Non Fiction Book: How to Teach Grown-Ups about Pluto

How to Teach Grown-Ups about Pluto by Dean Regas

How to Teach Grown-Ups about Pluto
by Dean Regas

4 out of 5 stars

This book explains the history of planet discoveries and why the decision was made to make Pluto into a dwarf planet. You will learn how objects in space are classified as asteroids, comets, dwarf planets, moons, and of course the eight planets.

I loved the attractive design of this book! The artwork is so cute and fun, and Pluto is depicted as this scrappy little ice planet guy with a happy expression. I love that the book sort of personifies the planets in a funny way! It makes the features of the planets and other space objects really memorable.

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Non Fiction Review: Return to Factopia

Return to Factopia! by Kate Hale

Return to Factopia!
by Kate Hale

4 out of 5 stars

This gives amazing facts about everything under the sun (and beyond) with colorful artwork and photos on every page. Each fact connects in some way with the previous fact, leading you around in a trail of random information that is sure to grab your attention.

I love the attractive design of this book! Every page is so colorful and bright.

The facts are short and easy to read quickly. I wish that some of them had further explanations though. Many of the facts didn’t make sense to me and needed some more information added to them. Some of them are more theories than facts, since there is no way they can be proven.

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Non Fiction Review: Pet That Cat!

Pet That Cat! by Nigel Kidd

Pet That Cat!: A Handbook for Making Feline Friends
by Nigel Kidd, Rachel Braunigan (Contributor)

5 out of 5 stars

This book will give you instructions for how to approach a cat, make friends, and start petting that cat! There are sections about caring for cats, the history of cats, famous cats around the world, how to choose a cat for a pet, and ideas for naming your cat. There is even a personality quiz so you can match your personality to your cat! There is also a “cat tracker” where you can write in the cats that you meet and what breeds of cats that you see.

This book is so adorable! I love the attractive design and the sweet artwork. Every page is so colorful, and all the kitties are so cute!

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Non Fiction Review: Kid Trailblazers

Kid Trailblazers  by Robin Stevenson

Kid Trailblazers : True Tales of Childhood from Changemakers and Leaders
by Robin Stevenson (Goodreads Author), Allison Steinfeld (Illustrator)

1 out of 5 stars

All leaders start out as kids who want to change the world for the better. This book gives short biographies of some famous leaders and how their childhood shaped their dreams.

There are sections about “democracy”, “black lives”, “our planet”, and the “power of art”.
I found the writing to be extremely biased toward the political left, and I was disappointed that the biographies were not given in a balanced way. This book basically reads like political propaganda, ignoring the real issues and reinforcing political lies from the media.

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Book Review: What Can I Do?

What Can I Do? Inspiring Activities for Creative Kids by Mary Richards

What Can I Do? Inspiring Activities for Creative Kids
by Mary Richards

5 out of 5 stars

This book has activities and creative games, so that you will never say the words “I’m bored!” You can make a time capsule, invent a dance, create your own board game, make up a quiz, or write a song. There are dozens of fun games to play or tricks to learn! These activities are sure to get your creative juices flowing!

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Picture Book Review: ThunderMaestro

Thundermaestro by Annemarie  Riley Guertin

Thundermaestro
by Annemarie Riley Guertin, Maria Brzozowska (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars

A little girl uses a stick as a baton to conduct the symphony of rain and thunder in a summer storm.

Maybe because I’m a musician, I had high expectations for this book. I expected a lot more descriptions of sounds and musical phrases, rather than the constant repetition of the same words. Since the premise of the book is about using your imagination, I guess I expected it to be more imaginative and less repetitive.

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Book Review: The Naughtiest Girl Again

The Naughtiest Girl Again by Enid Blyton

The Naughtiest Girl Again
by Enid Blyton, Max Schindler (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Elizabeth is back at school in this second book in the series, and she is determined to have a great semester, follow the rules, and make friends. But her reputation as the naughtiest girl in school still follows her, and her temper still gets the better of her from time to time. When Elizabeth catches Robert bullying the younger students, she flies into a rage and gets both of them into trouble. Will she ever learn to control her temper and earn the respect of her classmates?

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Book Review: Anna Hibiscus

Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

Anna Hibiscus (Anna Hibiscus, #1)
by Atinuke, Lauren Tobia (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Anna Hibiscus lives in Nigeria, in a beautiful garden compound with all her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and her wonderful parents and twin brothers. They are a very big loud family! Sometimes Anna wishes she could have a few moments alone, but when she goes on vacation with just her parents and brothers, she begins to miss all the rest of her big family. How can they manage without everyone to pitch in and help?

I loved this sweet book! Anna is so adorable, and I loved her amazing family. I especially loved learning about Nigerian culture and traditions. It’s so interesting and beautiful!

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Yoga Tots Board Book Series Review

Brave Bear by Tessa Strickland
Yoga Tots by Tessa Strickland

Brave Bear (Yoga Tots)
by Tessa Strickland

Yoga Tots: Happy Tiger
by Tessa Strickland, Estelí Meza

5 out of 5 stars

Children in the illustrations follow the movements of a polar bear and tiger cub to do calming yoga poses. They reach and stretch and slowly breathe in and out.

The illustrations are really cute with bright colors! The text does a good job of explaining the poses, and the artwork clearly shows what movements you are supposed to make in each pose.

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Bilingual Board Book Reviews

That's Mine! by Sumana Seeboruth
Eso Es Mio / That's Mine by Sumana Seeboruth

That’s Mine!
Eso Es Mio / That’s Mine
by  Sumana Seeboruth, Ashleigh Corrin

5 out of 5 stars

Un niño pequeño se queda con todos los juguetes y aleja a sus amigos. Pero eventualmente se dan cuenta de que es más divertido compartir y jugar juntos.

Keep Reading for the reviews in ENGLISH! …

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