Another fun, fast read from the mystery adventure series that features Harley, an almost twelve-year-old cryptologist and official member of The Society for Mysterious Objects. She is the daughter of a famous, archaeologist, Russell James. Harley and her dog, Daisy are accompanying her father on a new job outside of Paris.
An announcement that an object has been stolen from the Louvre sets the plot in motion. Harley joins an educational group of young explorers and meets Veronica, her partner for this adventure. They feel duty-bound to explore the clues and solve the mystery. The setting of underground catacombs provides an eerie background for the middle-grade target audience but this fast-moving adventure will hold the interest of any age reader. Likeable characters, entertaining black and white illustrations, and short chapters appeal to beginning or reluctant readers. Each book of the series stands independently and apart from the rest.
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It’s no fun to have a cold. Children are not the best of patients. In this whimsical tale, the protagonist is a young boy who wakes up with all the symptoms of a bad cold. His mother tucks him back into bed and informs him he will not go to school today.
The little boy does not know how to fight a cold, but he meets Boogie in a dream. Boogie takes him on a journey to meet the worst elements of a cold. He shows the boy how to defeat them.
This book has beautiful illustrations that will have both children and adults amused. The rhyming text and large font are pleasing to the youngest reader. Children learn a lot about colds and how to combat them.
This book is a sequel to How to Catch a Cold and part of a series that will appeal particularly to boys but appropriate for all elementary school age readers.
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This book is part of a series of illustrated, beginning chapter books featuring Tweet Tweet and her penguin friends.
In this adventure, the Aurora Borealis is beginning to appear in the skies. Tweet Tweet, siblings, and friends understand this means it is almost time for the Christmas festival on Christmas Eve. They wait for their teacher to assign each a special role to prepare. They work together to prepare food, gather stones to decorate the tree, dance, and prepare for the parade. This book teaches children the lessons of the need to prepare ahead of time, work as a team, share tasks, and show empathy for each other.
The illustrations are in full-color that provide extra encouragement for beginning or reluctant readers. I recommend this series for readers in the six to nine year old age group.
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What Am I? Christmas: A Picture Book of Read-Aloud, Rhyming Christmas Riddles
Written by Shana Gorian
Illustrated by Art Porta
A beautifully illustrated Christmas holiday picture book!
Children (and adults) love solving riddles. This book could easily become a family holiday tradition passed down from one generation to another. These rhymes contain riddles about easily recognizable holiday objects appropriate for all ages from preschool on up.
Suggested for families and classrooms. Siblings or classmates might even want to turn the fourteen riddles into a competition to see who might get the most correct answers. Fun for all ages.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: The world is not always a perfect place. Needles, a scraggly little tree, must endure criticism, laughter, and setbacks to realize his goal of becoming a beautiful Christmas tree.
This is a story of dreams, desires, hope, determination, and never giving up. It also offers the observation that what others think is beautiful may not really matter. Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder and paired with the spirit of Christmas, maybe we can make the world just a little more perfect!
Richard Wagner grew up in Southern California. When he was fourteen years old, a business friend of his father’s had a small Christmas tree delivered as a thank-you. Their family already had a large tree decorated in the house. Not being able to find anyone who needed a tree, that small Christmas tree stood outside by itself for the remainder of the Christmas holiday. Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree is a tribute to that little tree and what might have been, but more importantly, to all the beauty, goodness, and hope that Christmas brings to us all. Mr. Wagner continues to reside in Southern California with his wife and two children.
What a perfect picture book to celebrate the meaning of the season! Needles is a short, scruffy evergreen tree growing on a Christmas tree farm. The adjoining trees make fun of him, but Needles firmly believes he will achieve his goal to become a beautiful Christmas tree in someone’s home.
The trees are cut down and brought to market but as day after day passes, Needle’s friends are chosen, while no one seems interested in him. When the owner of the lot, decides to gift Needles to a friend, Needles is elated. Now he will have a home! Will he achieve his dream to become a beautiful Christmas tree?
The story contains many twists and turns. Children (and the adults who read this story to them) remember that the promises of faith and hope are at the heart of the Christmas season. Even more important that sharing and caring for others is the true spirit of Christmas.
A perfect holiday choice for a bedtime story or read-aloud with elementary school children.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a copy of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree, autographed by Richard Wagner.
One (1) winner receives:
– An autographed copy of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree
The Squirrel that Watched the Stars (Starry Stories Book 1)
Written by Tom Kerss
Illustrated by Anni Betts
Written by an astronomer, this book is the first in a series. The rhymes are catchy and fun to read; the illustrations sparkle like the stars that are the subject of this book.
A squirrel sits in a high oak tree near the observatory. He wonders about the stars and wishes he could communicate with the workers in the observatory to learn more about them. Suddenly, a beautiful swan named Cygnus appears to him and brings him on a tour of the stars. The squirrel learns about the magnitude of stars in space and the one closest to earth, our sun. Star School is a teaching tool provided at the end of the fictional story that provides a jumping off point to more research about the stars for budding scientists.
The book is a lovely bedtime story for young children and an introduction to astronomy that will peak the interest of school-age children. I would also suggest placing the book in the science section of elementary school classrooms.
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A charming picture book that teaches the true meaning of a friend, and how our relationships grow and change over time.
Ellery finds a purple bicycle with magical powers. She spends most of her time talking, singing, and playing with it. As she grows, the bicycle grows with her. Eventually, their relationship evolves and changes. Can their friendship survive the test of time?
This beautifully illustrated picture book teaches young children the value of friendship and the importance of maintaining relationships. Children see the value of empathy, kindness, and compassion. They learn the importance of developing good relationships.
I highly recommend it for preschoolers through the primary grades.
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Publisher: West Margin Press | ISBN-13: 9781513134871
Publisher’s Book Summary: A sweet, whimsical story about the meaningfulness behind a person’s name and the power of accepting people just as they are.
Edimorwhitimormiligimmus Tug has a very special name that is all his own. But his teacher thinks it’s too long and hard to say. One day she shortens it to. . . Ed.
But he loves his name just the way it is. So he comes up with a plan—if he can teach everyone his name, maybe they’ll love it too!
Sweet and whimsical, My Name Is Not Ed Tug empowers readers to own their identities and proudly celebrate who they are.
Amy Nielander is a designer and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator who loves to create playful stories for kids. Growing up, she had her name frequently misspelled by others. My Name Is Not Ed Tug is inspired by this experience and by her time volunteering in her children’s classrooms. Amy lives near Detroit, Michigan.
Little Ed is so proud of his name. He is named after a grandfather, grandmother, great uncle, and aunt. Each of these family members passed down a particular skill.
Ed’s long name frustrates his teacher, Ms. Mell. She suggests he shorten it to Ed. That bothers Ed because he is proud of each part of his heritage. When a new student enters the class, he takes advantage of the opportunity to explain why every part of his name is important. Can Ed find a way to convince his classmates how important a name might be, even if unusually long. Names are part of a family’s history and the contributions made by those who bear them in the wider community. Being unique is a good thing, right?
I love the way the author included drawings of each member of the class which allows the reader to see the distinctive features of each student. This multicultural picture book encourages children to view themselves as a unique member and valued contributor to family, community, and country.
A highly recommended read-aloud to discuss with children in the primary grades.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug, the Potato-Noodle-Feel-Better Soup recipe featured in the story, and a Name Journal!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
– A signed copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
– A Potato-Noodle-Feel-Better Soup recipe (soup is featured in the story). The digital download includes an “Ingredient Checklist coloring page” for kids.
– A Name Journal: A 3.5″ x 5″ pocket-sized journal with 32 blank pages (100% recycled paper).
An action adventure that is full of quirky characters, imagination, twists, and turns.
Eleven-year-old Bobby loves chocolate and will eat it until he gets sick. He has a pesky sister and a rather ordinary family.
Bog is the school bully who torments everyone. Bobby dreams of revenge. His plans go awry when Bog banishes Bobby to the sewer. Here the readers meet all sorts of disgusting creatures.
The book is illustrated with color images that correspond with the humor and fantastic wordplays. That makes the book appealing to reluctant readers. Unpredictable twists and turns keep the plot moving along quickly. This book should appeal to boys and girls whether beginning or middle-grade readers.
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Publisher’s Book Summary: Everyone in George’s family is so embarrassing. His mom can’t cook, his sister is constantly making kissy faces to her phone, and his brother’s wardrobe consists of nothing but costumes. To top it off, George’s dad is known for going outdoors in his underwear!
Will Family Night at school reveal all of their quirks?
Or will George want to hide under his desk to avoid them?
Kimber Morgan is a multi-award-winning children’s book author who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kimber is a fun wife and imperfect mom of 3 crazy kiddos and two little lemon (problematic) dogs. She tries to live her strengths the best she can. Morgan is a homemade Halloween costume type of mom who lets her kids mix the play-doh. She bakes fun birthday cakes (cutely, but far from perfection) and loves a homemade valentine and a school project.
Writing children’s books is an extension of her creative strength. She strives to create picture books that are beautiful, engaging, humorous, and with themes of acceptance and kindness. She hopes you love reading her works. Kimber is available for author visits and wants to connect with you.
Jessica Kwan is the illustrator behind Bad Attitude Bunny Illustration, though her attitude is generally not that bad. She hails from San Francisco and is currently based in northern Sweden. She enjoys drawing characters with funny expressions and anything inspired by nature and animals. She is always looking for the next collaboration, but during her spare time, she likes to: travel, read, do crosswords, and pet the neighborhood cats. Some things she dislikes are sand, mosquitoes, and melted ice cream.
It is time for family night at school and George dreads it. Why? He thinks his family is weird and embarrassing. George has inherited the family’s preferred first name passed down from generation to generation and he hates it. His older sister is obsessed with her phone, his younger brother wears only costumes, his mother burns the food, and his father routinely goes outside in his underwear. What will they do to embarrass George at school? George does not want to find out.
Kwan’s illustrations are hilarious. They keep kids and adults in stitches. I laughed my way from page to page. Readers may be surprised at the ending. Are all families as weird as George’s family? A little weird may be a good thing.
January 15, 2023
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