Review: Raccoon Tales by Joy DeKok

Raccoon Tales by Joy DeKok

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Jabberwocky Books (February 15, 2010)  
ISBN-10: 1935204092
ISBN-13: 978-1935204091
Rating: 5/5

This is a wonderful childrens book filled with fun facts about our furry friends, the raccoons, faith-filled verses & rhymes, and beautiful illustrated pages! Divided into small sections it breaks down all that is needed to help tend to the babies for the first year of their lives. I think this book would be enjoyed by anybody who has a love for animals. The ending was kinda sad when the babies were old enough to go back into the wild but it helped to demonstrate that it's not always easy to do what is right.

Review Book Provided by Author

Review: We the Children (Keepers of the School) by Andrew Clements

We the Children (Keepers of the School) by Andrew Clements
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Atheneum (April 6, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416938869
ISBN-13: 978-1416938866
Rating: 3/5

Ben Pratt's harbor-side school is about to be torn down and replaced with an amusement park. At first this is of no concern to Ben but then his parents separate and he befriends the school janitor who gives Ben a precious coin telling him he needs to find a way to save the school and then dies! Now Ben and his best friend Jill embark on a mystery that gets weireder and weirder the more they unveil. Will they be able to save the school?

My Review: This was an interesting beginning to what looks will enfold into a wonderful childrens mystery series. Although I cant believe any kid would choose to not want their school transformed into a huge amusement park I believe maybe Ben really just needed this mystery behind the school being torn down to distract his depression over his parents sudden separation.

The characters are fun and pretty well developed with the story moving along at an easy pace with adventure on almost every page. The ending leaves lots of unanswered questions that will carry over into the next book.

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Review: Chaucer's First Winter by Stephen Krensky

Chaucer's First Winter by Stephen Krensky

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1 edition (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416990267
ISBN-13: 978-1416990260
Rating: 4/5

Little Chaucer is really upset at the thought of missing out on winter fun with his friends so when his parents are fast asleep in their cave he slips out and explores his first Winter!

Cute little story and sooo reminds me of how the kids really are at bedtime alot not wanting to go "seepy" wanting to keep playing instead and then when it's time to get up they wanna "seepy"! Has Beautiful illustrations!

Review Copy Provided by Author

Reviews:Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: HarperFestival; Mti Rep edition (October 28, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061649694
ISBN-13: 978-0061649691
Rating: 4/5

I watched the movie and read the book this weekend and this is the first time I can honestly say I have no preference which I liked better! They both were pretty cool. I only noticed one major difference from the book to the movie and that is in the movie Coraline has a friend tagging along and in the book she doesn't.

Coraline is a bored little girl whoses parents are far to busy to play with her and she must make up games to amuse herself in her new family home. While exploring she finds a locked door and upon entering it she finds herself in an apartment just like hers with parents just like hers except not so much like hers in that they have button eyes and cater to her every joy. Coraline must determine if the grass is greener on the other side or if she is happier with her world as she knows it.

This was the cutest and strangest book/movie I have watched in a while!

Review: Moonbeam Dreams - Gina Browning

Moonbeam Dreams by Gina Browning

Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Eloquent Books
ISBN-10: 1606930486
ISBN-13: 978-1606930489
Rating: 5/5
Review Copy Provided by Author

 This is a beautifully illustrated book that rhymes its story about dreams and fantasyland and the many things we may encounter there.

I Loved it! The rhymes were really awesome and the illustrations are so bright and go right along so well with the story!

Gina, the author mentions that the verses in her poetry book first came to her in her dreams as she was recovering from surgery years ago!

Review: Gifts of the Heart by Karen Boes Oman

Gifts of the Heart by Karen Boes Oman

Paperback: 36 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN-10: 1449961592
ISBN-13: 978-1449961596
Rating: 4/5
Review Copy Provided by Author

"When a terrible storm whisks Grandpa and Grandma off the road on the day before Christmas, it scatters their grandchildren's presents all across Mother Goose Land. Their search for the lost gifts leaves them empty-handed but with hearts overflowing with love. But what will Grandpa and Grandma tell their grandkids when they arrive without presents? A knock on the door leads grandparents and grandchildren on an exciting Christmas Eve adventure, a night filled with music, magic, and the best gifts of all - gifts of the heart."

Gifts of the Heart is an excellant book that portrays the true meaning of Christmas which is to give of ones heart and love with very pretty illustrations as well!

Review: The Mud Hogs by Dalton James

The Mud Hogs by Dalton James

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN-10: 1432745603

ISBN-13: 978-1432745608

Rating: 5/5

Review Copy Provided by Author

"Three little pigs try everything in their power to make or find mud. Along the way they learn a valuable life lesson. "

**OKay I review quite a few childrens books and I thought I should briefly mention that I do rate them a bit different than others for obvious reasons.

The most common things I rate them by are:

1) Did they hold the kids interest?

2) Were they able to retell the story for me?

3) Did the story make sense and get its message across?

and a few others that just depend solely on the particular book I am reviewing.

The Mudhogs passed all three of the above with flying colors! It was a cute and simple story that did get its point across which basically was Home is a wonderful place to be!

I was really impressed that not only was this book written by an 8-year old but that it's not even his 1st published work! This is his 3rd published book! I can't wait to see what stories he has yet to tell in his future! Great job Dalton!

Review: Bait For Lunch by K. A. Okagaki

Bait For Lunch by K. A. Okagaki

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 28 pages

Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC

ISBN-10: 0981868584

ISBN-13: 978-0981868585

Rating: 5/5

Review Copy Provided by Author

"Gilroy Tanaka thinks Grandpa staying with him while Mom and Dad are away will be a treat. Poor Gilroy's delight turns to shock when his grandfather serves octopus for dinner and squid kabobs for lunch. What's a hungry kid supposed to do?"

This was a really funny childrens book and reminded me so much of myself when I was younger and my folks tried to get me to sample "different" foods and I wouldn't have none of it. No Way! Our little girl loved the book but I dont think it inspired her to eat the octopus just yet!

Outside of being fun and an easy read I enjoyed that this book was broke into small chapters even as short as it was to get small children used to reading chapter books.

Review: Hakim & Terrance Shadow Mystery by Bernadine Feagins

Hakim & Terrance Shadow Mystery by Bernadine Feagins
Paperback: 68 pages
Publisher: lulu.com
Genre: Childrens
Rating: 5/5

Hakim and Terrance have a mystery to solve; finding Hakim’s dog Shadow. Along the way they meet many new people and learn what friendship is all about.

This was a terrific childrens book! It teaches many lessons to help kids understand friendship, sharing, and that it’s not always right to keep things we find.

I can really relate to losing a pet because my little doggies are my babies and I go crazy when I dont know where they are.

Review Copy Provided by Author/Publisher

Review: Elmer the Christmas Elf & Inside Out by Marilyn E Randall

Elmer the Christmas Elf & Inside Out by Marilyn E Randall

Genre: Children's Books

Pages: Inside Out - 17 pages   Elmer the Christmas Elf - 32 pages

Publisher: Lulu Publishing

Rating: 4/5

The following are 2 books from a series of 5 by author Marilyn E. Randall. Each of her childrens books has its own little lesson to teach and help children about Gods love and growing up among other things and she illustrates each one herself.

You can visit her site and take a look at the rest of the series HERE

The children and I loved reviewing these two of the series and the illustrations were so vivid and fun to look at as we read. The lessons were simple enough for younger children to understand and the stories were told alot thru rhymes which made them even more interesting and fun!

Inside Out is the story of a cute little frog who hated his looks and wondered if God had made a mistake in making him a frog? The lesson taught in this adorable book is that beauty is on the inside.

Elmer the Christmas Elf is her latest and it is about Elmer the Elf who spends all his time making toys for Santa and this year once Santa has come and gone, Elmer can relax in bed for his job is done when he sees one tiny toy that has dropped from the bag and he worries about that one child who wont have a toy this year. What can he do?

Review Copies provided by Author.

 

Reviews: Stop It by Sally O. Lee

Stop It by Sally O. Lee

Publisher: BookSurge Publishing

Genre: Childrens Books

Pages: 36

Rating 4/5

 

Anabel likes to play dress-up and George likes to tease her by stealing her dress up clothes and pulling her cats tail.

 

Stop It is a cute short story with brilliant illustrations, but while the book is supposed to be centered around being a bully I feel it displays more of a sibling rivalry theme.

Regardless of the theme it still makes a wonderful first book for a child who is beginning to explore in reading with short sentences and few words on the pages.

Reveiw: Scarecrow Finds a Friend by Blume J Rifken

Scarecrow Finds a Friend by Blume J Rifken

Genre: Childrens Books

Publisher: Whirlpool Press

Pages: 32 pages

Rating: 4.5 / 5

All in all this was a delightful story focused on sharing and caring for others. Little witch has lost her flying ability and the scarecrow helps devise a no fail plan to get it back by using the Thanksgiving turkeys wishbone, but how they came about getting it was a little far fetched I believe.

Scarecrow Finds a Friend sports a nice glossy hardback cover that easily wipes clean and has beautifully illustrated pages which do a remarkable job of diplaying the Autumn Season.

Not your typical bedtime story but a wonderfully illustrated one with a valuable message just the same!

Review Copy provided by author.

Review: What I love about you! by Carol Casey

Dear Baby, What I love about you! by Carol Casey

Publisher: National Book Network
Genre: Children's/Baby
Pages: 18
My Rating: 5/5

This was an adorable first book for any child. With brightly illustrated pages on thick board-like paper and just the perfect size for little hands to hold. I especially enjoyed the last page of the book having an autograph page so everybody who read the story to baby/child could sign it as a keepsake for the baby/child.

Review Copy provided by author.

Review: Spot The Plot by J Patrick Lewis

Spot the Plot by J. Patrick Lewis

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Pages: 36

Genre: Children Books

My Rating: 5/5

 

Spot the Plot was a very fun read and the kids loved it! It has beautiful illustrations and cute whimsy rhymes describing much loved children’s books and you have to guess what the book is! I wished it would have had more rhymes in it though! We were having such fun guessing the books! Also for the books that you may not have enjoyed with your children yet, by reading the cute rhymes about them, it may display an interest for them to have you pick that book up on the next library visit!

Emma Lea's Tea With Daddy - Babette Donaldson

Emma Lea's Tea With Daddy - Babette Donaldson
Genre: Childrens Books
Publisher: Blue Gate Books
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8 yrs.
My Rating: 5/5

Summary: "Emma Lea and her father spend a day together while Mama is gone. Daddy has a list of chores but Emma Lea imagines something much more fun. "I'd rather have a tea party," she tell him. "Like you have with Theodosia Teddy Bear?" he asks. "Not a playtime tea. A real tea. Like Mama and me." Emma Lea creates a memorable afternoon for the two of them with the help of Grammie's recipes and Mama's crafts. She takes pride in being able to do most of it by herself. She teaches her father what's most important about tea parties. What do you think is the most important thing about teatime?"

My Review: This is a beautifully illustrated story of a little girl wanting to have a special tea party with her daddy while mommy is away. Emma goes about the tasks of setting the table, making the snacks, and dressing up while daddy finishes chores.

I really enjoyed this book with my little girl because I felt it introduced children to "helping out" and lets them know just because we have to do chores and make preparations, even for tea parties, that it doesn't mean we can't have fun while doing so and the biggest lesson to be learned from Emma Lea's Tea With Daddy is that spending time together is the most important gift of all!

Has a yummy cookie recipe in it!

Review Copy Received from Author

Scooby-Doo Phonics Box Set - Frances Ann Ladd

Scooby-Doo Phonics Box Set - Frances Ann Ladd


Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Pages: 240
ISBN-13: 978-0439664783
Copyright: 2005
My rating: 4/5

Synopsis: "Based on the best research on how children develop reading skills, these twelve books introduce a carefully selected progression of letter sounds-starting with the easiest and most common. Each book helps build a young reader's confidence with repeated examples of the letter sounds being focused on, as well as "words to learn" and "words to sound out."

I was well satisfied with the teaching element of this 12 book set. Each booklet had a brief set of "new" words and sounds you should look for in the story before you began reading and this was really helpful with my 5 year old who has a slight speech problem. We would say the words together several times and then begin our story and that made her more familiar with them and when we came upon them in the story we would stop and place emphasis thus making her feel even more comfortable using words she may not have before.

The pages are full of beautiful color pictures and the words are in large sized print which allowed for only having one to two sentences on each page making it easier to hold her attention. I was overjoyed when she took a book from my hand and attempted to read the story aloud all on her own!

The biggest dissappointment to us overall had nothing to do with the learning ability of the phonics books as the omittance of the rest of the Scooby Doo Gang.