Book Review: Complete Book of Meditation

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Meditation by Shai Tubali

Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation: A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Techniques for Calming Your Mind and Spirit
by Shai Tubali (Goodreads Author)

1 out of 5 stars

I had to DNF this book because the philosophy of meditation did not at all line up with my personal beliefs. There were several ideas in this book that actually felt dark and scary to me, and that go against Christian teachings about meditation.

There was one practice that encouraged you to leave your personality behind when you meditate. “I am no longer my name or my person.” That seemed very strange and scary to me.
When I meditate, I am MORE myself in Christ, not less. I am MORE of a person how He created me to be, and my name is MORE who I am because I belong to Christ. I understand that author is trying to get you to shift your perspective, but it was not in the right direction.

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Book Review: The Folk of the Faraway Tree

The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

The Folk of the Faraway Tree (The Faraway Tree, #3)
by Enid Blyton

4 out of 5 stars

Three siblings and their friend, Connie, visit the wood behind their cottage, and at the center of the forest is the Faraway Tree. It is the largest tree in the world; so large that the top reaches the clouds, and at the very top the Faraway Tree connects to a magical land.

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Picture Book Review: Upside Down

Upside Down by Katarína Macurová

Upside Down
by Katarína Macurová

5 out of 5 stars

A gardener sees a little green plant growing in his rose garden. No matter how he waters it or tends to it, the plant does not bloom. Little does he know that underground a massive carrot is growing down into a rabbit hole. The rabbits have a grand feast, eating most of the carrot. What will the gardener say when he finds out the truth?

This is such a cute book! I actually laughed out loud when I read the ending. It’s so clever and fun!

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Non Fiction Book Review: Professor Wooford McPaw’s History of Astronomy

Professor Wooford McPaw's History of Astronomy by Elliot Krusynski

Professor Wooford McPaw’s History of Astronomy
by Elliot Krusynski

4 out of 5 stars

Professor McPaw teaches all about astronomy in this comic-style book. We learn the history of how man began discovering more and more about the planets and stars. Following the Ancient Greeks, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Albert Einstein, we learn how mankind has always asked questions about what lies beyond our horizon.

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Picture Book Review: Little Hearts

Little Hearts by Charles Ghigna

Little Hearts: Finding Hearts in Nature
by Charles Ghigna (Goodreads Author), Jacqueline East (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

The animals wander through the country, looking for things in nature that look like a heart. Flower petals look like little hearts. Strawberries, the inside of an apple, a spider web, or a bird’s wings can look like a heart. Some clouds look like a heart shape. Each one is a treasure that the friends discover together.

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Picture Book Review: Leo va a la peluqueria

Leo va a la peluquería by Britta Teckentrup

Leo va a la peluquería (Spanish Edition)
by Britta Teckentrup (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Leo el León necesita un nuevo peinado para su melena. Después de un lavado con champú, el mono ayuda a Leo a experimentar con diferentes peinados. ¿Debe Leo llevar el pelo en trenzas o con rizos? ¿Quizás podría teñir su melena de rubio o de rojo? Podría complementar con una tiara o un lazo de bebé. Pero finalmente deciden que la melena de león de Leo es el estilo mejor.

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Graphic Novel Review: Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy

Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy by Jonathan    Hill

Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy
by Jonathan Hill 

5 out of 5 stars

Tommy has a secret. His family are actually lizard people trying to blend in with the human world. Tommy has to wear a human skin over his green lizard face. It’s difficult trying to be “normal” in middle school when everything is so different from your own lizard culture.
Tommy meets other seventh-graders who also have trouble fitting in. One of his new friends, Dung, is a Vietnamese boy who is dealing with culture shock and trying to learn English. They bond over their differences, discovering that they have more in common than they realized.

I loved this graphic novel! The plot is hilarious and emotional. The characters are complex. Their stories are meaningful. The setting and background are interesting. And the storytelling style is superb!

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Book Review: The Enchanted Wood

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

The Enchanted Wood (The Faraway Tree, #1)
by Enid Blyton

4 out of 5 stars

Three siblings discover that the wood behind their cottage is magical, and at the center of the forest is the Faraway Tree. It is the largest tree in the world; so large that the top reaches the clouds, and at the very top the Faraway Tree connects to a magical land. But the magical connection changes every week, so that you never know which land will be at the top of the tree. It might be the Land of Birthdays where everyone gets a free birthday party. Or it might be the land of evil goblins. It might be a land that rolls and jumps with constant earthquakes. Whatever land there is, the three children and their fairy friends are sure to have a wild adventure!

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Book Review: The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
by Julie Andrews Edwards

5 out of 5 stars

Three siblings meet a strange old professor who tells them about the mysterious Whangdoodle, a creature thought to be mythological. The professor assures the children that the Whangdoodle is real, and he can be found ruling over other fantastic creatures in a mystic land in another dimension. If only they can crack the science of imagination, they will be able to cross over into Whangdoodle land. However, there is a guardian of the Whangdoodle, the Prock, who will do everything possible to stop the children and Professor from reaching the Whangdoodle.

I loved this imaginative story! It’s so wild and weird. There are all kinds of strange creatures that the children meet. They have some wild adventures and fall into traps set by the Prock and his friends. But nothing can harm them if they rely on their common sense and courage.

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Book Review: The Railway Children

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

The Railway Children
by E. Nesbit

5 out of 5 stars

Three siblings embark on a new adventure when they move to a country cottage near the railway. They quickly make friends with the railway employees, and memorize the train schedule. They run to the train track to wave hello to each train that passes, and the commuters begin to watch for them waving their little handkerchiefs every morning. But the railway is also a dangerous place to play. The children must learn the safety rules and signals. However, sometimes they find that they will need to break the rules to save the trains from certain disaster.

I love the old-fashioned charm of this book! It’s such a beautiful story and all the characters are so sweet. Of course, they have days when they are grumpy and they make mistakes too, but they always make it right in the end. I love the way the siblings bicker and fight sometimes, but they also really support and care for each other.

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