As The Sun Rises: Morning in Mazatlan (Tales of Mazatlán)
Written and Illustrated by Carolyn Watson-Dubitsch
A beautiful, multicultural picture book for preschoolers and kindergarten children.
The story relates the experience of two Mexican children who accompany their fisherman father to the beach. They observe him digging for clams and oysters. Later, they see a sea turtle on the beach.
As the day goes on, the tourist spot comes alive. Beachgoers and vendors teach readers about Mexican culture and food. As a bonus, the readers are treated to a native recipe.
Beautiful illustrations accompany the simple but moving multicultural tale.
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Mr. Macaw’s Paleta Adventure (The Mr. Macaw Children’s Book Series
Written by Leticia Ordaz
Illustrated by Yana Popova
This is an innovative bilingual picture book that relates an adventure taken by a one-hundred-year-old Macaw kite.
The Mexican children bring the kite to the seashore. Maxton and Bronx ask the kite if he can fly alone. The kite takes off on an adventure to a nearby village and then over the sea. Will Mr. Macaw find his way back to the beach in Mexico?
The book is written in simple phrases that are displayed in both English and Spanish on each page. Multicultural illustrations are lovely and appropriate. A lovely multicultural adventure for primary-grade readers.
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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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Publisher’s Synopsis: Chipper the Fox and his Arctic friends travel to summer camp for fun in the sun! After an amazing summer, how will they stay in touch with their new friends and keep their summer adventure going?
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.
Chipper and his friends from the arctic region decide to go south on a camping vacation. When they arrive at Bright Stars Camp, they immediately forge new friendships. They engage in activities like archery, swimming, sunning on the beach, and racing competitions.
Alas, the time moves swiftly. How will they continue the bonds formed here over until seeing each other again next year. Each of the arctic friends attempts to send gifts to their new friends, but none arrive safely. Finally, they discover the perfect gift. Can you guess what it is?
This charming rhyming, animal picture book contains illustrations that are delightful to look at and fun to read. I would suggest it as a bedtime story or group read aloud for preschool and primary grade children.
Enter for the chance to win a paperback copy of Chipper Sends Sunshine and an Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet! Good luck!
Enter for the chance to win a paperback copy of Chipper Sends Sunshine and an Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet! Good luck!
Grandma Anna is so excited. Her grandson Joey is finally coming to visit. They spend the day, playing, reading, and eating. Suddenly, Anna realizes that something is missing. Joey has not given her a hug or a kiss.
They spend the rest of their time together searching everywhere for the missing hug and kiss. Are they hiding in the house, in the garden, at the beach or up in the clouds? Finally Joey realizes where they might be. Can you guess the answer?
The second part of the book is my favorite part. Joey and Grandma play a game. They present the reader with real life situations and talk about the feeling one would experience in each. For example, how does one feel when another child takes your ball and won’t return it? Hurt, of course. The author discusses a range of feelings, both positive and negative.
I recommend this book for preschoolers through primary grades. A good choice for parents, teachers and counselors as a platform to discuss emotions.
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This cute picture book asks readers a simple question. If
you were an elf, where would you go on vacation? The young reader is introduced
to many possibilities. Would an elf go skiing, to the beach, on a cruise, or
perhaps on a safari?
Two lines of text for each picture spread help to keep the storyline simple. An adult reading the book to a young child can easily make this book an interactive discussion. The illustrations are bright and attractive. Recommended especially for preschool and kindergarten children.
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FINAL REFLECTIONS ON EASY READER AND EARLY CHAPTER CANDIDATES
NUTTY ABOUT NUMBERS
We Need More Nuts
Written and Illustrated by Jonathan Fenske
This is a Step 2 Reading Book intended for readers in Grades 1 and 2. It is also a counting book. Children are introduced to squirrels who are hoarding and counting nuts. The number combinations begin with one and range up to twenty-four. This book may be read over and over to teach number skills or left in the hands of a child to practice independently.
Run, Run Run…
What is Chasing Duck? (The Giggle Gang)
Written by Jan Thomas
This is another book in the Giggle Gang series that features farmyard friends who get into sticky situations. Duck is being chased and he summons his friends to try to get him out of a jam. They come up with some hilarious solutions that don’t appear to be working. Repetitive language, expressive illustrations and lots of humor will keep beginning readers laughing.
My Fantastica Family
The Beach Trip (Sofia Martinez
Written by Jacqueline Jules
Illustrated by Kim Smith
Sofia Martinez belongs to a huge family. Whether spending a routine day at home, heading off to the beach or shopping for school supplies, things are never dull. Sofia is gentle and tender, but she is also determined and loyal. The chapter book contains three short adventures with Spanish vocabulary words inserted throughout. This book is an excellent choice for ESL students, bilingual families or English-speaking readers who want to learn a bit of Spanish. Sofia’s antics are fun for boys and girls who enjoy having fun.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Barkus
Written by Patricia Maclachlan
Illustrated by Marc Boutavani
This early chapter book chronicles how Barkus became an integral part of Nicky’s family. Uncle Everton shows up at her dog with his dog named Barkus who is well-trained and intelligent. Nicky’s uncle will be traveling and can’t take Barkus with him. Barkus follows Nicky to school where he is immediately adopted as the class dog. When Barkus’ birthday rolls around, he invites the neighborhood dogs to crash his birthday party. One day Barkus is bored so he adopts a neighborhood kitten to become a part of his family. Nicky, Barkus and his kitten have a tent camp out in their backyard. Each of them comforts each other; no one is afraid of the dark.
Large font accompanied by simple illustrations and lots of dialogue assist young readers in maintaining interest. By using four different stories and reweaving them at the end, children learn how to recap and summarize events. Family and pets are two themes that appeal to young readers. Highly recommended especially for children in the six to eight-year-old range.
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September 14, 2025
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