reading

Non Fiction Review: Grateful Together

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Grateful Together by Vicky Perreault
Grateful Together: A Gratitude Journal for Kids and Their Parents
by Vicky Perreault
4 out of 5 stars

This guided journal is for parents and children to write in together as a reminder to be grateful for something each day. The prompts include things like being grateful for friends, laughter, favorite books, pets, acts of kindness, and teachers.

A guided entry might ask the writer to do an act of kindness or generosity and then journal about it and how it made them feel to help someone. Another entry will ask the writer to write about a time when someone helped them, and how grateful they are for the generosity of others. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Bible Word Search Book

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Large Print Bible Word Search Book by Cristina Smith
Large Print Bible Word Search Book: 100 Challenging and Fun Puzzles for Adults
by Cristina Smith (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

This word search book is divided into puzzles grouped by the book of the Bible and by chapter of the Bible. For instance, the first puzzle has words from Genesis 1:1-26, and the next word search has words from Genesis 2:7-10:9. There are three or four puzzles for each book of the Bible.

It’s strange that the book says they use the King James translation of the Bible, but they include puzzles for books of the Bible that are not included in King James, like the apocryphal books of Tobit, Judith, Maccabees, Sirach, and Baruch.

Each puzzle has about 30 words to search for, with big text to make it easier. I like the clear design, and each page is color-coded for a specific book of the Bible. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Figure Drawing for Kids

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Figure Drawing for Kids by Angela Rizza
Figure Drawing for Kids: A Step-By-Step Guide to Drawing People
by Angela Rizza

4 out of 5 stars


This book gives step-by-step instructions for sketching and drawing the human figure, beginning with basic shapes, proportions, and teaching how to draw movement and add shading. All the example drawings and instructions are appropriate for this age level, and full of fun and useful information!
I like that there is not a ton of fancy equipment required to do the drawings and sketches in this book. Simple pencils, fine-point ink pens, nice colored pencils, and a basic sketchpad are all you need.
Continue reading →

Cookbook Review: Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook

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The Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook by Dianne Wenz
The Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook: 90 Whole Food Recipes with Deliciously Simple Ingredients
by Dianne Wenz

4 out of 5 stars


This book begins with advice on being vegan and common mistakes that can put your health at risk.
There are very good instructions about including vitamins and supplements in your vegetable diet, as well as an entire section about getting enough protein.

The recipes include sections for Basics, Breakfast, Salad, Soups and Stews, Burgers, Wraps, and Sandwiches, Sides, Dinner Mains, Pasta and Rice, and Sweets. Each recipe includes labels for Nut-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Low-Carb, and Oil-Free options.
The recipes have wonderful tips for substituting ingredients, as well at nutrition labels. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Too Pregnant to Move Journal

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Too Pregnant to Move by Conz Preti
Too Pregnant to Move: A Pregnancy Journal
by Conz Preti

2 out of 5 stars


I was shocked and unhappy to see the F-word and the S-word within the first pages. There are five quotes throughout the book that include profanity, and I think it’s very out of place in this type of book.

This journal has mostly blank-lined pages with funny quotes about parenting. There are quotes from famous people about being pregnant, and journaling prompts that ask questions like who was the first person you told that you were pregnant, and what weird food cravings you are having.
There is a place to paste in your sonogram, write in questions you want to ask your doctor, and of course chronicle your thoughts and feelings. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: With All My Heart

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With All My Heart by Stephanie Stansbie
With All My Heart
by Stephanie Stansbie, Richard Smythe

5 out of 5 stars

This sweet picture book features die-cut openings in the pages that showcase an element in the illustrations or a word on the next opposing page of the book. The way the openings are set up is really clever, so that no matter which way you look through them, there is something lovely that adds to the words and illustrations.
The die-cuts also vary between heart shapes, flowers, clouds, leaves, and stars. The openings highlight shooting stars, the pitter-patter of rain, the shining moon, and lovely falling leaves. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Review: I Brushed My Hair Today: A Mom Journal

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I Brushed My Hair Today by Karen Johnson
I Brushed My Hair Today: A Mom Journal for Mostly Together Moms
by Karen Johnson

1 star

I was shocked and unhappy to see the F-word and the S-word on the very first page. You would think that a journal about parenting would at least be PG. There is profanity found in many other places as well. I think I counted over 25 nasty words in the whole book. I did not appreciate that, and I think it’s very out of place in this type of book.

This journal has mostly blank-lined pages with funny quotes about parenting. There are quotes from famous people about being a mother, as well as funny stories about parenting mishaps. There are also journaling prompts that ask questions about your favorite thing your child does to make you laugh, or the worst mess your child has made. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Review: An Introduction to Crystal Grids

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An Introduction to Crystal Grids by Karen Frazier
An Introduction to Crystal Grids: Daily Rituals for Your Heart, Health, and Happiness
by Karen Frazier (Goodreads Author)

2 out of 5 stars

This book is not what I was looking for. I wanted a more scientific book about how different minerals and crystals have chemical properties that can change the flow of air, remove impurities, react with other stones to improve energy, or react with electrons in healing ways.
But this book is more spiritual and wishy-washy that I wanted.

The author says in the introduction, “I believe crystals are conscious entities that come from the planet…”
Okay, that just sounds ridiculous. Rocks are not conscious. That is idiotic. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Review: Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents

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Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents by Carole P. Roman
Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents: A World War II Book for Kids
by Carole P. Roman (Goodreads Author)

5 stars

This book begins with an overview of WWII and which countries were at war at that time. It details the names of different government spy agencies like the Soviet’s NKVD, Germany’s Abwehr, and Polish Intelligence, Britain’s MI6, and gives a general idea of how British and French Resistance would work behind the scenes to confuse the enemy.

Chapter 2 talks about various requirements for being a spy, where and how agencies would recruit their spies, and the ordinary jobs that spies would use as their cover.
Chapter 3 is all about spy gear and special gadgets! There are pistols hidden in gloves, maps hidden in playing cards, grenades disguised to look like lumps of coal, radio transmitters, invisible ink, and even the classic ring with poison hidden in a secret compartment. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Review: Herbalism at Home

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Herbalism at Home by Kristine Brown
Herbalism at Home: 125 Recipes for Everyday Health
by Kristine Brown

4 out of 5 stars


Part One of this book talks about the history and benefits of herbalism, equipment and basic ingredients that you need to make the herbal recipes, and an encyclopedia of common herbs and their uses. This includes instructions for drying your own herbs, and types of poultices, syrups, powders, and massage oils. There is an entire chapter with advice on making your own herbal teas, tinctures, tonics, elixirs, salves, ointments, and baths.

Part Two is the actual recipes for herbal mixtures, including remedies for cough, asthma, digestive troubles, nausea, eczema, bug bites, cuts and scrapes, acne, earache, lice, warts, chickenpox, bladder infections, menstrual cramps, hair loss, acid reflux, diabetes, tinnitus, and dozens more. There are also blends for emotional relief from anxiety, insomnia, stress, depression, and PTSD. Continue reading →