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Science Picture Books: *The Beak Book, Nano, and Building
Three outstanding picture books offer windows into nano technology, beaver life, and the beauty and variety of beak design. *The Beak Book by Robin Page. Beach Lane Books (Simon & Shuster), 2021, 34 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 0-4 Recommended for: ages 1-8 “Bird beaks come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes.” You might think of pelicans, ducks, toucans, hummingbirds—all very different, for sure. But why? Each beak (or bill) is designed for a purpose—usually connected to eating, but not always. The oriental pied hornbill uses its elaborate apparatus for mating battles. Macaws use theirs for climbing. The female tailorbird uses her sharp beak for sewing leaves with…
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A Day For Bones by Dale E Lehman
Yesterday Meets Today A Day For Bones by Dale E Lehman is the fourth book in the Howard County Mysteries and an absolutely thrilling read. Once more Dale Lehman has cleverly constructed and executed a thinking man’s crime suspense. He is a masterful storyteller as he weaves his plot. The reader is kept on their […]
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An Ocean Apart by Sarah Lee
A Brave New World An Ocean Apart by Sarah Lee is a marvellous historical novel that I just could not put down. The novel is set in 1954 as we follow three young women from the Caribbean to England to train as nurses in the fairly new NHS. We witness the bravery needed to cross […]
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Quick Summer Reads: Treasure Tracks, High Score, and Wretched Waterpark
Three entertaining novels for the adventure-seeker, the heist-lover, and the doom-aficionado. Treasure Tracks by S. A. Rodriguez. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2022, 214 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Fernando Roman prefers his Abuelo’s name for him: Fin. Water sprite that he is, the name suits him, but actually everything about Abuelo suits him better than his own dad. Dad seems to have missed the adventure gene that Fin and his grandfather share, and never joins them as they explore the Florida Keys with scuba gear and an old boat. On the day Fin turns 12, Abuelo shares a story about a treasure—Spanish gold found in…
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Living Water To Refresh Your Soul by Tracy Smoak
So Beautiful Living Water To Refresh Your Soul by Tracy Smoak is a simply beautiful book containing thirty devotionals that will help you in your faith walk. Jesus is THE living water. Just as we need water to hydrate our physical bodies, we need Jesus’ words to hydrate our souls. The devotional has thirty photographs […]
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*Tree Street Kids: Lions to the Rescue! and Mystery in Crooked Creek Woods
The Tree Street Kids series continues as Jack, Ellison, Roger, Ruthie and Midge develop new and better friendships, and also solve a mystery. Tree Street Kids series by Amanda Cleary Eastep, illustrated by Aedan Peterson: Lions to the Rescue! and Mystery in Crooked Creek Woods. Moody, 2022. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended For: Ages 8-10 Lions to the Rescue! Jack’s adjustment to a new neighborhood and making new friends continues when he joins his friend Ellison at a new school. He is eager to be accepted by DJ and the guys on the peewee football team, but Ellison would rather sign up for the Library Club. How can…
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Just Look Around: Sato the Rabbit, One Boy Watching, and The Boy Who Loved Maps
These picture books, Sato the Rabbit, One Boy Watching, and The Boy Who Loved Maps, are about using imagination and paying attention. Sato the Rabbit by Yuki Ainoya, translated by Michael Blaskowsky. Enchanted Lion, 2021, 59 pages. Reading level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 3-7 “One day, Hanero Sato became a rabbit. He’s been a rabbit ever since.” Sato is a curious sort who likes all kinds of things, but donning a rabbit suit helps him wonder about things he’s never wondered before. Such as, where does the water from his garden hose come from? The answer can be found by following the garden hose to a small…
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Such A Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar
Wow! Gripping! Such A Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar is a gripping psychological suspense that I just could not put down. I was totally consumed. The novel is divided into several sections. Each section begins with a different voice to the main body. It is up to the reader to see if we know […]
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Gotta Go Back For The Dog by Sara Wheeley
Really Fun Fact Finding Gotta Go Back For The Dog by Sara Wheeley is a marvellous historical children’s novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Sara Wheeley has presented historical facts in a really fun way as we follow three children and their dog time hopping to key events. This book was a real treat for me […]
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The Snow Woman And Other Short Stories by Sandra Barwick
An Eclectic Mix The Snow Woman And Other Short Stories by Sandra Barwick is a lovely collection of an eclectic mix of stories. There really is something to appeal to everyone. The tales are all different. They range from the everyday to the product of an imagination. They are varying lengths and a few poems […]
