Children’s

Review: Fablehaven Book of Imagination by Brandon Mull

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15135731_1299809816725483_7146308628241356337_n This isn’t my usual review. In fact, this was probably my least stressful review ever. A book of activities. No thought required. Easy peasy. Well, some did require thought, but don’t tell my kids. They may yell at me that they’re “learning” something instead of it being all about playing. When I first saw this Book of Imagination, I knew this would be perfect excuse to have fun and learn at the same time.

My kids have wanted fantasy books, that aren’t fill with romance, so when I stumbled upon the Fablehaven series, I knew this would be a hit. So far, I’m right. My daughter is reading book one right now and she is liking it. That’s huge in my house. We struggle to find books that they like, so we don’t have to force them to read.
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If you have tweens, or young teens, and you’re looking for something to give them a little escape from the real world, I recommend this activity book. Even if they haven’t read the series, they can still do activities. So add this to their stockings and make them happy. There’s recipes and activities to cure boredom and make the holidays run smoother. In fact, I brought this book with us when we went out to eat and it made the time pass much faster and there was no fighting. We all worked on a page and it was fun. We did one of the “How many words can you find?” pages and the next thing we knew, our food was arriving. Working your brain makes time fly. 🙂

This is my favorite page, as I was scrolling through. That girl of mine is such a stinker. 🙂
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~Melpomene

Grab the Fablehaven Book of Imagination http://amzn.to/2g7rvr5

Check out Sadie Mull’s video on how to make the wizard’s slime from one of the recipes in the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruaUdPKNmBY&t=6s

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Review: Star Wars Little Golden Books

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So you may’ve heard about this movie that came out last Friday.  Not a big deal, really. Just a sequel to a little sci fi series…

Combine the epic saga that is Star Wars along with possibly the most nostalgic book medium of many of our childhoods and you get this.  The creators of Little Golden Books, those of The Poky  Little Puppy fame, have put together the perfect gift for Star Wars fans.

This little gem of a set condenses each of the six movies into one neat little golden-spined package.  Each story is accompanied by outstanding retro illustrations, and the scary scenes & violence have been nicely toned down as much as possible without losing the story.

These books will appeal to kids of all ages. Older readers will enjoy the memories from their childhood while at the same time adding another element to their no doubt very large Star Wars collection. And, as I’ve tested these on some very willing seven year olds, I can promise younger readers will devour them as just good books. Guaranteed to become favorites!

~Thalia

Buy It Now:STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS

 

 

Review: The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story, by R.J.Palacio

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01won Choose kind.

I decided to take a break from the romance books I’ve been reading lately. So I was searching Amazon and cam across this little book. I was pleasantly surprised to see it. I had no idea this was coming! But if you haven’t read Wonder, please stop and go do that first. I’ll wait………

Done? Good. Wasn’t it beautiful?? I read it last year and then made me kids read it. I personally think every child should read it. Bullying is a very real thing. No matter what it’s about- looks, color, speech, whatever- bullying is a very real issue and should be stopped.

This little book, is from Julian’s point of view. He was the lead bully. We never knew what he was thinking., We only saw his actions. Now, I know some people think, “He’s just in 5th grade.” “It’s what boys do.” “He’s only playing around.” Well, it’s not right. Teasing and joking is WAY different than bullying.

Julian had so much going on, behind the scenes, I honestly felt bad for him. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to throttle him, while he was being mean, but after reading this book, I get it. I got him. I understood why he acted the way he did. I understood the fears that he felt. I understood the confusion that was swarming around him.

I highly recommend this little extra chapter, after you’ve read Wonder. If you are dealing with bullying, this may give you a bit of insight as to why kids do the things they do. We may not agree with them, but we will have a better understanding of them.

~Melpomene

Buy The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story (Kindle Single)

Buy Wonder

Preorder 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts

Review: Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D. B. Johnson

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imageThis is the first in a series of young children’s books. The inspiration for the main character and the series is Henry David Thoreau’s introspective book, Walden. Thoreau wrote in Walden about living in a cabin in Massachusetts for two years.

Henry and his friend decide to visit Fitchburg, which is thirty miles away. Henry chooses to walk. He claims it’s the fastest way to travel. His friend wants to work and save up money to buy a train ticket. Who will get their first?

While Henry’s friend is pulling out weeds in a garden for 25¢, “Henry put ferns and flowers in a book and pressed them.”

While Henry’s friend is moving bookcases in a study, “Henry climbed a tree.”

While Henry’s friend goes to buy a train ticket, “Henry jumped into a pond.”

Yes, Henry’s friend did beat Henry to Fitchburg. Henry didn’t care. He stopped to pick blackberries.

You can decide for yourself which method you would have chosen and why. I won’t judge. 🙂 Just don’t miss out on this book with the gorgeous drawings.

Also, please don’t skip the author’s note which explains his inspiration for the book.

~Thalia

Buy It Now Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

Review: Baby Polar by Yannick Murphy (Author), Kristen Balouch (Illustrator)

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imageThis is a sweet and charming book about a baby polar bear. A huge snowstorm is coming. He wants to play in the snow. His protective mom allows him to play, but only for a little while.

The baby polar bear wanders off and seems to be lost. He’s cold and frightened. Also, it’s getting hard to see where he’s going because of all of the snow falling. Luckily, he finds a cave. It is filled with warmth and he thinks he can hear the beating heart of his beloved mother. It is his mother, surrounding him with love and protection.

This book would make a great gift for any occasion. It’s an adorable story with gorgeous illustrations.

~Thalia

Buy It Now Baby Polar