children’s books

Book Review: The Wild Angel

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The Wild Angel by Elizabeth C. Spykman
The Wild Angel 
by Elizabeth C. Spykman

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


A sweet story about a group of siblings growing up at the turn of the century. They run wild through the country hills, chasing errant cows, and tracking down wayward lost dogs. They hate visiting their aunt and grandfather in the city, and sometimes find trouble at school.

The siblings see the world from their child’s point of view, and that gets them into difficulties because they don’t really understand how things work in the real world outside their comfortable family home. They are an unusual bunch of hooligans, with their own squabbles and childish secrets, but they all ultimately band together to protect their family. Continue reading →

MKs Receive Books in the Ukraine

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IMG_5961Books in the Ukraine

These MKs in the Ukraine just received a package of books, and they are already reading them over and over again!   These two love adventure stories and princess books. They are excited to have new books to read!

 

 

 

 

 

Your donation will help more children like these to get the reading material they need!

DONATE NOW at www.gofundme.com/booksformks

Picture Book Review: This is a Taco!

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This Is a Taco! by Andrew Cangelose
This Is a Taco! 
by Andrew Cangelose, Josh Shipley (Artist)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Taco is a squirrel who loves to eat tacos, and he agrees to be in this book to teach young children about squirrels, with the understanding that there will be tacos in the book! But Taco gets more than he bargained for when he is mistaken for a flying squirrel, forced to eat tree bark, and hunted by a ferocious hawk. Can Taco take back control of the narrative before it’s too late?

I love books that break down the fourth wall, especially picture books. As Taco becomes increasingly anxious about the chaotic turn the story is taking, he does a beautiful job of addressing the reader directly and including the audience in the book narrative. The writing is quite clever, and similar to another favorite picture book, The Monster at the End of this Book !

The illustrations are so lovely! Colorful and funny, each page has a charm all its own. Taco is so cute!! He’s cuddly and adorable, and I love his funny facial expressions.
Continue reading →

Book Review: Jorie and the Magic Stones

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Jorie and the Magic Stones by A.H. Richardson
Jorie and the Magic Stones 
by A.H. Richardson (Goodreads Author)

2 out of 5 stars

Jorie comes to live with her maiden aunt in a house by the Tarn, a deep lake with a magical past. She finds out that she is a Chosen One, who can pass through the Tarn to the magical world beneath, where dragons and goblins roam free. With her friend Rufus, Jorie sets out on a quest to recover the three missing magic stones that will bring peace to the land, but an evil enemy is also looking for the stones, and betrayal haunts every step of their journey.

I was disappointed in this book. The story is promising, but the writing lacks polish and badly needs an editor. The spelling is good, but punctuation and sentence structure are riddled with mistakes and typos. The plot is predictable and trite, making the story boring at times. The whole Chosen One/ prophecy storyline is really overdone, and there’s nothing new in this story to add interest to the trope.  Continue reading →

Book Review: Freddy the Detective

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Freddy the Detective by Walter R. Brooks
Freddy the Detective 
by Walter R. Brooks, Kurt Wiese (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

A cute, old-fashioned children’s story about Freddy, an intelligent pig, who reads about Sherlock Holmes and decides to become a detective. All the farmyard animals bring their little problems to Freddy, and he does some sleuthing to solve their mysteries. A little rabbit goes missing, someone steals a toy train, and a cat is wrongfully accused of murdering a crow, but Freddy is up to the task, looking for clues, and tracking down heartless criminals.

I enjoyed the charming old style of writing, and the simple story lines. The characters are sweet and funny, and they kept my interest. I liked how Freddy makes mistakes at first. He is not a very good detective to begin with, but he learns quickly and does a better job each time he tries.
Continue reading →

Book Review: Mary Poppins in the Park

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Mary Poppins in the Park by P.L. Travers
Mary Poppins in the Park (Mary Poppins, #4) 
by P.L. Travers,  Mary Shepard (Illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars


Mary Poppins is back again with Jane and Michael for adventures in the Park! An ordinary outing in the park turns into a magical and extraordinary adventure when you go for a walk with Mary Poppins.

I love how Mary Poppins can be stern with the children, but is also kind and loving. She has a no nonsense attitude, but secretly loves to take the children on nonsensical and silly outings!

The writing is enchanting, and has a beautiful charm in its simplicity! I love all the Mary Poppins books! Continue reading →

Book Review: The Language of Spells

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The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr, also Freymann-...
The Language of Spells 
by Garret Weyr, also Freymann-Weyr
Katie Harnett (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book about a dragon under an enchantment and the little girl who gives up everything to save him and his fellow dragons!

Grisha is still a young dragon when an evil sorcerer freezes him into the shape of a small teapot. Trapped within the teapot for decades, Grisha dreams of being free once more, but as soon as a friend breaks the enchantment of the teapot, Grisha is trapped in another kind of prison. The cruel bureaucracy of Vienna keeps a close watch on the few dragons allowed to remain in the city, and every aspect of Grisha’s life is locked between rigid rules and regulations, even restricting his thoughts and words. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Big Six

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The Big Six by Arthur Ransome
The Big Six (Swallows and Amazons, #9) 
by Arthur Ransome

5 out of 5 stars

Joe, Bill, and Pete are fixing up their boat, the Death and Glory, with bunks, cupboards, and a little stove, so that they can camp out on the river all winter long. When someone starts casting off boats in the middle of the night, it gets blamed on the boys, and they have to prove their innocence. With the help of Coot Club members, Tom, Dick, and Dorothea, they start their own detective agency to track down the real culprits.

As always, I adore this interesting story, full of nautical knowledge and adorable characters. The plot really keeps the mystery moving as each clue comes to light, and the desperation and anxiety of the characters keeps the tension high, even if some of the plot points are a little predictable. The story is not so much about the mystery, as it is about how the characters follow the mystery. Continue reading →