The Three Royal Children and the Batty Aunt:The Three Royal Children Book 1: An Adventure Story for Bored Children
Written by Angela Castillo
Three royal siblings are bored with life within the castle walls. Then one day they meet their aunt and her talking bat in an isolated part of the castle. She brings the siblings on a fantasy adventure that upends their boring existence.
This chapter book is part of a series. In this volume, readers learn about the value of friendship, good manners, and cooperating with others. An interesting read for children in grades two through six.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
The Epic Activity Book for Genius Girls: A Multiverse Adventure with Fun Brain Games, Logic puzzles, and creative challenges for smart young explorers … kids 8-12) (Doc’s Activity Books for Kids)
Written and Illustrated by Doc Enigma
I loved how this book was put together. Rather than a random collection of activities, the author weaves them into an adventure that engages the mind and stimulates the imagination. Each of the twelve missions is linked so that when they are completed, the final quest is achieved.
There is a wide assortment of activities that challenge different skills and learning styles. These include coloring, mazes, word searches, cryptograms, riddles, find the culprit, spot the differences, and blueprints.
While the book is advertised for girls ages 6-12, the complexity of many of the activities, suggests that it is better suited for ages eight and older.
I highly recommend it for classroom challenges, travel, and homeschool activities.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
The Dinosaur Tree: A Calming Bedtime Story That Teaches Mindfulness Through Imagination | Dinosaur Adventure for Kids Ages 3-9 | Perfect for Restless Bedtimes
Written and Illustrated by Evan Collier
This beautifully illustrated dinosaur adventure is written in the second person. The author encourages the reader to lie back, close their eyes, and imagine being transported to a dinosaur jungle that existed long ago.
A young boy envisions his bedroom transformed into a giant tree, which he climbs to enter the dinosaur world. As he climbs, he meets creatures of this world and draws himself deeper into the ancient dinosaur world. What will happen when he awakens?
The soft, colorful, and expressive illustrations enhance the mood of this bedtime story, especially recommended for preschoolers, but appropriate for any school-age reader.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Magical Stories: A Collection of Short Stories for Children Aged 3-103
Written by Píaras Ó Cíonnaoíth
A collection of ten short stories that stimulate the imagination. While I would not classify this book as a picture book, each story starts with an illustration of the main character.
The characters include many favorite types such as dragons, elves, fairies, tigers, and mermaids. It is equally appealing to male or female readers. The average length of the tales is approximately five pages, making it ideal as a bedtime story or classroom read-aloud. Each includes a moral lesson for young minds to ponder and appreciate.
Adults may enjoy reading them along with their children.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG TO RECEIVE NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
This rhyming picture book is well-written with catchy rhymes and reinforcement learning activities.
It is an ideal read-aloud for a parent or a classroom teacher to introduce children to a group school experience.
The protagonist is a young boy who rides on a magical school bus. He uses this experience to practice positive social-emotional skills. At the end of the tale, these are listed as affirmations for the reader to say and practice. The author also includes a coloring page of a school bus and a matching activity.
Put this one on your list for back-to-school time or as a review in teaching social-emotional skills for children ages three through six.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG TO RECEIVE NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Publisher: Jodi Dee Publishing (2025) | ISBN: 978-1736209363
Publisher’s Book Summary: Myles is an average thirteen-year-old boy until one day, Sally Munson shows up with purple pants on that look like a Halloween costume. As classmates tease and make fun of her, Myles starts to see these negative words as fireballs of energy being thrown at Sally. He finds himself in the middle of a war zone, invisible to everyone but him!
In a suspenseful, supernatural tale of self-discovery and friendship with constant, unexpected twists and turns, Myles tries to understand his newfound superpower. He not only learns about the energy exchange between humans but the energy of all things.
Myles and his friends discover the new ZS phone is stealing people’s energy. Follow Myles as he navigates this new reality and works to stop the theft of this energy with the help of his friends.
Jodi Dee is an award-winning author of the best-selling books The Dirt Girl and The Seeking Tree. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and History and a Master’s in Education from Clark University. She is a dedicated mother of three with more than twenty years of experience in education. Jodi is a passionate advocate and teacher of self-love, self-awareness, emotional mastery, and empowering children to learn through independence, creativity, self-exploration, and discovery.
OUT OF THIS WORLD Energy Wars: The Awakening Written by Jodi Dee
This book is the first of a new series of thrilling adventures. Dee succeeds in developing interesting and complex characters that challenge the imagination, but also compels the middle- grade reader to pay attention to the important underlying messages.
The protagonist, Myles, is a typical thirteen-year-old who lives in a somewhat dysfunctional family. His father pays him little attention, and his mother disappeared shortly after his birth. One day his ordinary life is transformed by the discovery of a superpower. He learns about his mission to spread happiness through his ability to observe the energy fields of others.
As Myles draws his two closest friends into the mystery, they research the science and psychology of energy fields. The plot comes to a climax when Myles’ grandfather gifts him five boxes that belonged to his grandmother revealing more strange truths.
Readers won’t want to put the book down until all is revealed. The ending sets up the next installment.
GIVEAWAY
Readers who follow the tour can enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a hardcover copy of Energy Wars: The Awakening. One grand prize winner will win one of the signed first copies of the second book in the series, releasing in Fall 2025.
The author targets this approximately 125 page book for readers ages eight through twelve but it can also serve as a read aloud or early beginning chapter book for younger children.
Santa and the elves are getting a nagging feeling that something is wrong. Sure enough, they soon discover that the Sorrow King has escaped and his mission is to destroy the Christmas spirit. Leo, one of the elder elves, decides to take on the nemesis. He teams up with a young, human girl named Ava.
This short book is a combination of fantasy and adventure. Can this dynamic duo banish the Sorrow King and restore the true Christmas spirit?
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG TO GET BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
A fantasy/magic novel featuring wizards and magic, coming of age, and very smart kids.
The characters are likeable enough, and the action moves along. When Kase first arrives at the school, he knows he will immediately be in competition to prove himself with his sister, Cali, who is already a student there.
At the Academy, the students are organized into teams of four which must travel on a Quest to collect magical items, and deal with mythical creatures who will put them to the test. Each must face danger while continuing on a journey of self-growth and learning to work with others. Some of these contestants may prove to be enemies.
Lots of action, interesting characters, and dialogue that will please the middle-grade and young adult audience, particularly fantasy and wizardry fans.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Benjamin is blessed with a plethora of talents. He considers himself an intellectual genius, kung-fu master and jack-of-all trades, but Benjamin occasionally finds himself upstaged by his two-year-old brother.
The adventure begins when a mechanical robot steals the helium that powers the pirate airship Benjamin’s family calls home. That’s right, the setting grabs the middle-grade audience before the story starts. Benjamin promises to find the culprit. Along the way, each page presents new obstacles.
This book contains more than three hundred pages, divided into fairly short chapters that are introduced with a black and white drawing. Parents and teachers will be happy to hear there is no swearing or violence, just a sprinkling of potty humor and age-appropriate euphemisms.
The book reminded me of the Hardy Boys series popular when I was growing up; it could be likened to a modern-day Harry Potter series. As a bonus, readers are introduced to stem concepts in engineering and physics rolled into the adventure.
Recommended for ages ten and older, but a fun read for any age.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
How to Grow a Marshmallow Tree (Book 1 Amelia and Paco Series)
Written by Stefanie Gamarra
Illustrated by Mark Bertran
Amelia and her imaginary polar bear friend, Paco both have a sweet tooth.
One day, they are eating marshmallows, one of their favorite snacks. Suddenly, they run out. Amelia decides it would be wonderful to have a marshmallow tree for an unlimited supply. So the pair set out to plant one.
Amelia and Paco are unsuccessful at first, but Amelia refuses to give up. Read the picture book to find out the surprise ending to this fantasy adventure for young children.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG TO GET NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
November 1, 2026
bamauthor
You must be logged in to post a comment.