IN PARTNERSHIP WITH with The Children’s Book Review, Brooke Hartman,  and a grant from the Alaska Writers Guild

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Pega Sisters Go to Camp

Written by Brooke Hartman

Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley

Ages 4-8 | 32 Pages

Publisher: Page Street Kids | ISBN-13: 9781645674719

Publisher’s Synopsis: Lilly has waited for this day all year: It’s Pegasus Camp! And it’s finally here!

But this year, Lilly’s little sister, Filly, is tagging along. And wherever Lilly goes, Filly’s right underhoof, turning rainbow leaping, mane braiding, and cake baking into crashing, tangling, splattering messes! When Lilly’s temper finally snaps, Filly canters sadly away. Lilly wanted her Pega Sister to go―so why can she no longer have any fun without her?

Anyone with siblings will knowingly smile and roll their eyes, and all readers will laugh along with this rollicking, punny summer camp romp, which also serves as a sparkling reminder that sisters make the most marvelous magic together.

The Littlest Airplane

Written by Brooke Hartman

Illustrated by John Joesph

Ages 4-7 | 32 Pages

Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books | ISBN-13: 9781513128641

Publisher’s Synopsis: A rhyming picture book about how sometimes it’s not the biggest, strongest, or the fastest, but the littlest who can get the job done!

“Alaska Northwest Books wings into spring with… The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman, illus. by John Joseph, in which a storm necessitates calling a mighty little bush plane to rescue people stuck on a mountain in the snow.” —Publishers Weekly, Spring 2022 Children’s Sneak Previews

At a landing strip in the far north, a little bush plane watches quietly as bigger, stronger, faster planes take off for adventure. But when a storm hits and hikers are stranded on the mountain, who will come to the rescue?

Told in rhyming verse with bright illustrations, The Littlest Airplane soars high with heart and excitement.

PURCHASE LINKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brooke Hartman is an Alaskan mom and national award-winning author of silly, sweet, and sometimes strange stories for children and Young Adults. Follow along on her Alaskan writing adventures at www.BrookeAHartman.com, or on social media at @BrookesBooksAK.

MY REVIEW OF Pega Sisters Go to Camp

SISTER STRUGGLES

Pega Sisters Go to Camp

Written by Brooke Hartman

Illustrated by Mackenzie Haley

Lilly is excited about the upcoming summer camp. This year will be extra special because her little sister, Filly, will be going along with her. Unfortunately, things do not go smoothly. Filly adores her big sister and is constantly underfoot and undermining Lilly’s creations. When Lilly gets frustrated, she walks away from her sister. Will they be able to patch things up?

Children who adore unicorns and winged horses will fall in love with the beautiful illustrations of these beloved creatures. A fun bedtime story or read-aloud for preschoolers and primary grade readers.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a Pega Sisters Goes to Camp or The Littlest Airplane prize pack!

One (1) winner receives:

The Pega Sisters Prize Pack!

Includes a signed copy of Pega Sisters Go to Camp by Brooke Hartman and MacKenzie Haley, your own pegasus plushy, Pega Sisters activities, stickers, and accessories to “glam up” just like Lilly and Filly!

One (1) winner receives:

The Littlest Airplane Prize Pack!

Includes a signed copy of The  Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman and John Joseph, a “build your own wings” craft activity, Littlest Airplane word search and maze, Littlest  Airplane stickers, a set of markers, and your own fox plush to take with you on all your flights!

One (1) winner receives:

A copy of Pega Sisters Go to Camp and The Littlest Airplane

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

https://gleam.io/C43sT/brooke-hartman-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 30, 2022The Children’s Book ReviewTour Kick-Off

Thursday, March 30, 2022Jena Benton’s Simply Seven InterviewAn interview withBrooke Hartman

Saturday, April 2, 2022Life Is What It’s CalledA book review ofThe Littlest Airplane

Monday, April 4, 2022Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersA book review ofPega Sisters Go to Camp

Tuesday, April 5, 2022The Fairview ReviewA book review ofThe Littlest Airplane

Wednesday, April 6, 2022The Momma SpotA book review ofPega Sisters Go to Camp

Thursday, April 7, 2022Lisa’s ReadingA book review ofThe Littlest Airplane

Friday, April 8, 2022Confessions of a Book AddictA book giveaway ofThe Littlest Airplane and Pega Sisters Go to Camp

Monday, April 11, 2022J.R.s Book ReviewsA book review ofPega Sisters Go to Camp

Tuesday, April 12, 2022Crafty Moms ShareA book review ofThe Littlest Airplane

Wednesday, April 13, 2022Barbara Ann MojicaA book review ofPega Sisters Go to Camp

Thursday, April 14, 2022icefairy’s Treasure ChestA book review ofThe Littlest Airplane

Friday, April 15, 2022A Dream Within a DreamA book review ofPega Sisters Go to Camp

Monday, April 18, 2022Me Two BooksA book activity to pair withThe Littlest Airplane and Pega Sisters Go to Camp

Tuesday, April 19, 2022Twirling Book PrincessA book review ofPega Sisters Go to Camp

Wednesday, April 20, 2022Jena Benton’s Simply Seven InterviewA book review ofPega Sisters Go to Camp

WINTER’S CHILD

Written by J. S. Burke

J. S. Burke is the author of the award-winning Dragon Dreamer series. The marine biologist has applied her storytelling talents to a charming fairytale in verse. Bonus features include detailed directions on how to create beautiful snowflakes.

A young girl named Mariah lives in the frozen North. There are no children her age, so she becomes friends with the wind. Seeking to please her, The Wind fashions clouds, and later snowflakes into images to tell Mariah about the creatures and history of the past. Eventually, the Sun decides to join them creating colors and warmth. Soon the ice begins to melt, and the seasons reemerge.

Mariah possesses an insatiable curiosity about her world but also desperately wants friendship and companionship. Will she ever find her proper place in her world?

Burke provides her readers with beautiful verse and imagery, while, at the same time, enthralling them with tales of dragons, dolphins, hummingbirds, herons, and unicorns. She weaves fiction and nonfiction in a charming tale that will especially delight elementary and middle-grade readers, but one that a reader of any age can enjoy.

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Check out tons more learning resources at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

Anyone Can Draw Unicorns: Easy Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Kids, Teens, and Beginners How to Learn to Draw Unicorns Book 1 (Aspiring artist’s guide)

Written and illustrated by Julia Smith

No mystery here. The book matches its title. Smith presents 35 color pictures of unicorns. Then she gives a step by step method one box at a time to complete the drawing.

If you have a child who is enamored of unicorns, this book provides an opportunity to lend a creative outlet. Smith encourages young artists to add original details to make their drawings unique. She reminds them to practice over and over as artistic expression is a learning curve.

Budding artists who are in late elementary and middle-school will be entertained by the book

If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.

Check out a zillion more opportunities for your family at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

Princesses Don’t Have Sticky Hair: A Fairy Bedtime Story

Written by Angela Castillo

Illustrated by Cher Jiang

This picture book for young children features princesses displayed in unusual roles. Can they mix with mermaids, brownies or fairies? Do they do homework?

This book explores the potential to assume roles that are not typical and presents beautiful illustrations. Preschoolers and primary grade children might enjoy this short bedtime story.

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Check out all my learning resources and opportunities at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

The Crumbling Brick: The Land of Neo Book 1

Written by JoHannah Reardon

This approximately one hundred page book might be likened to a Christian fairy tale. Some reviewers have noted similarities to The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Targeted for readers age seven and up, I feel that it will appeal most to tweens and young teens. The characters are charming, appealing, and fairly well developed for the length of the story.

Plot involves a twelve year old girl named Ella, who lives in her grandmother’s urban house. One rainy day, she is asked to clean the basement. Ella reluctantly agrees; she finds a loose brick behind an old trunk. When she removes it, Ella finds a beautiful fantasy world on the other side. She steps into it and embarks on an adventure that involves a princess, her suitors, a unicorn, some mischievous monkeys, and a bear mentor named Sequor. Ella learns that the wise and all-knowing Kosmeo has chosen her to save the land of Neo. Ward, her unicorn friend, will assist her in warning the princess Onyma that one of her suitors is involved in a plot to overthrow her kingdom. While the story is somewhat predictable, there are enough twists and turns with delightful characters and moral lessons to give the fairy tale a wide appeal to boys and girls alike.

This book is the first of a series. It can be used as bedtime story, an independent chapter book or a classroom read aloud that combines many interesting elements for classroom discussion. If you enjoy fairy tales, give this one a look.

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Myth Catchers: Book 1 Dad’s Pants

Written by Alan Riehl

This short book of less than sixty pages is the first in a series exploring the trials and tribulations of a ten year old boy named Curtis Armstrong. Curtis misses his father so much that he desperately hangs on to the one thing remaining to remind him of his dad, a pair of worn jeans. To make matters worse, his divorced mother works long hours and his older sister has a roomful of unicorns that he hates. To make matters worse, Christy loves to use her imagination and is considered “Miss Popularity” at school.

But now Curtis has an opportunity to start fresh with a move to Myth, New Mexico. He is determined to be the king of his new fifth grade class. Of course that dream does not materialize. On the first day he gets into trouble with the principal when he breaks her picture frame decorated with unicorns, his most despised symbol. A new threat appears in the form of the school’s most popular and clever student, Darla.

Curtis cannot understand what is happening to him as his usually logical and stable personality becomes overwhelmed with strange dreams and incidents that he cannot distinguish as real or imagined. Lots of twists and turns in the plot as Curtis struggles to figure out what is really going on, and how his father’s pants are suddenly the vehicle to catch some very scary things.

This first book does contain a few editing errors, but is filled with the kind of humor and absurdities that tweens love in their fiction. Short length makes the book a good choice for a reluctant reader. I must say that I was disappointed in the abrupt ending which left more questions than answers. No doubt that many readers will be waiting to see Book 2 in the hopes that their curiosity will be satisfied.

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The Amber Ring (A Novella)

Written by A.L. Walton

This book of approximately one hundred pages might be described as a dark fantasy. There are many traditional fantasy characters like gryphons, trolls, fairies, unicorns and witches. A few others like the Talking Bear Mayor and the satyr sheriff are a bit of a stretch. Then there is a reluctant heroine and her twin sister who is a magical weaver and heroine.

Allow me to summarize the plot briefly. Maya is a rather morose and cynical twelve year old whose twin sister Sofia has recently drowned. Sofia had magical powers along with a magical ring which now belongs to her sister. Two years prior to her death, Sofia had managed to rid the Fairwoods of the trolls under the power of the Cedar Witch. Their lands became peaceful. One day Camden, her sister’s pet gryphon, reappears at the site where Sofia died. He attempts to convince Maya that the Fairwoods are again in danger, and that she is needed to restore peace. Maya has no interest in being a weaver or leaving her comfortable life in Oregon. But she feels guilty and eventually agrees to spend Labor Day weekend with Camden on a quest to find the Morning Stone and restore the balance of power.

Maya loses her backpack to Duskrats, and then travels on to the home of the Maple Witch who feeds them and attempts to show Maya how to weave magic just as Sofia had done in the past. Maya is unsuccessful and frustrated. She and the gryphon will meet up with a unicorn, goblins, a geographer some cobblers, and trolls in their attempts to find the Morning Stone. When Maya finally reaches her destination, she is shocked to find that her heroine sister’s death was not an accident. Maya must now make a decision whether or not to avenge it. Will Maya ever be able to put the tragedy behind her or will she forever be molded by it?

I like the multiculturalism introduced by using Spanish phrases, particularly Maya’s grandmother’s description of her as Hueca (hollow) . That is a good way to explain the way Maya feels about herself at the beginning of the story. As mentioned previously, there are some fantasy elements included that are a stretch with the plot, but all in all, I feel that the short novel will appeal to children ten and older as well as adults who like a quick fantasy read.

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