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Non Fiction Review: Once Upon a Word

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Once Upon a Word by Jess Zafarris
Once Upon a Word: A Word-Origin Dictionary for Kids–Building Vocabulary Through Etymology, Definitions & Stories
by Jess Zafarris 

5 out of 5 stars

This dictionary focuses on word origins to teach vocabulary through the stories and history of words. The first section explains the roots of common Latin and Greek words and how the prefixes and suffixes attached to words can give clues to their meaning or completely change the meaning of the main word.

Organized alphabetically, each entry gives a paragraph with an explanation of the origin story of the word, along with its meaning, root language, and sometimes an example sentence. I really love the choice of interesting words, and how the information is organized. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Creativity for Kids

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Creativity for Kids by Trisha Riché
Creativity for Kids: 75 Fun Activities to Promote Creative Thinking and Self Expression
by Trisha Riché

5 out of 5 stars


This book has tons of great activities for young children ages 6-9 to keep them active, creative, and confident. Different activities focus on problem-solving, working as a team, using your imagination, making art, telling stories, and improvising.

The first chapter explores what creativity really is, and how to encourage children to be expressive. There are tips for reducing screen time, guiding the creative process, teaching children to think in different ways and explore their individuality with a growth mindset.

The chapters are divided by imaginative activities, arts and crafts, role play, and collaboration games. Each activity comes with clear instructions, an estimate of the prep time, a list of needed materials, and some tips and benefits of the activity. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Tricky Logic Puzzles for Adults

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Tricky Logic Puzzles for Adults by Steven Clontz
Tricky Logic Puzzles for Adults: 150 Difficult Puzzles to Challenge Your Brain
by Steven Clontz

5 out of 5 stars

This book includes sudoku puzzles, nonograms, calcudoku, and masyu games. There are cryptic puzzles that solve similar to sudoku, but result in decrypting a word or phrase. Masyu is a puzzle where you draw lines that connect in a path through black or white circles with strict rules of movement and direction.

Each puzzle comes with clear instructions to get you started, and a hint in case you get stuck. The answers to each puzzle are at the back of the book, so that you can check your work. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Organic Aromatherapy & Essential Oils

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Organic Aromatherapy & Essential Oils by Amber Robinson
Organic Aromatherapy & Essential Oils: The Modern Guide to All-Natural Health and Wellness
by Amber Robinson

5 out of 5 stars


This book has chapters for using aromatherapy and essential oils for common health ailments, emotional and mental well-being, cosmetics and personal care, and to use around the home or outdoors. The book begins with general information about how aromatherapy works, and how various essential oils can be used and blended together. There are individual pages for each essential oil detailing its properties, uses, and benefits.

The remedies include things like allergy relief, congestion, nausea, toothache,and sunburn relief. The blends for emotional well-being include soothing relief for anger,frustration, anxiety, loneliness, and ways to boost your focus, find patience, learn to forgive, encourage a hopeful outlook, and find inspiration. Some of the recipes are designed for inhalation or for topical use. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Ravenous Gown

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The Ravenous Gown by Steffani Raff
The Ravenous Gown: And 14 More Tales about Real Beauty
by Steffani Raff (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars


These fairy tales focus on daring young men and women who want to be appreciated for their personality, virtues, and inner qualities rather than outward beauty. They battle dragons, fight wars, defeat evil sorcerers, and unravel magic in order to find their true identity and inspire their kingdom.

I loved that these fairy tales use all the old tropes about dragons and knights and fair maidens, and then turn everything upside down and surprise you with the plot twists when the maiden saves herself.
Each fairy tale is short but powerful with meaningful messages of hope and acceptance. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: 5-Minute Stress Relief

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5-Minute Stress Relief by Elena Welsh
5-Minute Stress Relief: 75 Exercises to Quiet Your Mind and Calm Your Body
by Elena Welsh

5 out of 5 stars

The first chapter in this book discusses what causes stress and how it affects our bodies and minds. It goes through common emotional and physical symptoms of stress, and how we can change our behavior and reactions to better handle stress.

The second chapter begins the exercises for stress relief with simple things like focusing on the breath, being mindful of your surroundings, and activities like reading for pleasure, talking to someone about how you feel, quieting your mind, listening to music, and laughing more. Each of these come with detailed instructions that list the benefits of the activity. With guided meditations, positive affirmations, and instructions for using essential oils, this chapter has a lot of wonderful ideas for relieving stress. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Everything Princess Book

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The Everything Princess Book by Barbara Beery
The Everything Princess Book: 101 Crafts, Recipes, Stories, Hairstyles, and More!
by Barbara Beery, David Miles, Brooke Jorden, Michele Robbins, Rebecca Sorge 

5 out of 5 stars

This book begins with several fairy tales about princesses, including Thumbelina, Princess Savitri, and Princess Kaguya. The next chapter has royal recipes and instructions for organizing a tea party, a royal ball, or a cottage picnic. There is also a chapter with princess games and activities, and another with crafts for making your own tiara, princess sandals, necklaces, and fancy invitations.

The chapter on “Princess Practices” goes over courtesy and manners including the proper way to set a table, how to curtsy and have proper posture, as well as lessons in horsemanship, music, penmanship, art, fencing, and how to deal with enchantments and poison apples. You will also learn how to say hello in different languages, how to do the princess wave, and be sincerely friendly when meeting foreign dignitaries.

My favorite chapter was the one about “Being a True Princess” with lessons and examples for Kindness, Courage, Gratitude, Honesty, Intelligence, Sensitivity, Forgiving, and Inner Beauty. This chapter asks thoughtful questions and encourages the reader to take action in their own lives and share kindness with others.
Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Like a Shooting Star

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Like a Shooting Star by Rino Alaimo
Like a Shooting Star
by Rino Alaimo

4 out of 5 stars

A little boy mistakenly wishes on a firefly instead of a shooting star, and the firefly hears his wish and determines to fulfill it. The boy wishes for his father to come home safely from the war, and the firefly goes on a journey to find the boy’s father. The firefly’s wings are too small to fly, so it bounces and glides from place to place searching for the soldier. The message is that even when you seem too small and weak to do any good, you can always do something and help in some small way.
Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: It’s a Great Big Colorful World

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It's a Great, Big Colorful World by Tom Schamp
It’s a Great, Big Colorful World
by Tom Schamp

2 out of 5 stars


This book is much too chaotic, with a lot of random text all over the page and wild illustrations of random things. The whole thing is aimless, and doesn’t tell a story or have any structure other than to group colors together. It’s too busy for a child to be able to focus on anything. If it were 20 or even 30 items on the page, I would have enjoyed it more. I counted over 50 separate items on one page, not counting the text. Continue reading →