This is definitely a book for parents to read to their children, as the prose is advanced – lyrical and well-written, to be sure, but complex for a new reader. Its lyricism really makes the book a stand-out. This isn’t a cookie-cutter Christmas story. […]
Danloria: The Secret Forest of Germania by Gloria D. Gonsalves is a book for 4 to 7-year-olds about Stan who goes venturing into the forest and meets a magical collection of plants, mushrooms, and other fauna. In each meeting with the different plant-creatures, we learn about different plant’s properties (such as fern, moss, blackberry, and many others). When Stan falls ill, we then learn the medicinal properties of all these different plants. Gonsalves deftly integrates real facts about plants without seeming too encyclopedic – kids will learn and appreciate the different forms of plant life without even realizing they’re learning![…]
★★★★ 
A MouseKeeper Christmas: The Beginning by Jenny Deason Copeland is a highly original Christmas story about Sara, who solves a very big problem for Santa and the North Pole. Mice are running rampant in Santa’s workshop, slowing down production, so Santa and the elves hold a contest for children to find a solution. Sara has the best idea: every child on the “Nice” list will adopt a mouse during the Christmas season so Santa can get his work done. Sara’s plan goes off without a hitch, and the “Nice” list even grows, as all the children want to take […]
★★★★★ 
In Doggy Drama, the earlier book in this series, it followed a dog named Riley, who has to deal with the pitfalls of a new baby in the house. It’s an endearing, and instructive look at how to adapt to a new member of the family. Now the tables have turned in Puppy Drama and Riley’s the older sibling, while a new puppy, Lucy, is introduced, who has to contend with Riley’s antics.
Just as in Doggy Drama, we get a not-so-subtle message about adapting to a growing family in amusing and effective ways. Here Lucy is […]
★★★½ 
Lamellia: The Kingdom of Mushrooms by Gloria D. Gonsalves is a whimsical and yet a rather unusual book following a society of mushrooms and its fungal king called Polipoli. They’re an advanced society with warring factions who are all based on actual mushroom species that grow in the world today.
One day while venturing off in the forest, a group of Lamellians discover a human baby all by herself. They decide to adopt the baby and use their mushroom abilities to care for her – such as milk from the Indigo mushroom and a soft bed for her to […]
★★★★★ 
In 1955, a year when the American Dream was fresh and alive, the San Francisco Chronicle had stiff competition to remain in business amidst the city’s infamous newspaper wars. Under tremendous pressure to succeed, an idea is born – like a diamond from coal: a treasure hunt. Not just any treasure hunt, but a treasure hunt of the ages. With clues to be given and real-life locations to visit, readers would fight tooth-and-nail across the city to find Emperor Norton’s lost prize… if it exists at all. With colorful characters both human and animal alike, follow along with this […]
★★★★
Books have always had the power to bring families together, allowing parents to share powerful, memorable stories with their children. In Santa’s Rescue Dog, Monty J. McClaine adds on to his popular series of children’s book about Super Speed Sam, his family’s loyal basset hound. In the first four installments of the series, readers were introduced to Sam and saw his amazing super-speed abilities in action. No one in the family knows about these powers except for the youngest of the McClaine clan, Molly the baby, but these books actually function as a portrait of the author’s family, […]
As this is the second book in the series (following Sean Wants to be Messi), it would have helped if the author had established Sean’s love of Messi for those readers who are picking this book up as […]