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Book Review: The Dragon in the Library

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The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell

The Dragon in the Library
by Louie Stowell, Davide Ortu (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Kit doesn’t like to read. She can’t sit still. She would much rather be climbing trees or playing with matches or other dangerous things. Her friends, Alita and Josh, convince her to visit the library with them. Kit discovers magical properties within the books that propel her and her friends into a wizarding adventure.

I loved this book from start to finish! The characters, the plot, the world-building, the magic; everything is wonderful!

I liked that the plot is simple and straightforward, but has a few little surprises that keep the story fresh and exciting. The writing style is absolutely hilarious! There are so many cute bits of dialogue and funny scenes that had me laughing.

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Classic Review: Sentimental Tommy

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Sentimental Tommy by J.M. Barrie

Sentimental Tommy
by J.M. Barrie
3 out of 5 stars

Tommy and his little sister Elspeth live in a poor apartment in London. When their mother dies of consumption, the children go to live in her old hometown in Scotland. Tommy is sent to a little school, where the teachers have high hopes of his academic skills, but he disappoints everyone by being more interested in playing and pretending rather than his studies.

Tommy and Elspeth befriend a prostitute’s child, Grizel, who is sensitive, complicated, and prickly. She is by far the best character in the entire book. She puts on a brave face and acts crabby to ward off people’s mean comments about her mother, but at heart she is sweet and good.

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Manage Stress by Writing A Book Review

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Literary Labors: https://www.youtube.com/user/arosas97​ These are some of the products that I use to keep me on track with my mental health and self care. They are things that I use every day, and that I truly enjoy! Yin Yoga: Stretch the Mindful Way: https://amzn.to/3u4WjM4​ LETSCOM Fitness Tracker Watch: https://amzn.to/3syFB7k​ Aguamenti Harry Potter Water Bottle with Time Marker: https://amzn.to/3dkafuE​ Lavender and Chamomile Herbal Tea: https://amzn.to/3rrtMhW​ DW Home Lavender Candle: https://amzn.to/31qWp4l​ Dotted Journal Notebook with Faux Leather Cover: https://amzn.to/3foF3xe​ Bamboo Memory Foam Contour Pillow: https://amzn.to/3m1hGec​ Inner Peace: A Guided Meditation Journal for Beginners: https://amzn.to/3cxbmYX​

Picture Book Review: Zee Grows A Tree

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Zee Grows a Tree by Elizabeth Rusch

Zee Grows a Tree
by Elizabeth Rusch (Goodreads Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Zee and her fir tree grow up at the same time. When Zee is born, her seedling tree is in a greenhouse nursery. When Zee goes to kindergarten, her fir tree is planted outdoors. As Zee grows up, she measures her height and the height of her little tree. When there is a drought, Zee does everything she can to help her tree survive. She waters it and builds a shelter around it, and even camps outside in a tent to be near her tree in the night. With special love and care, Zee’s tree recovers from the drought.

I loved that this book has the main story about Zee, and includes little side text on each page about Douglas fir trees and how they grow. I like that it doesn’t slow down the pace of the main story, but also gives such good information about trees and tree farming.

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Children’s Book Review: Bruno the Beekeeper

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Bruno the Beekeeper by Aneta Františka Holasová

Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer
by Aneta Františka Holasová
3 out of 5 stars

This book gives detailed information about how to care for your own beehive. It includes the lifecycles of worker bees, drones, and the queens. We learn how to harvest honey, how to use the wax to make candles, and how to keep bees happy and healthy all year round.

The book is very text-heavy in some places. It does not read like a children’s picture book, but more like a textbook. It’s very interesting and thorough, and I enjoyed learning all about beekeeping. However, I don’t think you could really use this book to start beekeeping on your own. It doesn’t always explain the exact details of how to do things.

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Picture Book Review: La Selva de Zonia

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La selva de Zonia by Juana Martinez-Neal

La selva de Zonia
by Juana Martinez-Neal (Goodreads Author)
4 out of 5 stars

Zonia oye que la selva amazónica la llama y ella responde. Ella explora la selva cada mañana. Visita a sus amigos animales favoritos, y dice -Bienvenidos- a todos los bebés animales nuevos. Pero un día ve árboles en la jungla que han sido talados. La selva la está llamando otra vez, y Zonia decide responder y hacer todo lo posible para proteger su hogar en la jungla.

Me encantaron las hermosas ilustraciones de este libro. Las escenas de la jungla son atractivos. El arte es suave y de colores brillantes, mostrando las sombras bajo los árboles y el pelaje y las plumas de los animales. Hay una escena en la que la madre de Zonia está amamantando a un bebé, y el arte es apropiado y encantador con toda la belleza de la vida familiar.

Keep Reading for the Review in English!

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Picture Book Review: Ventanas

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Ventanas by Julia Denos

Ventanas
by Julia Denos (Goodreads Author), E.B. Goodale (Goodreads Author) (illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Mientras caminas por la calle al anochecer, las ventanas son como pequeños dibujos de la vida. Las luces brillan desde algunas ventanas y otras son oscuras. Algunas ventanas muestran un abrazo, un piano, una fiesta o alguien comiendo su cena. Cada uno tiene una historia que contar. Pero la mejor ventana de todas es tu propia ventana cuando llegas a tu hogar.

Este libro me hizo sentir tanta curiosidad acerca de cada pequeña ventana. La gente ordinaria que hacen cosas ordinarias se volvieron interesantes y asombrosos. El texto tiene un encanto que realmente te atrae y hace que las cosas básicas parezcan espléndidas.

(Keep Reading for the Review In English!)

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Board Books Review: Papi and Mami

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Papi by Leslie Patricelli

Papi
by Leslie Patricelli ( Author)
4 out of 5 stars

Papá y bebé se divierten jugando y cantando juntos. Pueden jugar a los caballos, y pretenden ser monstruos. Papá puede levantar al bebé en alto hasta el cielo. Papá es alto y fuerte. Otros papás pueden ser bajos o altos, barbudos o calvos, pero este papá es el mejor para este bebé.

¡Ver al bebé y papá jugando juntos es muy reconfortante!

Hay una ilustración que parece ser de niños con dos papás, que se incluye en este libro. Hay papás de muchas razas y etnias.

Mami by Leslie Patricelli

Mami
by Leslie Patricelli (Author)
4 out of 5 stars

Mamá y bebé juegan juntos, leen, dibujan y cantan juntos. Van al parque a jugar a las escondidas, y el bebé ve a muchas otras mamás con otros niños. ¡Pero la propia mamá del bebé es la mejor mamá del mundo!

¡Este libro de cartón es tan adorable! Me encantan las ilustraciones sencillas y los personajes lindos. El arte es colorida muy brilliante, y atraerá la atención de los pequeños lectores. ¡Ver al bebé y mama jugando juntos es muy dulce!

Hay una mención de un niño que tiene dos mamás. Hay mamás de muchas razas y etnias includios en este libro.

Keep reading for the review in English!

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Book Review: A Teeny-Tiny History of Philosophy

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A Teeny-Tiny History of Philosophy by Francisco Mejia Uribe

A Teeny-Tiny History of Philosophy: A Children’s Introduction to the Great Thinkers of the Philosophical Tradition (Philosophy Friends! Book 7)
by Francisco Mejia Uribe (Goodreads Author)
2 out of 5 stars

This book presents famous philosophers through history and gives an overview of their most popular ideas and beliefs. These include Aristotle, John Locke, Karl Marx, Nietzsche, and Descartes, with many others.

I certainly don’t agree with many of the philosophies presented in this book, but I think this would be a great way to introduce these ideas to young people and start a dialogue about why some of these philosophies don’t actually work in real life. Some of them have merit, but don’t align with reality. They are like dreams that sound nice, but lead to destruction. Other beliefs in this book are rooted in reality and have sound logic behind them.

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Board Book Review: Where, Oh Where, Is Barnaby Bear?

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Where, Oh Where, Is Barnaby Bear? by Wendy Rouillard

Where, Oh Where, Is Barnaby Bear?
by Wendy Rouillard
5 out of 5 stars

We search for Barnaby Bear everywhere. We look at the beach, in the forest, in the ocean, and even in outerspace. He could be sailing, or having tea, or flying in a plane. We finally find Barnaby fast asleep in bed at the end of the day.

This board book is so cute! Barnaby is such an adventurer, and I love all the wild and crazy things he “could” be doing. He might be sailing on the back of a whale, or in a rocket ship to the moon!

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