How to Shrink the Doubt Monsters: Novo the Space Robot Book 1

Written by Charity Froh

Illustrated by Zuzana Svobodova

This book is part of a picture book series that helps young children gain confidence and solve problems.

Novo is a space robot from the planet, Infinata. When a group of self-doubters invade his planet, the happy robots begin to doubt themselves. Soon after, they can no longer enjoy their favorite pursuits because they no longer believe in themeselves. Novo makes a trip to the planet earth but discovers self-doubters are present there as well. However, the children of earth teach him a valuable lesson. Will Novo succeed in teaching that lesson to his robot friends and save their planet?

The vibrant illustrations pop and the alliteration sentences are so much fun to read aloud. This book invites rereading and its lessons open up children’s minds to discussion of problem-solving.

Highly recommend this series to readers ages five through seven and their caretakers.

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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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Moon-Force 1

Written by Janelle M. Adams

Mesa White is enjoying a normal teenage life on planet earth until she receives an unexpected visit and learns she is princess from a far-away world called Satellite. Ethan informs her that she is the only one who can save them from the evil, Mirwilla. Mesa will be their savior when she employs her special powers,

Mesa wants to help, but she is confused and perplexed. What are these powers and how can they be useful in saving the planet? Can she trust this boy named Ethan?

The book contains a lot of magic, fantasy, and adventure. There are twists and turns that will entertain young readers. The artwork is well-done and appealing. I would suggest using a bit less dialogue and more active voice. This is book one in a series, so I am eager to follow the progress of this young writer.

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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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Arnold and Louis. Reach for the Stars

Written by Harvey Storm

This is my second time reading a book in this series for children ages three through five. Mick the Meteor has been falling through space for a long time. He falls asleep but wakes up just before hitting the Earth. Arnold, the Moose, and Louis, the Goose, are relaxing in their home in the forest at the edge of the swamp when they hear a crash and see smoke. Mick has landed in the swamp. When Arnold and Louis arrive at the swamp they find smoke coming from a small stone covered with precious stones lying in the mud.

Arnold and Louis are surprised when the stone begins to talk. Mick informs them that he really wants to go home. Arnold and Louis attempt to construct a catapult to launch Mick into space. They try unsuccessfully one hundred different ways. Miss Gorilla tells them that they need a rocket to reach outer space. They work together as a team until a successful rocket launch is achieved.

Appealing illustrations and vivid colors along with nice graphics make this series a good choice for preschoolers. Fun characters and moral lessons motivate the young reader.

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The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool, 2^nd Edition

Written by P.J. La Rue

Illustrated by Aristides Rodriguez

Harmonie and Eros are teenage sister and brother living in New York City. One day a group of teenagers on a subway platform attempt to kidnap Harmonie. Mysteriously, they bear the same tattoo as her brother on their arm. Eros reveals a family secret. They are children of Ares, the god of war, whose children are tattooed at one year old. Most of the children of Ares strive to make life difficult for others, but he is the god of love and Harmonie is the goddess of peace. Their mother, the goddess Aphrodite, whisked Harmonie away before the age of one and gave her to Eros for protection. Eros is determined to safeguard her and tells her they must now live apart to avoid detection.

Eros has arranged for his sister to live in Hawaii. She will live and go to school with four princesses.  Each have special powers derived from one of the four elements, earth, air, water and fire. This new group of five decide to call themselves the Mystic Princesses. Alongside the traditional school subjects, they are taught self-defense by Sandi Swordfish. In the afternoon the girls practice their individual powers, always on the watch for their enemies, children of Ares.

Sure enough, Ares was getting impatient; his children find their way to Hawaii. They cause much damage around Coral’s reef castle. Her parents King Neptune and Queen Pearl decide that all the princesses must move for their own safety. Their next adventure will take them to New Orleans where they will live with Princess Catie and her parents. What new adventures await them?

This early chapter book is perfect for children ages six through ten. It does not portray wimpy princesses, but strong, respectful and independent female role models involved in many adventures in which they learn to overcome their weaknesses, act against bullying, and cooperate with friends and family to promote human welfare and peace. Short chapters interspersed with illustrations will maintain interest if the book is read aloud for younger children. Introduce your little princess to this one.

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Planet Earth! A Kids Book About Planet Earth-Fun Facts & Pictures About Our Oceans, Mountains, Rivers,Deserts, Endangered Species & More

Written by Alexander G. Michaels

The title of this post is much shorter than the name of the book, but in fact the author provides a concise guide to all those things in an e book of less than fifty pages. Targeted for children in the early elementary grades and written in fairly simple language, this guide sets forth basic information combined with beautiful photographs. It can be a asset to the science section of the classroom as well as serve as a quick reference book or starting point for more research. The author might consider releasing a paper edition for libraries and print book lovers.

Michaels begins with the planet’s history, characteristics, composition, and place in solar system. He next outlines the geographic regions of land and water and gives details about well known examples. The section on fun facts is sure to be a favorite among children; it provides a vast compendium of information in sentence form. For example, each winter approximately one septillion snow crystals drop from the sky or that 75% of the earth’s animals could be extinct within the next three hundred years. Michaels concludes with some ideas on how we can preserve the planet for our descendants.

I have to admit that I learned quite a few things from this book. While I knew that most of the Earth’s surface is water, I was not aware that only 3% of the water on earth is fresh water. Did you know that the largest desert in the world is in Antarctica? Where can you find most of the Earth’s gold? How are mountains, volcanoes and rivers formed? There are lots of surprises for adults as well as the children who pick up this book.

Take a look at this beautiful guide to our planet and share it with your children. Michaels has written a whole series of books, including one on the solar system, endangered species, and dinosaurs. I plan on taking a look at those as well.

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The Alien Mind

Written by Virginia Lori Jennings

This is a sci-fi story that is family friendly. While the target audience is nine through twelve, the plot and characters are developed enough to be enjoyed by young adult and adult fans of science fiction. There is a nice mix of science, moral lessons, adventure and time travel. I read the black and white paperback version of this book that is also available in a Kindle version with color photographs. No doubt that would make the book even more appealing for middle grade readers.

An alien group known as the Aruk attacked a secret government agency on Earth. They captured and tortured one hundred fifty children. Later on these children were rescued by another race of aliens known as the Aunanet, who taught them the best knowledge of both civilizations. The Aunanet assisted the most gifted to become computer mind experts or healers. These people could travel through time dimensions and had the power to use parts of the brain that humans could only dream about. The Aruk had never given up in their attempt to find these children, and the beginning of the story finds the Aunanet civilization and the children they protected under attack.

Rivi, our protagonist, is the oldest of these children at age fourteen. After the attack she finds her way back to Earth. There she meets an orphan boy named Daniel, who becomes her protege. Her saga will include lessons on how to deal with bullying and teaching lessons of compassion in the process. She will meet the President of the United States, endure further torture by the aliens, and be forced to make life and death decisions in one crisis after another. All the while she is tormented by nightmares from her past, the desire to uncover her Earthly parents, and a fierce loyalty to her adopted parents and alien culture.

Will Riva succeed in ridding herself of her difficult childhood memories, and how will she adjust to whatever world she chooses to live in? This book is highly recommended for lovers of sci-fi, adventure and those who love plots filled with moral dilemmas. Recommended for tweens, teens and adults who like to think what if?

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Mason and Bess: The Adventure Continues Book 2

Written by Diane Major

This short fantasy story that is appropriate for tweens, teens and adults involves a boy named Mason who lives with his best friend, Bess, and his mother, Queen Anna, in a land called Sanctea. They once lived in a small town on the planet earth;  but Anna, who has the ability to pass from one dimension to another, decided to leave the earth.

The Queen awakens from a dream in which she sees their former neighbor’s daughter named Katie sucked into a vortex. Hoping that the child has been transported to her own homeland, the Queen sends her special messengers, the Elgae, to search for her. Unfortunately, she is not found. Anna suspects Katie is the victim of foul play. Anna cannot leave her world without weakening her powers so she sends her son and Bess to find Katie and return her safely to earth. Mason will take the magic wand his father left them. Bess is given a special black medallion that will transport them between worlds.

Anna casts a spell to transport the children back to their old home on earth, but Bess finds, to her chagrin, that she is no longer a young girl but a black and white cocker spaniel! The two children locate the pool where Katie went swimming, and when they sneak in at night find themselves sucked into that very same vortex. They arrive in a magical land called Nomreg where there are feathered green trees, lollipop flowers, floating TV screens in the sky, and beautiful rainbows. Appearances are deceiving; the children find themselves in a war between the Fairies and the Bugzies. They will each face many dangers and adventures in their quest to find Katie. Will the power of the magic wand be enough to ward off their enemies? Are they successful in locating and returning Katie to earth and ultimately traveling back to their own world of Sanctea?

There are lots of twists and turns in the plot and some surprises along the way. Even though the story is short, the main characters are believable and well developed. I am looking forward to meeting them again in further adventures.

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Leaf and the Long Ice: Volume 3 of Twig Stories

Written by Jo Marshall

Illustrated by D.W. Murray

This book is volume three of the twig stories. Jo Marshall writes them to develop an understanding of the natural world. She successfully combines adventure storytelling with accurate science in an attempt to encourage an appreciation for the earth and preservation of our environment.. Her target audience is fourth grade through the elementary school years though adults will enjoy them just as much.

The twigs live in a forest at the base of an old volcano which is topped by a glacier. At the beginning of the story we meet Leaf who has been placed in charge of his younger twig brothers while his parents and older sister Fern are away.  The twins named Buddy and Burka plead for a story. Leaf tells them about one of their father’s adventures which inspires them to sneak away so that they can play in the snow. When Leaf  falls asleep, they make their break and the adventure begins.

Along the way the twins encounter many forest creatures, beaver, rabbits, goats, foxes, pike, insects, eagles and caribou among them. Some are friendly and supportive; others are natural predators. The moth provides a ride, while the eagle looks at them as a tasty meal. Leaf ventures after his brothers so the author is really describing two separate fantasy adventures. The twins  slip and slide, hide in caves, and  are attacked by natural enemies, while Leaf frets about them and experiences his own adventures. The author shows the harmony of nature and how the creatures of earth need to support and aid each other for mutual benefit.

At the end of the book, Marshall gives cameos of the types of wildlife that she features as her characters and sketches what their needs are and how they are endangered today. Murray, who has worked with Disney and Universal Studios as an illustrator and screenwriter, supplies beautiful hand drawn illustrations. Marshall donates a portion of sales to wildlife causes and provides additional learning materials on her website www.twigstories.com.

This series furnishes reading entertainment for children and adults as well as accurate scientific environmental information that teachers and parents will find valuable. Read this volume to get started.

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