This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Magnificent, up close, colorful pictures of amazing animals grace every page of The Fascinating Animal Book for Kids. Each picture is accompanied by a cool, weird or mesmerizing animal fact that will have you searching for more information; however not every single fact has a picture. Split up into sections such as Magnificent Mammals, Creepy Crawlies, Water World, Scaly Things, Amazing Amphibians and Feathered Friends, everyone will find something fascinating. Younger kids will enjoy the animal pictures and seeing animals that they have wondered about and independent readers will get absorbed in the cool facts. Perfect for animal lovers or school rooms.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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Darci loves to drum- on pots, pans, boxes- making noise on everything and bothering her brother. When her parents sign Darci up for drum lessons, she finally gets the right tools and learns the skills that she needs to be a good drummer and follow her dreams. Darci The Drummer Takes Drum Lessons is the perfect book for anyone with a dream who has felt discouraged. Darci is certain of her passion, but needs help to find the right tools. This is a great reminder that we all need help in finding our way. I liked that practice and positive encouragement was in the forefront when Darci's skills were taking shape. The bright and realistic illustrations focus on emotions as well as the tools and vocabulary that she needs to succeed. Perfect for kids aged 5-9 who are learning how to focus. This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. Claudette lives in the magic kingdom of Motown where music and dancing create happiness everywhere. One day a witch come to town and took the happiness away. Everything was dark and gray until Claudette found The Miracles in her attic. With the help of the Miracles Claudette brings music back to Motown. The author, Claudette Robinson is the real First Lady of Motown and an original member of The Miracles. Because of this, I was expecting this story to be a fantasized version of how Claudette came to love music or begin her career. This is instead a completely fictionalized story of a girl who uses music to inspire others and find happiness. The music just happens to be that of the members of The Miracles. I did enjoy the rhythm and rhyme of the book, which when read aloud can easily mimic a Motown beat. The collage style illustrations show the difference between the vibrant and happy times with music and the dark and sorrowful times without music. A fun adventure which can serve as an introduction to the importance of music in the 1960's for different groups of people. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Boots the Alaskan Grizzly Bear is out to find some herbs for his injured sister, Chinook. While he is searching, Boots runs into a mischievous mountain lion and is helped out by Sockeye the Black Bear and her adopted brother Pepe the spiny tailed iguana. Although Sockeye and Pepe are different from Boots and his family, they are helpful and caring and there for one another- and that is what family is all about. Three Paws' New Family is a fun adventure that not only introduces children to Alaskan wildlife, but to a broader definition of family. Boots' learns that family can be who you make it and that shared values are more important than the same appearance or even language as his family makes room for Sockeye and Pepe. With simple, colorful illustrations that promote the beauty of Alaska, this book is perfect for kids aged 4-8 years old. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Lance Cottonwood is the brightest leaf on the cottonwood tree, excelling at all his leaf classes. As the season change, Lance changes to a brilliant yellow. However, his final exam is falling off the tree and Lance is scared. As all the other leaves fall, Lance tries to decide what he should do next. The Very Last Leaf combines themes of nature, social anxiety and courage through the story of Lance Cottonwood. Children can easily relate to Lance wanting to be the best at every challenge that comes his way and the fear when a challenge seems to big. Through Lance, children learn strategies for dealing with changes and stress. In addition, Lance goes through the seasons, some of the purposes of leaves such as photosynthesis and the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees. The illustrations are cute and colorful while still preserving the natural integrity of the plants represented A fox watches in delight as the seasons turn, noting the wonderful colors that erupt in spring, summer and fall. Fox wishes that he could take the colors with him into winter. Fox tries his hardest to collect the colors in vibrant artwork using what nature has to offer, flower petals, stones and leaves. However, none of his artwork is permanent. Then, fox happens upon Claude Monet who is using something different to capture a scene in nature. Could this be the answer to fox's dilemma? Sweet, whimsical and full of bold and striking colors, A Colorful Tail captures children's interest with a charismatic fox and a unique problem. I love that the story introduces children to a variety of colors outside of the seven colors of the rainbow within the text as well as the striking and playful illustrations. The story also focuses on problem solving and not giving up after the first attempt. In addition, children are introduced to Claude Monet in a fun way. An Unexpected AdventureChace, Harley, Will, and Cherise are eighth graders on the west coast. When Harley's family's B & B guest, Professor Raleigh asks them for help in looking for thundereggs, they enthusiastically agree. They find an thunderegg, but quickly agree that it is more egg than rock. They decide to keep the egg hidden from the Professor, but do bring it to their science teacher, Mr. Behr. The egg eventually hatches revealing something unexpected- a dragon. Steria the dragon immediately bonds with all the kids, now they have to figure out how to care for a dragon and keep Steria safe from Professor Raleigh. An exciting middle grade adventure-with dragons! Taking care of the egg and Steria is a great test of the group's friendship as they navigate a totally unique situation. My favorite character by far was Steria herself, calm and trusting- but playful at heart. Like many middle grade stories, the parents were left out of a lot, however, at least there was an adult involved with Mr. Behr. The tensions rose as Professor Raleigh is constantly on their tails and Steria needed more and more food. As we learned more about Professor Raleigh, it seems that he may not be the villain that everyone thought. I did really like the solution that the group found for Steria at the end, although it doesn't seem like it will last very long. Hopefully the next book will come up with a better solution. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. An Unexpected EscapadeA rip in the space-time continuum has been wreaking havoc in a small town on Oregon's Coast. Kajri, a Unicorn has found herself ripped out of her own world and into one with animals that look similar, but are lacking a horn. When middle-schooler Daisy goes out to find her two appaloosa horses in the pasture, she is surprised to find another horse with them. Daisy is amazed to find that the third horse has a horn and can speak to Daisy through her thoughts. Daisy lets her friend Ana in on the secret as well. The girls try to keep Kajri safe as they learn of a poacher that wants Kajri for her magical healing horn, but they will need help from Professor Raleigh and some friends who have been in a similar situation. A fun middle-grade fantasy with unicorns! This book takes place soon after An Unexpected Adventure and it is helpful to have read that book beforehand in order to know the importance of Professor Raleigh and Will, but not necessary. I liked Daisy's character and how her confidence and strength grew around the horses as well as Kajri. The friendship between Daisy and Ana was refreshing as well. Even as Ana was facing family issues that Kajri could have easily solved, she knew that her friends were there to support her. Kajri herself was amazing as well, gentle and calming even though she was in a completely different world than what she knew. I do wish there were a few more details about where Kajri came from and her powers. I liked that there was a little more adult involvement in this story, however I didn't get the sudden inclusion of religion. I am glad that there is a happy ending for Kajri and I am still hoping for a similar solution for Steria from the first book! This book was received for free in return for an honest review. An Unexpected ExploitThe small coastal town of Myrtle Beach, Oregon has been a known hot spot for mythical creatures. The portals that open up have caused several creatures to come through to our world. So far, several teens with the help of NSA agent Winston Raleigh have helped the creatures. Now, 16 year old Franklin stumbles through a portal on a hunting trip and befriends a sasquatch. Before Franklin can return home, he learns about the world of Shinwano, all the creatures that live there and begins training on how to protect the portals when he returns home. However, promptly upon Franklin's return to his world, Jack Collins, hunter of mythical creatures forces Franklin to show him the portal. Luckily, Agent Raleigh and Franklin's friends aren't too far behind and can help Franklin defeat Jack and the evil forces in Shinwano while protecting the beings that live there. In the final book of the Myth Coast Adventures series, a middle grade fantasy adventure, we finally get to see where all of the magnificent creatures came from. I really enjoyed exploring Shinwano with Franklin and learning about how the portals work. My favorite part of the story was when Franklin was training with Ladaku, a sanraksaka, or Sasquatch. Through Ladaku, Franklin learned about the strength within himself`and how to use his bhala. I did notice that the religious undertones that had been set in the previous two books have now come full force as the fight of good versus evil erupts in Shinwano. The excitement and danger was amplified in this installment as Jack Collins is unleashed in a land with creatures that he wants to kill for their body parts. To stop Jack, they use teamwork, creative thinking and their beliefs. I also loved the consequence that Jack has to face at the end. My only complaint was that there were a lot of new Shinwano words introduced all at once and it was difficult for me to keep track of new names for creatures that there are already words for. Overall, a satisfying end to an enchanting trilogy. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. The Beat on Ruby's Street Eleven-year old Ruby Tabeata is growing up in Greenwich Village in 1958. She is part of the Beat generation and lives a slightly different kind of life than those around her. Ruby loves poetry and writes some herself, her biggest dream is to hear Jack Kerouac perform. However, her parents aren't exactly married, her house isn't the cleanest and she doesn't attend a normal school. All of this plus being mistaken for stealing from a market stall gets Ruby in trouble and gets the attention of a social worker. The social worker does not approve of Ruby's home life and takes her to a children's home. While there, Ruby does whatever she needs in order to return to her mom and home. The Beat on Ruby's Street was a very interesting look into the life of a child of the Beat generation. I really don't know much about people who did consider themselves Beatniks, and never thought about the children that they raised. I was very interested in Ruby's way of life and I adored her poetry. I thought it was very interesting that they were treated without respect because of their different way of life. However, I didn't like that the social worker was portrayed as a villain rather than someone who came to understand a different way of living. I was very happy that Ruby did finally get to meet her poet and perform her poetry. Overall, an inspiring piece of historical fiction for middle grade readers. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Fool's Errand Twelve year old Ruby Tabeata is ready to have a fun summer. However, she finds out that her best friend Sophie is forced into hiding with her mother after her mother attended a Communist meeting. The House Un-American Activities Committee would like to serve Sophie's mom in order to have her turn in other people who have attended meetings as well. Ruby wants to help Sophie and her mother after her mother loses her job and goes on the run, but after last year's run-in with a social worker, Ruby's mom has set some rules for her. Ruby decides to chase Sophie all the way to Illinois along with her brother's girlfriend JoJo. Although, her intentions may end up hurting more than helping. An exciting and dangerous middle grade adventure in the 1950's. Fool's Errand picks up soon after book 1, The Beat of Ruby's Street leaves off and I would highly encourage reading that first in order to get to Ruby. Through Ruby, I learned a little more about America's hidden history of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Hollywood Blacklist that Sophie's mom was placed on. Ruby's adventure was also a coming-of-age journey for her where she expanded out of the Beat society and learned that her actions had consequences. Ruby also learned more of the rules of society that she didn't always experience as a Beat and gained maturity as she learned to trust others and that not everything will go the way you think. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Meet the SkwerdlockWhen Trish was very little, she got very sick. To make her feel better, Trish's dad sang her a silly song about a made up beast called the Skwerdlock. However, when the song was finished, Trish could see the Skwerdlock standing right there! Meet the Skwerdlock introduces us to the Skwerdlock himself! As Trish shares the story of how the Skwerdlock came to be, we learn about how the Skwerdlock came into existence and his many talents. The writing is done as a child telling a story verbally, it is a little rambling in some part, but mostly direct and easy to read. The pictures are bright, colorful and simply drawn by the author himself. The tone of the story is of imagination and silliness. I read Meet the Skwerdlock to my three year old and it quickly became a favorite that he asks for by name. I Saw the SkwerdlockThe Skwerdlock can do many things! In I Saw the Skwerdlock, we are taken on a silly adventure of all of the things the Skwerdlock can do that also rhyme! In Seuss-like fashion, the Skwerdlock shows us all the nonsensical things he can do that rhyme. This is a great way to introduce rhyming words and sight words to small children, especially if they already enjoy the Skwerdlock. From common rhymes like bug and rug to newer rhymes like drone and ice cream cone, the Skwerdlock can do it all. The hand drawn, bright pictures depict the Skwerdlock with objects kids can easily recognize and point out for interactive reading. Never Take a Skwerdlock to the DoctorToday Trish has to go to the doctor. She isn't sick, Trish just needs a checkup. She tells the Skwerdlock to stay home, but he decides to come along anyway. It seems like the Skwerdlock wants a checkup too! Continuing the adventures with the Skwerdlock, this imaginative creature wants to see what the doctor is all about by getting a checkup, just like Trish. It was fun for my three year old to see what the Skwerdlock would do next and where he was hiding on each page. Never Take the Skwerdlock to the Doctor also serves as a social story that is good for little ones who might be apprehensive about going for a doctor visit. Trish and Skwerdlock walk you through each step at the doctor in a fun and humorous way. With bright hand drawn illustrations that catch kids attention, this Skwerdlock adventure is good for kids 2-6. Sadie and the bees of Honeycomb City have a lot of work to do on the first day of Spring. They begin in the morning by sharing their honey with the baby bees and then go out to pollinate flowers and collect nectar to bring back. Sadie and her friends are having so much fun out in the flower fields, but then a rain shower comes through. It is hard for the bees to carry heavy loads and fly in the rain, will Sadie and her friends be able to return to Honeycomb city with food for everyone? Kindness Matters: Sharing Bees incorporates social skills, emotions and nature into a fun and engaging story for children. I liked that there were many approaches to sharing within the story and a focus on how sharing makes you feel and the good it accomplishes. In the story sharing is shown as not just giving up something of yours, but taking on something from someone else to help your team and community. I enjoyed that the book also included some common flowers that bees like to visit as well as their colors for skill practice. My three year old enjoyed the bright illustrations and many buzzing sound effects. I thought that the bee bodies with human heads looked a little strange, but it does help to get across the point that sharing isn't just for bees. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. |
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