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Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch: https://amzn.to/3DbCWW9
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Book Review: Winterset Hollow
Winterset Hollow
by Jonathan Edward Durham
2.5 stars
Eamon and his friends visit the abandoned home of their favorite author, Addington, who wrote stories about animals who celebrate Barley Day with a massive feast. Those stories inspired and comforted Eamon for years after he was abandoned by his father. But now, when Eamon and other fans of the author visit the setting for those stories, they find that the truth behind the book is stranger and far more frightening than they could ever imagine. Because there is another Barley Day tradition besides just the feast… the Barley Day hunt.
I really liked Eamon’s character. He is a broken person, an orphan who finds it hard to connect with others. But he is trying to be emotionally healthy and have a good life. I was inspired by his growth and how he recognized his personal problems and tried to overcome them. I loved his jovial and teasing dynamic with his friends.
Continue readingBook Review: Shadows
Shadows
by Robin McKinley
Kailey (Luminous Libro)‘s reviewOct 28, 2021 · edit
really liked itbookshelves: owned-books, books-read-in-2021
Maggie lives in an urban society that has outlawed the use of magic. When the fabric of the dimensions begins to collapse, and holes in reality start to appear, the government tries to use science to deal with the problem.
When Maggie meets her new stepfather for the first time, she knows he is involved in some kind of powerful magic, because he is surrounded by wisps of shadow that loom in the darkness. The shadows seem to move about on their own, wiggling and changing with every mood.
I loved the magical urban setting in this book! It’s very modern, with cars and cellphones, but the history of the world includes magic, passed down by genetics through certain families. The world-building has such great depth, and it was so interesting learning all about the magic system.
Continue readingNon Fiction Book Review: Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts
Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide
by Jen Haberling (Editor), Elizabeth Irwin (Contributor)
5 out of 5 stars
This book really does have everything you need to know about reading, writing, and understanding the English language. There are chapters about Grammar, Language, Reading Fiction and Non Fiction, and Writing. It covers the basics of sentence structure, clauses, and figurative language, and also explores plot structure, character development, textual analysis, and how to write a convincing argument and present the facts correctly.
Don’t be fooled by the “middle school” label. This is information that most college students and adults have probably forgotten and would need to review (or learn for the first time because they missed it in grade school.) This would be a very helpful resource to anyone who wants to write, or who just wants to get better at understanding what they read.
Continue readingNon Fiction Book Review: Brain Quest Pre-K
Brain Quest Workbook: Pre-K
by Liane Onish
5 out of 5 stars
This book has colorful activity pages for young children to review their knowledge of the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers, and basic words. Once the book is complete, you get an award certificate. There is a cute alphabet poster included that you can put up on the wall to review throughout the school year. And there is a whole sheet of alphabet stickers too!
The sections are mostly the alphabet and numbers, colors and shapes. But some sections also have more reading comprehension, phonics, numbers, and science. There are answers in the back of the book to check your work. There is also a set of flashcards that you can cut out of the book for testing your knowledge.
Continue readingBook Review: Steal Like an Artist
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
by Austin Kleon (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
The truth is that originality does not exist. Everything has been done before, and when we see something that is “new”, it’s actually just a remix of whatever came before.
This book explores how to use what came before to inspire and guide your creativity. The author gives advice on how to steal ideas from the masters of the past, and make it your own thing.
I was really inspired by this book! It doesn’t just apply to art, but also to music, writing, or any creative endeavor. I loved the advice about how to hone your ideas, and keep yourself motivated. And it’s not just about the spiritual, mental, and emotional inspiration. There are entire chapters with practical advice about how to actually get the work done and create something worthwhile.
Continue readingBook Review: So Many Feelings Stickers
So. Many. Feelings Stickers.: 2,700 Stickers for Every Mood
by Pipsticks®+Workman® (Publisher)
5 out of 5 stars
This book has 50 pages full of stickers! There are 2,700 stickers of all kinds! There are dinosaurs, flowers, embroidery, banners, planets, lions and tigers, balloons, yoga, typewriters, ice cream, pigs, bees, cups of coffee, cats, vegetables and fruit, sweaters, and birds. And a happy little avocado dude who dances.
I am just amazed at the variety of stickers in this book! And so many of them have cool sayings like, “Busy as a bee, Sly as a Fox, Fearless, A Breath of Fresh Air, Free as a Bird, Hungry as a Wolf, Deep like the Ocean, Loud as Thunder” and a whole bunch more. These stickers could apply to almost any situation. Even if your mood is…. “mood”. There’s a sticker for that.
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Leilong the Library Bus
Leilong the Library Bus
by Julia Liu, Bei Lynn (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
Leilong the dinosaur wants to come inside the library with the children to listen at story time, but the librarian says he is too big. Leilong tries to peek his head in through the window to listen, but he shakes the entire library like an earthquake. The librarian might be able to find a solution so that Leilong can enjoy the books with the children.
This is such a cute book! I thought Leilong was completely adorable. He is so goofy and clumsy, and he really is sorry when he accidentally bumps into something or knocks things down. His one wish is to find books about dinosaurs. He is completely meek and mild when the children are riding on his back. It’s so cute!
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Seahorses are Sold Out
Seahorses Are All Sold Out
by Constanze Spengler
5 out of 5 stars
Mika begs her father to let her buy a pet. He is so busy with work that he lets her go to the pet shop and buy whatever pet she wants. She buys a little mouse, but the mouse gets lost in the house. So she buys a dog to find the mouse. One after another, Mika keeps buying more and more pets until she has a menagerie at home! However, she does not buy a seahorse. They are sold out.
This was such a fun and silly book! Mika is so adorable. She keeps getting more and more animals to solve problems with the previous animals and to keep them company. It keeps escalating more and more until her father finally stops working long enough to notice that there are animals everywhere!
Continue readingPicture Book Reviews: That’s Not Normal, and Eso No Es Normal
That’s Not Normal!
by Mar Pavón (Goodreads Author), Laure du Faÿ
4 out of 5 stars
Elephant has an abnormally long nose, but no one really minds… except Hippo. Elephant uses his long nose to help the other animals, but Hippo keeps reminding everyone that Elephant’s nose is “not normal.” One day Baby Hippo goes wandering toward the lake, and the animals rush to save Baby Hippo from the lake crocodiles. Is there a way that Elephant’s long nose could help? Will Hippo ever stop teasing Elephant about his long nose?
I loved this sweet book! It has such positive messages of acceptance and love. Even if someone is different or “abnormal”, they deserve our respect and kindness. And you never know, someday you might need their help.
I was especially impressed with the positive messages of forgiveness from Elephant himself. He never tries to retaliate or get revenge on Hippo. It’s such a simple story, but this book has a powerful message!
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