ADHD and Me by Chelsea Radojcic (Children's Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Meet eight-year-old Malory. Malory has a learning disability, but she doesn't let that stop her from enjoying her life. Whenever she is feeling blue, her mother and father remind her of the list of those who love her. Ms. Julie, her art teacher, understands what it is like to be different. She was born Autistic. Ms.Julie encourages Malory to express herself through art.

My thoughts-

This was such a beautiful book. The illustrations are gorgeous, but the truly beautiful thing was the simple explanation of ADHD. I teared up reading this book because it 100% described what my daughter goes through at school. She is at an age now where the other kids are starting to alienate her because they do find her weird or different or whatever word they use for "not the same as us". Having a book like this in classrooms would help other kids to understand children who have differences from them and maybe encourage a little more understanding and harmony. I think this is a must have for every young elementary classroom!

Max Gives Thanks to God (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own.

About the book-

Todd and Jackie Courtney, both experienced teachers and parents to three children, decided to write books to help along new parents teach lessons to their own children. max Gives Thanks to God is one book in a new series of board books designed for toddlers.

My thoughts-

Max and his other friends in "Max Gives Thanks to God are cute and colorful. Toddlers will love looking at the beautiful pictures in this board book and engaging with it's message. I love that the words are in poetry form. Rhyming words are always a great way to make the story stick in your children's minds. I love the vibrant pictures and the lesson to always give thanks to God any time you think about it for all of the blessings in your life. This is a great book for the little ones in your life. It is never too early to learn lessons in giving thanks!

toddandjackie.como

Little Chickies by Susie Jaramillo (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Little Chickies is based on "Los Pollitos Dicen" (Little Chickies Squeal), one of the most popular nursery rhymes in Spanish (as popular as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is in English). A wonderful homage to a mother and her kids, the nursery rhyme centers on adorable baby chicks hatching from their eggs and crying out that they're hungry and their resourceful mama hen taking care of them.

Canticos has developed an innovative reversible design that offers the continuous original story in its native Spanish language one one side, and a new rhyming English language version on the other. A reader can read the story through one one side, get to the end, and flip the book to read the story in the second language. The English adaptation of the song is as catchy and lyrical as the Spanish version and sure to enchant new audiences not familiar with the original song. The book is also interactive, with lift-the-flap* and turn-the-wheel novelty features to encourage interaction and fine motor skills.

My thoughts-

Little Chickies is a fascinating way to introduce your little ones to the world of languages. Seeing the same book with words both in Spanish and English with precious pictures would help both the Spanish speaking child venturing into the word of English and a great way to introduce English speaking children to a new language and a new culture. I would love to see this become a series of books with other Spanish nursery rhymes featured. I absolutely recommend this book to any parent.

Tillie & Clementine Noises in the Night (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.


About the book-

Tillie and Clementine lived with their parents in an old brick house down in Benton Park. One night Mommy had to go to a neighborhood meeting, so it was up to Daddy to feed the girls and get them ready for bed. But the girls are later awakened by strange noises coming from outside their window! What could it be and what will they do?!

My thoughts-

Since one of my favorite things to do is read, I have a ton of books readily available in several rooms of our house for our kids to read. I even had books for them years before they were even born. Needless to say, each of them are big fans of reading and they love a good story. The first time I sat down to read Tillie & Clementine it was for my twin boys, who are 5 years old. They were both immediately interested, I think largely due to the vibrant colors on the cover, along with the darling drawings of the little girls. They are just now getting to an age where they will sit for longer books and this one definitely had their attention. I think they enjoyed the story because they could relate to the girls having to be put to bed by daddy, that happens every now and then at our home as well, and they wanted to know what was going to happen in the fairytale that Tillie and Clementine's dad was weaving for them. They both really enjoyed the action packed ending! Tillie & Clementine have several other books as well and I know we will look forward to reading about their other adventures! 

Connect Tillie & Clementine on Facebook
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The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer.

Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far?

Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He's bossy. He's cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie's grandfather, a scientist who's always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?

With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility.

My thoughts-

I loved this book. It was engaging and interesting all the way through. The chapters were short, which is great for beginning readers and the main premise about the grandfather making himself young again was an interesting concept that I think young readers will enjoy. What I love most about this book were the great lessons that children won't even realize are lessons in history and science with mentions of several prominent people in the science community. I love that this was a fun book about a granddaughter and her wacky grandfather, but that it may open up children to an interest in science. Some of the funniest parts to me were when 70-something year old Melvin stuck in a 12 year old's body, deals with his own daughter who is now acting as his guardian. Parents and children alike will enjoy this book. It would be a fun one to read aloud together. I would recommend The Fourteenth Goldfish to elementary aged children. It is easy enough for a little one that is just at the point of reading chapter books, but interesting enough to keep the attention of a pre-teen as well. 

The Fourteenth Goldfish will be available for purchase on August 26th. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.

About the author-

Jennifer L. Holm's father was a pediatrician and she grew up listening to him talk about the wonder of antibiotics and how science could change the world. Today Jennifer is the NY Times bestselling author of three Newbery Honor Books, as well as the co-creator of the Babymouse series (a 2013 Eisner Award Winner) and Squish series, which she collaborates on with her brother Matthew Holm.

http://www.jenniferhhttp://www.jenniferholm.com/olm.com/

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Catie's Secret by Laura Allen Nonemaker Blog Tour & Book Review + Win a Kindle Fire Kid Pack!

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Litfuse Group. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book:

Catie Caterpillar looks different from any bug Herbie and Bella have ever seen. When Herbie makes fun of Catie, Mayor Benny shows him why he should not judge anyone by how they look. In the end, Catie reveals a secret and the bunnies learn the joy of forgiveness.

Catie's Secret is the second book in Laura Allen Nonemaker's children's series, God's Secret Garden Adventures. Like the previous book, Benny's Angel, Catie's Secret invites young readers to join an exciting adventure while it teaches a valuable lesson.

My thoughts: 

Catie's Secret is such an important book to have in your little ones' libraries.  Not only does it teach kids have a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, it teaches that God makes all things and that all things are different. More importantly though, it teaches children that teasing others is not okay. This book reinforces all 3 of these topics on ways young children can understand. My 6 year old was especially excited about this story because she loves butterflies, so she was very interested in how butterflies life cycles begin and all of the steps in between until the final beautiful butterfly emerges. The illustrations are really cute and animated and go along perfectly with the story. Another cool feature about this book is at the end of the story there are several discussion questions for you to begin a dialogue with your children about bullying and ways to get them thinking about how they would react if they saw someone else being picked on. After that page, there is another with some great facts about butterflies. I would recommend this book to parents of young elementary aged children.

About the author:

Laura began writing as a child in Bermuda when a favorite teacher had one of her essays published in a local newspaper. She is a contributing writer for Kentucky Monthly Magazine and her first children's book, Benny's Angel, was published in 2011. She is on the planning team for Artful Missions, which produces juried art shows and donates most of the proceeds to ministries that help women and children escape human trafficking. When Laura is not dreaming up her next God's Garden adventure, she enjoys spending time with her large family.

Connect with Laura at: http://godsgarden.tateauthor.com

Purchase a copy of Catie's Secret



                 *****Win A Kindle Fire Kid Pack *****

Catie’s Secret is the second book in Laura Allen Nonemaker’s children’s series, God’s Secret Garden Adventures. Laura is celebrating Catie's Secret with a Kindle Fire Kid Pack giveaway!

  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Butterfly Pavilion Hatching Kit
• Butterfly Pattern Carryall Bag
• Butterfly Suncatcher Kit
• Benny's Angel T-Shirt (small)
• Catie's Secret and Benny's Angel with free E-Live audio downloads by Laura Nonemaker

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 23rd. Winner will be announced November 25th at Laura's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Laura's blog on the 25th to see if you won.

Roma Downey's Little Angels Prayers for Every Day Review & Giveaway!

About the Book:

Little Angels Prayers for Every Day features more than 50 simple rhyming prayers that cover a typical day and the typical worries of a young child. From waking in the morning to going to sleep at night, from thanking God for a meal to praying for His comfort when afraid, the prayers here will help little ones to see that any moment is a good moment to talk to God. Relevant Bible verses are scattered throughout the book as well!

My Thoughts: 

Roma Downey sure is one busy lady these days! I just posted a few days ago about a mini series she is producing with Mark Burnett on The History Channel called The Bible and today I am going to telling you a little about her new children's prayer book Little Angels Prayers For Every Day! This sweet little book has prayers for children regarding all of the different things they can pray about. It starts off with prayers for the morning and ends with prayers for bedtime and is filled with prayers for so many other occasions and feelings such as praying before meals, prayers of thanks, prayers of praise, prayers for help, prayers for others, prayers forgiveness, ect. There are several prayers for each category and they are short and they rhyme making them easy for our kiddos (and for us as we are teaching them!) to commit them to memory. Each page is colorful and has cute animated twin brother and sister Zoe and Alex in situations where they would want or need to pray. I thought this was a very cute book and a great way to introduce the importance of a constant prayer life to our little ones. This would make an awesome baby shower gift! It would also make a great addition to an Easter basket for a toddler or even a preschooler. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a way to teach their kids about prayer! Enter via the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a copy of Roma Downey's Little Angels Prayers For Every Day!

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Enter below via the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a copy of the book!!!

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Penelope's Rainy Day Adventures by Janelle Rogers- Book Review & Giveaway

I can definitely remember some of my favorite books from my childhood- pretty much anything by Beverly Cleary (people often told me I looked like Ramona Quimby, so I just went with it), Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you See? by Marc Brown and when I was a little older Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. I know that these great books are what started me off on a lifelong love of reading and I love watching my kids begin to discover what their favorite books are.

I learned that a very sweet woman whom I grew up with had her very first children's book published. I knew right away I would want to buy her book for my kids. Janelle Rogers debut children's book is called Penelope's Rainy Day Adventures and as you can see from the picture above, it is full of cute, animated pictures. Inspired by her daughter, Rogers wanted to write a book they could enjoy together.

I couldn't wait to see how her first book turned out and I would say she did a rather good job. The book is all about using your imagination. It's not so long that little ones can not enjoy the whole book without getting squirmy and not so short that it's not worth the effort to pick up. I think this book is best suited for 2-6 year olds. All of my kids enjoy hearing all about where Penelope's imagination takes her when it is too rainy outside to play.

One of the coolest things about purchasing this book, is that Rogers donates 10% from the sale of each book to Children's Hospital. She also recently held a sell a thon of Penelope's Rainy Day Adventures where 100% of proceeds went to Kidd's Kids, a charity that sends terminally ill children and their families to Disneyland. This talented author also has a big heart.

Janelle Rogers is currently working on the second book in the Penelope Series.

I want to share Penelope's Rainy Day Adventures with you! One lucky reader will receive their own copy of the book. Enter below via the Rafflecopter!

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*disclosure- I was in no way compensated for this review nor did I receive any free products. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

The Creation (as retold by Janice D. Green) Book Review

The beginning of the Bible greets us withan explination of the creation. To be able to fully understand God's word and plan for us. we must first understand where we come from.

Photo courtesy of
 Honeycombadventures.com

In The Creation, a retelling of the account given in Genesis, Janice D. Green puts it in terms designed for a child to understand. Each phase of creation is given it's own page in the book and explained in a few short easy to understand sentences followed by it's corresponding Bible verse. My 3 kids ages four, two and two, all listened intently through the entire story. I found the follow up questions at the end of each page a very nice way to engage my preschooler. She was more than willing to ponder these questions and come up with answers. She really enjoyed that aspect of the book. Even though my boys are not yet old enough to participate that thoroughly, I found this book to be a great starting point on sharing the story of creation with them.  Each page is accompanied with colorful hand appliqued quilt illustrations to help further tell the story.. Green does a great job translating the story of creation into terms a young child, even a preschooler, can understand. This is a great book for any Christian home with younger children. It would also make a teriffic addition to the library of a Sunday School classroom or a Church or Biblically based preschool.

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”