Children’s Book Reviews

Review: This Book Belongs To by Daley James Francis ★★★★

this book belongs to

A nine-year-old girl. A magical sketchbook. A huge imagination. A lot of trouble.

When men in hardhats arrive at Amy Carr’s house, she’s old enough to understand that this isn’t a social call. They are there to knock down her house. In the ruins, Amy unearths an old sketchbook. Soon she learns that this isn’t an ordinary sketchbook.

The creatures she draws in this magical sketchbook come alive. The premise behind this book is fun and just as creative as Amy’s imagination in the story. Most middle grade readers are still focused inward and aren’t very aware of the outside […]

2016-07-29T05:15:55+02:00February 3rd, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Wild Dragon Soul: Tales About a Journey to Find the Inner Artist by Tatjana Garibaldi

Wild Dragon SoulWild Dragon Soul by Tatjana Garibaldi is described as “A collection of short stories, written in fairy-tale style, about a journey to find the inner artist.” While this may suggest a book literally about the creation of art, it is more abstract than that, but also quietly comforting. One might call these children’s stories for adults, while they could also be enjoyed by children as well.

The opening story, “Daisy,” for example, is about a flower growing underneath a goose’s nest. The flower can hardly be described as an “artist,” but it is about perseverance, getting help from others, and […]

2017-03-24T06:54:51+02:00December 27th, 2014|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

An Interview With Author Bella Woodfield

Bella WoodfieldTell us something about your book. The basics: what’s it about?

I wrote and illustrated “The Girl and the Moon” after a late winters walk in our local park with my daughter- then aged four- furiously scooting. As she scooted along she called out that she “wanted to catch that moon mammy!” I asked her what she would do if she caught it, and she replied that she would “eat it!”

The idea was such a simple one, straight from the mind of a four year old, and I couldn’t wait to pack her off to bed that night to […]

2014-11-25T06:45:37+02:00November 25th, 2014|Categories: Interviews|Tags: |

Review: The Funny Adventures of Little Nani by Cinta García de la Rosa

The Funny Adventures of Little Nani by Cinta García de la RosaThe Funny Adventures of Little Nani by Cinta García de la Rosa is a collection of short stories for children featuring the titular Little Nani, an eight-year-old girl who wants to become a great witch. Using her magic spells she tries to help everyone she comes across, making the most unlikely of friends along the way. Unfortunately, Nani never properly learned how to become a witch, having only half-read the messages of her online witch lessons, and her spells almost always go in an unsuspecting direction. The result is a unique collection of tales of “be careful what you wish […]

2014-11-21T06:28:36+02:00November 21st, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Warming The Rose by Marta Smyk

When a distracted gardener leaves Anastasia, the most beloved rose in the garden, uncovered and exposed to freezing temperatures, Anastasia’s fellow flowers must come to her rescue in this charming children’s story of friendship, bravery, and the power of hope.

Amadeus, the hero of this tale, is both inspiring and engaging. The book is filled with many other strong characters as well, including Grandmother Rose, the wise matriarch of the garden; Mr. Black, a kindly raven; and two spunky companions: a meadow daisy and a nervous narcissus flower whom Amadeus meets on his journey to find a medicine that will […]

2014-05-18T16:52:17+02:00November 15th, 2013|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra by Colm McElwain

James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra is a wonderful addition to the young adult fantasy adventure genre. The story is entertaining, fast-paced, and imaginative. James Clyde, an orphan, along with his two friends, Ben and Mary Forester, must safeguard a magical diamond from an evil man dressed in black. In order to protect the diamond, the children need to travel to Orchestra, an alternative world. Each step of the way, the trio encounters trials and tribulations and the army hunting them is merciless. Will the children be able to overcome all obstacles and keep the diamond out of the […]

Creating Attention-Grabbing Children’s Stories in a Tech-Driven World

montage of childrens books
Nearly every child has heard, “Stop staring at that screen and go read a book!” Before TV, parents were probably saying something similar about the radio. And before that, well, marbles might have been a child’s object of obsession.

Today, however, children have such an enormous plethora of distractions — from the Internet to video games to smartphones and even social networks — that TV has become the least of parents’ problems when it comes to getting their kids to read. It can be easy for a parent to give up and let the video games win the war for […]

2022-05-21T01:21:21+02:00October 17th, 2013|Categories: Features|Tags: , |

Review: The Dragon Who Feared Fire by Jeff Shevlowitz

“The Dragon Who Feared Fire” is a delightful tale about two outcasts who find each other and discover the true meaning of friendship. Even before Harold’s birth, his father knew he would not be like other dragons. Percy, Harold’s father, predicts, “Growing up may be hard for you, but you’ll be a dragon unlike any other.” Percy is correct. Unlike the other hatchlings, Harold is scared of fire. When the other youngsters revel in their ability to breathe fire, Harold runs away in fear. He prefers spending his time in solitude swimming in a secret lake. Most dragons hate the […]

2019-01-22T10:46:06+02:00October 30th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |
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