your Child’s Needs
• For Anxious Kids: Use calm tones, predictable routines, and gentle corrections. • For Strong-Willed Kids: Offer choices within limits and enforce consistent boundaries. • For Independent Teens: Let them help set rules and learn through natural consequences.
5 Smart Discipline Tips for Any Style
✅ Watch how your child reacts—adjust when needed. ✅ Stay connected and respectful. ✅ Set clear limits, but allow flexibility. ✅ Model calm, respectful behavior. ✅ Evolve your approach as your child grows.
Final Thought
Discipline isn’t just about control—it’s about teaching. The best approach grows with your child, helping them become confident and capable.
Publisher’s Book Summary: Alex, Kali, and Roman are three fifteen-year-old friends who live in a small town. Alex is a great communicator, Roman is a bit of an inventor, and Kali is an intuitive empath. It’s summertime, and an adventure is triggered when they find themselves in the middle of a protest outside the local library by people who want to ban certain books. During the protest, people are focused on what they believe to be their Constitutional rights, causing the three teenagers to realize how little they know about the Constitution.
In their search for answers, they discover a book with magical properties, which becomes a catalyst in helping them discover what the Constitution is really all about.
Join the teenagers as this mysterious book enables them to travel through time and space—bringing to life historical figures like Ben Franklin, Wyatt Earp, Alice Paul, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and many more. Each of these historical figures will teach them about the original Constitution and its amendments. Through the eyes of these three teenagers, you’ll be able to explore what it was like when the original Constitution was signed. You’ll even travel to other countries, like Russia, where you’ll meet Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in a field within the Gulag where he was imprisoned.
The Constitution, by itself, can be a difficult document to read, but The Constitution Kids will bring it to life with unusual experiences, humor, and fun, no matter your age.
Gary J. Gabel, Ed.D., has spoken to groups throughout the United States on the subjects of personal takeover, accountability, and leadership. He has personally trained thousands of people, primarily in the areas of leadership, management, motivating performance, presentation effectiveness, sales, and customer service. He has worked with over 200 CEOs, helping them build high-performing teams.
Gary has written several books, including Day One, which was jointly authored with Tom Buck and published in 2020. Gary’s other book, Personal Takeover, was published in the United States by Career Press in 2003. It was translated into Korean in 2004, with an Arabic translation in 2005. The second edition of Personal Takeover was released in October 2019.
Gary was the 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year for Service Companies in Michigan. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics and a doctorate in Education. He formerly served as Chair of the National Council on Education and Human Development at The George Washington University. His current memberships include the Oakland Schools Education Foundation Board of Trustees and Mensa.
Gary’s presentations at TEDxDetroit and others can be viewed on YouTube. Gary lives with his wife, Lisa, in Michigan, and they have two children and three grandchildren.
MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK:
THE CONSTITUTION IS ALIVE AND WELL The Constitution Kids Written by Gary Gabel
The author correctly points out that the subject of the Constitution rarely comes up in modern schools. Gabel decides to remedy that problem by incorporating its story within the pages of a time travel adventure containing three unlikely friends. Kali, Alex, and Roman who display unique interests and talents. Kali is an empath, Roman a science and tech prodigy, and Alex, an excellent communicator.
On a summer day, the three fifteen-year-old friends encounter a protest demonstration and demonstrators claiming the right to gather under the Constitution. Curious, the friends decide to research the Constitution in the library. When they find and open an old book, they meet Ben Franklin who initiates a time travel journey on which they investigate the Constitution, and the Amendments added to it.
During this journey, the teens meet famous people like Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, and Wyatt Earp. In addition, they journey back and forward in time to colonial times, visit slaves, a gulag, and Nazi Germany, among other places. The threesome experience how the Constitution works and the reasons why for each amendment.
Gabel details the characters as relatable and integrates the past and present seamlessly. Modern readers learn not only what the Constitution contains but why it evolved and how it works.
This book is a wonderful tool to teach civics and responsibility. I recommend it for the bookshelves of middle-grade and high school readers.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win one of ten copies of The Constitution Kids. Enter below to bring this magical journey home!
This activity book provides a plethora of activities that are especially useful for rainy days or traveling. It contains a variety of activities which include mazes, dot-to-dot, tracing, and color by number pictures. There are many family scenes that are coloring pages.
A good choice for children who are dog-lovers. The Boston Terrier pups are adorable. It is available in kindle and paperback. The paperback pictures may be duplicated and used more than once.
Recommended to parents and teachers as a teaching tool or enrichment learning tool.
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Mommy Has a Monster on Her Back!: A Story about Chronic Illness
Written by Liz Long
Illustrated by Ethan Roffler
The author and illustrator have succeeded in creating a beautiful picture book with an important message for young children.
This book is done in soft pastels and features words in bold that play on the different feelings engendered by chronic physical or mental illness. The illness is compared to a monster on mommy’s back. Some days are easy and others hard but mommy learns to deal with the illness and the child sees the need for resilience and acceptance. By using humor and analogies, even a preschooler can understand chronic illness.
Highly recommended for families and counselors who deal with chronic or physical illness.
August 27, 2025
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