Life Skills 101: All You Need, But Won’t Learn in School
by Maria Gorina
This book covers topics such as emotional resilience, relationships, self-esteem, health, managing your time, and reaching your goals. It gives practical advice for navigating common pitfalls of life and being successful and happy in whatever you choose to do.
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Not That Pet!
by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, Rosalind Beardshaw (Illustrator)
Mabel gets to choose a pet at the pet store, and she makes the most awful decisions, choosing pets that slither or growl or stink. The elephant is nice, but much too big. The skunk is pretty, but too stinky. The ants are fun, but they crawl into everything, including Dad’s underpants! Can Mabel find a pet that is cuddly and sweet? A pet that everyone in the family will love?
This book is so fun and hilarious! However, I did not like that one of the pets Mabel chooses is a snake. Ew. I had to skip those pages. Too scary! And she also chooses a spider. So if you have arachnophobia, this is not the book for you!
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The Last Mapmaker
by Christina Soontornvat (Goodreads Author)
Sai pretends to be from a wealthy family in order to get an apprenticeship with a mapmaker. She hides that her father is a criminal, and uses her skills as a forger to help the mapmaker copy maps and documents. When the mapmaker goes on a sea voyage to explore new regions of the world, Sai is eager to leave her past behind and start a new life. There are tales of dragons and dangerous seas in the South, but the riches and rewards could be immense.
I loved this story! It’s so exciting as they travel further and further from Sai’s home, and the people on board the ship begin to divide into groups with very different goals. Both the adventure and the emotional journey have a lot of tension and suspense. There are so many great twists in the plot!
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Bumblebee Grumblebee
by David Elliot
If a bumblebee breaks his toy, he becomes a “grumblebee”. If a rhinoceros drops his ice-cream cone, he becomes a “crynoceros”. If a hamster eats an entire jar of jam, he becomes a “jamster”. Each of the animals have a twist on their name, until at the end of the book the turtle does something unexpected!
This board book is adorable! It’s especially fun to read aloud and giggle over the silly names.
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I’m a Neutrino: Tiny Particles in a Big Universe
by Dr. Eve M. Vavagiakis, Ilze Lemesis (Illustrations)
This children’s picture book introduces the idea of neutrinos to young readers in a simple way. The text is in rhyme, and the illustrations help the reader to visualize an imagined concept of neutrinos even though they are so small that we can’t see them.
Neutrinos can pass right through us all the time because they don’t have an electrical charge, so they don’t interact with matter in the same way that other particles do. Scientists are still studying neutrinos and learning more about how they work. This book encourages the reader to someday study physics and maybe make their own discoveries!
Since the author is a physicist themselves, the information appears to be reliable and accurate. I appreciated the scientific integrity in the wording of some of the theories presented.
I loved the cute artwork! The bright colors are attractive, and each page illustrates something interesting about neutrinos. At the back of the book, there are more detailed explanations about some of the properties of neutrinos and how physicists are studying them.
I actually learned some new things from this book! This would be such a great gift for any kids who are interested in science.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
The Stardust That Made Us: A Visual Exploration of Chemistry, Atoms, Elements, and the Universe
by Colin Stuart (Goodreads Author), Ximo Abadía (Illustrations)
This book teaches the reader about the periodic table, how the elements were discovered and categorized, and how each element behaves. We learn about the scientists throughout history who studied and discovered new elements, and how scientists today are still searching for new super-heavy elements.
I especially liked the parts that explain how we use various elements in our everyday lives. There is fluoride in our toothpaste, neon in bright signs, helium in balloons, chlorine in our stomach acid, and iodine in our salt. Bromine is used in flame retardants, boron is in bulletproof vests, and bismuth in makeup and hair spray. We have chromium coating on our cutlery, and our pipes are made of copper. Indium makes our smartphone screens touch-sensitive.
I also liked the explanations of how the different elements got their names. They are named after cities, famous scientists, Greek gods, and planets. There is an entire chapter all about the Nobel prize, and the most famous Nobel winners who also have elements named after them. It was so interesting to learn all the history behind the periodic table!
The artwork is so colorful and attractive. The design of each page is beautifully organized with factoids and bits of information in separate boxes on the page. It makes it easy to read, and it catches your attention.
One thing that I appreciated about this book is that when they are talking about a scientific theory, they make it clear that it is a theory, not proven fact. The writing is careful to be accurate about how they word things, so as not to give the impression that things are facts, when it’s really just a theory. I love scientific books that have integrity like that!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play among Figures of Speech
by Ted Kooser, Connie Wanek, Richard Jones (Illustrator)
This book of poetry is divided into sections for Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. The poems range into various topics about thunderstorms, nightmares, animals, trees, stars, technology, and a flyswatter.
My favorite poem was “Harpist”, about a harpist playing her instrument like it is a giant golden butterfly. She strokes the strings like the veins of a butterfly wing.
None of the poems are in rhyme, and there is no meter. There are some lines with clever similes that I really enjoyed, and other similes that just sounded dumb to me or didn’t make sense. But that is poetry. It speaks to people in different ways.
Each poem is beautifully illustrated in soft colors. The artwork is fuzzy and misty and imaginative.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Ivy Lost and Found
by Cynthia Lord, Stephanie Graegin (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations)
Ivy used to be the favorite toy, but she was forgotten in a box in the attic for a long time. Now she has been added to the Book Buddies at the library, where children can check out a toy the way they would check out a book. Ivy is not sure she is ready for new adventures with new children, and she worries that she won’t make friends with the other toys. She learns that if you are lost, it just means you can be found again.
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Lit for Little Hands: Jane Eyre
by Brooke Jorden, Olga Skomorokhova (Illustrations)
This board book tells the story of Jane Eyre, simplified for little readers. It has interactive pull tabs and flaps to reveal the mysteries surrounding Thornfield Manor! Some of the story is told with quotes from the original novel and includes original dialogue as well.
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My Cat Mermaid & Friends
by Klutz (Creator)
This craft set has everything you need to sew your own felt toys! The instruction book includes step-by-step activities that help little readers to practice their sewing skills.
There are two practice projects for sewing on paper before you try sewing the felt toys. There is plenty of yarn in different colors to choose from, and 3 different designs of toys. The glitter stickers and decorations make this project extra special!
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Adventure Kitty
by James Hemingway, FolksnFables (Illustrator)
Adventure Kitty goes exploring in the woods, looking for someone to play with. He asks the goose, the raccoon, the possum, and a frog, but no one wants to play with him. He befriends a little beaver, but he avoids the skunk. He gets into a rough fight with a coyote. When he is lost, the Adventure Kitty asks an owl for directions.
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A melody is searching for someone who will listen to it and sing it. The melody asks the mountains, the trees, and the river if they are hoping for a song. But they either won’t listen or already have their own songs. The melody asks the animals and birds if they need a song to sing, but no one wants the melody. Finally the melody finds a mother who needs to soothe her baby with a song.
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Luminous Libro 