Some Angels Have Rotor Blades: A Tale of Heroic Actions, Living Legacy, and Gratitude
Written by Darcy Guyant
Illustrated by Novel Varius
Dale wakes up excited because today is the first day of summer vacation.
As he enjoys breakfast, Dale asks his parents to take their boat out for a ride. He promises to wear his lifejacket and be careful.
When a freak accident ejects Dale from the boat, he frantically grasps the overturned boat. As time goes on, his chilled body weakens. Eventually, a Coast Guard Helicopter discovers Dale and rescues him.
The book teaches how rescue workers put themselves in danger helping strangers and expressing care and empathy for them.
In the second part of the story, forty years later, Dale takes his three grandchildren to an aviation museum where he is reminded of his second chance at life. Dale recounts all those opportunities and the family he loves that would not have existed.
The book contains excellent questions and topics to discuss with the intended elementary school reading audience. I highly recommend this picture book to parents and teachers who want children to appreciate the sacrifices of first responders and the sacrifices they make every day.
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What a charming picture book based on a true story that teaches valuable life lessons.
Clarence Henry is a hermit crab that once lived in the author’s aquarium. He is missing a claw and a leg, so Clarence is aware that the other creatures in his habitat view him differently. That does not keep him from dedication to his duty. Clarence understands that it is his duty to keep the aquarium clean and safe for his fellow inhabitants.
Every day, Clarence performs his duty faithfully until one day he grows too large for his shell. Clarence knows it is time for him to molt. After his owners provide a new shell, Clarence begins the process of adjusting to his new home. A pleasant surprise awaits him!
Young readers learn about devotion to duty, perseverance, and resilience. They become aware that a disability can be a strength, not a handicap. Charming illustrations enhance the story. A wonderful bonus feature at the end of the tale teaches children about the fascinating lives of hermit crabs.
I highly recommend the book to parents and teachers, both as an enchanting tale and an informative lesson about life as a hermit crab.
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This adulting thing can be hard, very hard. That’s true whether you’re raising a family or just yourself. In some cases, we were warned by our parents. For the most part, though, becoming an adult looked amazing, with little to no downside.
As a child, you saw your parents doing what you thought was whatever they liked. Little did you know that their efforts were driven by a desire for you to have the best possible life. While that was the case, all you saw were people who got to stay up late and make the rules.
Wouldn’t that be awesome when you were finally able to do it? It’s something you begin to look forward to … growing up.
Your parents and other grown-ups jumped into their cars whenever they wanted and drove anywhere. They could go shopping or to a restaurant. They always had money to buy things. You never had money and certainly weren’t able to drive a car.
That desire for adult-like independence was the reason you couldn’t wait to learn to ride a bicycle. You felt like a grown-up because you had a sense of being able to get up and go and explore. You could jump on your bike and take off! The end of the block, or “just down the road,” felt like it was a million miles away. This was, to you, your first taste of grown-up freedom.
Fast-forward a few years, and you’re leaving high school. You’ve heard as long as you remember that you can become whatever you want to become. You can’t wait to officially enter adulthood. It’s going to be so sweet! Then you get out on your own at 18 or 20, or 25 years of age. What are all these responsibilities? There’s so much to do. Where is all the freedom and independence you thought your parents had when you were a kid? Why is life so tough?
Then the truth of the situation hits you. This grown-up thing isn’t very fun, and being a kid definitely was.
Ask any grown-up if they have enough leisure time, and they’ll look at you like you’re speaking a language from another planet. Of course, they don’t have enough time to do what they want? Why ask such a crazy question?
There’s never enough time for fun and playful activities. Only the independently wealthy can truly enjoy their lives, spending as much time as possible doing what they want rather than what they have to do.
That’s the number one reason grown-ups will give you if you ask why they don’t spend more time on enjoyable activities. They’ll tell you their job, family responsibilities, social commitments, and other “have to do” activities keep them from having any downtime. They have to be serious 24/7. There simply isn’t any time for humor and fun, and play.
Then there’s the fact that adults constantly worry.
Kids don’t. A child just does what he does for the sake of doing it. He’s not too concerned about consequences. He chases a butterfly or goes out of his way to splash in a rain puddle just because. It’s fun. So he does it.
The Top 10 Fears That Hold Adults Back
What is it that adults worry about most of the time? According to Inc. Magazine, in a blog post titled “The Top 10 Fears That Hold People Back in Life, According to a Psychotherapist”, here’s what your adult mind is stressing over most of the time. (They are listed in no particular order.)
Change (Good or Bad)
Being Lonely
Failing
Being Rejected
Uncertainty
The Results Are Going to Be Bad
Being Hurt
Judgment
Feelings of Inadequacy
A Loss of Freedom
As an adult, you need to understand that change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes bad, but it is guaranteed to happen. Many changes are out of your control. Instead of worrying and fretting over change coming into your life and wreaking havoc, accept that it will appear and stop stressing about it.
If you worry about being lonely, guess what’s going to happen? We often create self-fulfilling prophecies. This means that concerning yourself with loneliness can lead to that reality. The fear of loneliness can also keep you in less than healthy relationships rather than going it alone.
Look, everyone hates failing. Sometimes we adults would rather simply not try because we’re scared of what will happen if we fail. This mindset will always fill you with stress and anxiety, which means less fun and happiness in your life.
Adults are constantly worried about being rejected in relationships and on the job. They don’t attempt new things or reach out to connect with others because they’re uncertain about what’s going to happen. The result could be bad.
Adults fear getting their feelings hurt, especially by loved ones. If they reach out to others for a little fun or just less seriousness, what if they’re judged poorly? They might feel inadequate to those around them.
Finally, adults are often fearful of a loss of freedom. Be careful that this doesn’t lead you into a bad situation. Someone who embraces freedom may avoid getting a steady job, which can lead to financial issues.
If these and other grown-up worries are constantly rolling around in your head, force yourself to take a break. Call your friends for a night out on the town. Take a walk, cycle with your BFF, or watch a funny movie.
Play, laugh, and smile like a child again. Enjoying the present moment without expectations can help remove yourself from these bothersome adult worries that can cause physical and mental stress.
You Probably Have More Free Time Than You Think You Do
By the way, the common excuse that adults don’t have much free time for playing around and goofing off might not be correct. Consider this.
NBC News reported in September of 2021 that the “… sweet spot for free time is about 3 or 3.5 hours per day.”
Life satisfaction was at its highest when people “had in the neighborhood of 2.5 hours of free time a day.”
[American Psychology Association – Having Too Little or Too Much Time Is Linked to Lower Subjective Well-Being – Sharif, Mogilner, Hershfield]
Adults will tell you they don’t have anywhere near that amount of free time. They might agree that they would have a much better life if they could enjoy their hobbies or other playful activities for a few hours each day. As it turns out, most adult Americans have more free time than they think they do (or will admit to having).
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), research from doctors Roland Sturm, Ph.D., and Deborah A Cohen, MD, reveals that you might have more leisure time than you realize. Here’s one big takeaway from that study.
“Americans averaged more than 5 hours of free time per day; no subgroup reported having less than 4.5 hours of free time per day.”
[Sturm R, Cohen, DA – Free Time and Physical Activity among Americans 15 Years or Older: Cross-Sectional Analysis of the American Time Use Survey]
No subset of the data had less than 4.5 hours of free time each day. This means people in their late teen years and twenties, thirties and forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and older all had a minimum of 4.5 hours of leisure time.
CONCLUSION
Take an honest look at your life. How many 10 or 15 or 20-minute blocks of free time do you have? You don’t have to have fun in large doses. You can fill those small sections of your day with playtime and laughter rather than worry and stress.
We know that engaging in fun and enjoyable activities just for the sake of the activity itself, not for a specific result or achievement, is a great stress reliever. It can also put your life in perspective and help you learn not to take life too seriously all of the time.
It means that adults, including you, probably have a good bit of time to stop and smell the roses.
Prioritize play in your life. You never know when your number will be called, so why not have some fun? You know how good you feel when you laugh and smile. Schedule time for those activities that put a smile on your face. Hang out with that friend that makes you laugh.
Go out of your way to schedule more play and less seriousness. You can live a happier, healthier, and longer life. You can also find a lot more appreciation of your life, yourself, and the people in it.
Here’s to you smiling and laughing more and stressing out less.
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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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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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!
Illustrated by Obayomi Aanuoluwapo and Dirisu David
A beautiful multicultural picture book that teaches children about life in rural Ghana.
Kwame is respectful, obedient, and grateful for his simple life in a rural village. In this story, Kwame wakes early to help his mother wash clothes by hand. Then he sweeps the dirt floor of his one room hut before dressing in his uniform to walk to school at the Royal Promise Mission. Today is a special day. The children from around the area will be marching to celebrate the anniversay of Ghana’s independence.
Children from around the world learn a bit about the food, flag, customs , language, and difficult life of a small rural village. Kwame provides a good role model for children. Charming illustrations and an interactive activity keep readers engaged with the tale.
Highly recommended to parents and teachers of elementary school readers.
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Would You Rather? Hanukkah Edition: Light Up the Season with a Hilarious Holiday Game for Kids
Written by Lindsey Daly
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zeitgeist Press and voluntarily decided to review with my honest opinions.
This book is filled with more than 160 questions about the Festival of Lights. The questions are aimed at readers in the eight to twelve year old audience. Each of these feature a choice with the reader being asked which is the preferred choice. Players of the game have fun while learning about the preferences of each participant. Judges choose the best answer based on humor, creativity, and logic. There are eight rounds to the game.
An enjoyable way to learn about the foods, rituals, history, and culture of Hanukkah while employing critical thinking skills. This book just might become and annual family Hanukkah tradition.
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How to Train Your Amygdala Written by Anna Housley Juster Illustrated by Cynthia Cliff
Most kids have never heard of the Amygdala, but it plays a vital role in keeping them safe. The author uses creative imagery to explain in simple language how it works. Sometimes worrying about what might happen can make the Amygdala work overtime so it is important to train it not to set off false alarms.
Juster provides children with strategies and techniques to relax and remain calm. Examples include deep breathing, relaxing, and connecting with favorite people. The interactive part of this book provides step by step directions for children and an accompanying guide for adults working with children.
Kudos to the author for writing this guide in simple, easily understandable language with large text and appealing illustrations. Recommended for children from preschool through primary grades and the caretakers who love and support them.
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October 26, 2025
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