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Puzzle Book Review: Ocean Life!

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Ocean Life! by Jill Richardson
Ocean Life!: A Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
by Jill Richardson

4 out of 5 stars

This book has word searches, coloring pages, mazes, spot-the-difference puzzles, and dot-to-dot activities all with an ocean theme. Dozens of different ocean creatures are featured with some interesting facts about each kind of wildlife, including many endangered species.

Did you know that a stingray doesn’t have bones? Or that squid swim backwards? And the sunfish is the heaviest fish in the ocean? There are so many cool facts in this book! Continue reading →

Puzzle Book Review: Brain Candy

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Brain Candy! by Rockridge Press
Brain Candy!: A Challenging and Fun Maze Book for Kids
by Rockridge Press 

5 out of 5 stars

I had no idea this book would be so colorful and have so many different designs for the mazes! I am truly impressed with the variety of themes and artwork for each maze. Every page is so vibrant with all the colorful little details around the maze!

There is a maze designed like a huge man’s curly mustache! haha! There are mazes designed like robots, an airplane landing on the tarmac, a chicken crossing the road, geese flying through wind and clouds, a dog digging for a bone, a lost porpoise looking for its pod, a submarine diving for sunken treasure, and a maze that leads through the Empire State Building to the very top! Continue reading →

Journal Review: Holistic Self-Care Guided Journal

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Holistic Self-Care Guided Journal by Carley Schweet
Holistic Self-Care Guided Journal: Nurture Yourself, Expand Your Mind, Embrace Who You Are
by Carley Schweet

5 out of 5 stars

This book helps you to reconnect with your core self, grow in your courage and creativity, and engage in your relationships, all in baby steps that remind you to take care of yourself and reflect on what you truly need. This book has sections to “Nurture Yourself, Expand Your Mind, Get Creative, Move Your Body, Get Organized, and Embrace Your Community.” Each section has insightful journal prompts, affirmations, meditations, gentle activities, and inspirational quotes to get you motivated.

I’m truly impressed at how this book uses thoughtful prompts and deep themes to sweetly guide the reader into a better understanding of the many aspects of self-care. And yet it never feels too heavy! Each activity is a simple little thing, a cup of tea, a walk in the sunshine, listening to a favorite song. And yet the impact is immense because of the introspection that is happening. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Positive Thinking

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Positive Thinking by Katherine Flannery
Positive Thinking: A 52-Week Journal of Profound Prompts, Inspiring Quotes, and Bold Affirmations
by Katherine Flannery

4 out of 5 stars


This guided journal gives prompts for maintaining a positive attitude and managing difficult emotions. It is full encouraging quotes that are thoughtful and uplifting!

The layout of this book is not quite what I expected. It is laid out with one section for each of the 52 weeks, with one activity, journal prompt, or meditation to do each week. Week 1 is a journal prompt with some space for writing in a list of attributes and characteristics about yourself, and the encouragement to re-frame any negative thoughts about yourself into positive and compassionate thoughts. Week 2 is a prompt to draw a decorative mantra or affirmation of your choosing, and there is a breathing exercise to try. Continue reading →

Series Review: Sherlock Academy

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Sherlock Academy by F.C. ShawWatson's Case by F.C. ShawThe Holmes Brigade by F.C. ShawSherlock Academy by F.C. Shaw

Sherlock Academy
by F.C. Shaw

4 out of 5 stars

Rollie and his best friend, Cecily, have just been accepted into the prestigious Sherlock Academy. They have to solve clues to figure out their class schedule, learn the art of disguise, decode secret messages to find out their assignments, and analyze fingerprints in the class roster. But there is a deeper mystery hidden in the library of Sherlock Academy! Throughout each book, Rollie and his detective friends work to stop the evil mastermind, Herr Zilch, who leads Moriarty’s old underground ring of criminals.

I loved everything about these books! The characters, the plot, the mystery, the action, the school, the writing style… everything is wonderful!
Continue reading →

Journal Review: True You

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True You by Dr. Kelly Vincent
True You: A Self-Discovery Journal of Prompts and Exercises to Inspire Reflection and Growth
by Dr. Kelly Vincent,  Jacinta Kay (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

This journal gives prompts for writing about certain themes including, self-awareness, values, identity, confidence, emotions, spirituality, health, family, relationships, community, career, passions, goals, life purpose, and dreams.

The most basic prompts say things like, “Today I’m grateful for…”, “Today I learned….”, “My biggest fear is…” But the journal quickly gets into more deep questions and more complex prompts about times when you had the confidence to stand up yourself, how you felt when you solved a difficult problem, and what relationships give your life meaning. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Mindfulness for Little Ones

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Mindfulness for Little Ones by Hiedi France
Mindfulness for Little Ones: Playful Activities to Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, and Joy in Kids
by Hiedi France

4 out of 5 stars

This book begins with an introduction for parents about how young children need help regulating their emotions and moods, and about the limit attention spans of a toddler or preschooler. Then there are instructions about how to use the meditations and activities in this book to help each child according to their individual capabilities.

The first chapter is “Dance, Wiggle, and Move” activities to help a child pay attention to their body and be more mindful of their movements. The next chapter focuses on the five senses with activities for listening to sounds, watching clouds, smelling different scents, and eating mindfully.

Continue reading →

Nonfiction Book Review: A Parent’s Guide to Manners for Kids

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A Parent's Guide to Manners for Kids by Katie McVeigh
A Parent’s Guide to Manners for Kids: Lessons, Games, and Activities for Home, School, and Beyond
by Katie McVeigh

4 out of 5 stars

This book gives fun games, activities, and lessons to teach children ages 6-13 about how to have good manners. There are chapters about “Everyday Etiquette, Good Impressions, Eating with Manners, Playing Nice, and Technology Etiquette.”

The lessons include basic things like opening the door for someone, receiving and giving gifts, getting into a car with a friend’s family, and observing elevator etiquette to not push all the buttons. The all-important thank you note is, of course, included! Continue reading →

Puzzle Book Review: 100 Large-Print Crossword Puzzles

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100 Large-Print Crossword Puzzles by Chris King
100 Large-Print Crossword Puzzles: Easy Puzzles to Entertain Your Brain
by Chris King

4 out of 5 stars

I really like that each puzzle has a theme as a sort of additional clue to the type of words that will be used in the puzzle. The themes are also diverse and unexpected things like “time, being surrounded, light reading, any day now, and ahoy mateys”.

The clues and answers are fairly simple and common things, but every once in a while there’s a little bit of a head-scratcher to keep your brain nimble. The answers to all the crosswords are at the back of the book, in case you get stuck.

When they say “Large-Print”, they really mean it! The text is huge and the spaces for the puzzles are large as well. This book would be very enjoyable for some light fun without getting too frustrated with complex puzzles. Continue reading →