Sunday, November 19, 2023

Review of Blubber by Judy Blume

 


Blubber is a good name for her, the note from Wendy says about Linda. Jill crumples it up and leaves it on the corner of her desk. She doesn't want to think about Linda or her dumb report on the whale just now. Jill wants to think about Halloween.

But Robby grabs the note, and before Linda stops talking it has gone halfway around the room.

That's where it all starts. There's something about Linda that makes a lot of kids in her fifth-grade class want to see how far they can go -- but nobody, least of all Jill, expects the fun to end where it does.
A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year


(affiliate links included)


**My thoughts**

Judy Blume's books were a staple of my childhood reading. Her books were so relevant to us at the time and she was actively publishing during my childhood. I remember reading Blubber when I was in about the 4th grade and really felt like I related to Linda because I was that chunky girl in my class. In fact, the title of this book likely did encourage some of the kids to give me the same moniker, though I somewhat ignored them. And I also sort of related to Jill and her friends, because I know I was a part of making fun of other children as well.

Fast forward to me being a middle-aged adult. I almost cringe reading this now. Narrator Jill is much nastier about Linda than I remember reading when I was a kid. If that isn't bad enough, I can hear her words in my own voice, reminding me of how mean I could also be as a kid. [I feel like we all had our moments.] And I don't think it hit me as hard back then how bullied Jill was as well, particularly for not following along with Wendy and her crew all the time. I'd like to think that in the past several years, we've been working on teaching children to act better. But the problem continues to persist, at least as bad as depicted in this story.

For the first time, I realized that this book also tackles children bullying adults, as they go after their neighbor, Mr. Machinist, on Halloween. This is something that we don't often think about when we are talking about kids and how they treat others.

And then there is my teacher side. I've been an educator my entire adult life. It also hurts me to see teachers portrayed as not noticing the bullying going on. And yet, I know that's a sad fact of life, even today. I like to think that I'm more on top of it than my peers in the field. But I also work with younger children, so it's different. Even worse is how some of the teachers are also doing some of the bullying. I know everyone would like to think that teachers don't do that, but I continue to witness some appalling behavior and comments out of teachers to this day.

But I'm glad that it hurts and has an impact on me, even as an adult. It just proves to me that this book is still important. Bullying is sadly an ongoing issue among children [and adults], and something that I'm not sure we'll ever completely eradicate. But reading a book like this could easily provoke some good conversations between adults and children. Some children may recognize themselves in the story, which is also important. My hope is that they would be more aware of their own words and actions and make the appropriate adjustments. 
 

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Tales of the Forgotten Founders by C.W. Allen

 


Middle grade books are the best ones for fantasy! Check out an excerpt from this final installment in the Falinnheim Chronicles and then download your own copy of Tales of the Forgotten Founders. And then take a sneak peek into the author's next project! It sounds like another good one! Then follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Read an exclusive excerpt from Elvia and the Gift of Passion

 


Today I have a treat for our young fans of science fiction and fantasy! Take a peek inside of Elvia and the Gift of Passion by Ruthy Ballard with this exclusive excerpt. Follow the tour to read even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

Monday, January 2, 2023

Review of Mansa's Little Reminders: The Money Workbook for Kids Part 1 by AD Williams and Kendal Fordham

  



Children learn about financial literacy, wealth creation, and money management in this easy-to-follow workbook developed as a second step to Mansa’s Little Reminders book. In this workbook, children will learn the tools to normalize wealth and financial freedom. Learning is easy and long-lasting through the use of interactive exercises and fun assignments.

Parents, families, and educators can support their children in developing foundational skills to responsibly earn and retain money. Together, we can create a generation of future wealth builders.

This workbook will:
  • Teach children about budgeting & saving money
  • Introduce kids to the role of an entrepreneur
  • Have them run through real business scenarios appropriate for their age
  • Encourage them to interact with elders to seek guidance and mentorship

(affiliate links included)


**My thoughts**
I love this workbook for kids. It goes into a lot more detail than the original book did - as it should - and gives a lot of real world advice to help children be more financially savvy, including becoming young entrepreneurs. There are comprehensive defnitions of important terms as well as numerous exercises that really break down how to create your own little business (like the childhood favorite lemonade stand) and to save money for financial success. These exercises are linked to the website, so you can still easily work through this as a Kindle copy or as a paperback workbook. I especially love the reflection questions that help you troubleshoot problem areas and evaluate what has worked well on a regular basis. I think even some adults could learn a little from going through this book!

I received a requested review copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.





About the authors:

A.D. Williams learned early on how powerful representation is in books. Ensuring that kids can see and feel success through the lens of characters that look and face many of the same challenges they do. When I was growing up no one talked about investing, wealth, business plans or how to acquire real wealth,” said A.D. His underlying motivation is that this book will ignite discussions around finances in households across the world and be a seed that blossoms until wealth equity for our children. In addition to his writing, A.D. is a children hospital administrator, private investor, and entrepreneur.

Kendal Fordham is a mother, a Wealth Manager, business owner, real estate investor, and now author. She is passionate about her growing faith in Jesus Christ, financial literacy, and creating a legacy that supports and inspires her family.



Review of #GrowYourCircle (Mila on Purpose Book 1) by Professor Stork

   


Mila is a young girl with a strong sense of purpose. She also listens and pays attention to the words and thoughts of wise advisers, like her parents and teachers. Through everyday actions imbued with kindness and consideration, Mila is intent on fostering positive change in her community and across the globe.

#GrowYourCircle is a trailblazing graphic novel for children 6-10, their parents and teachers. The book nurtures children’s innate sense of purpose and helps build strong, positive leadership skills.


On Amazon
(Affiliate links included)


**My thoughts**
This book has a great message for kids about how doing one small thing can actually lead to something tremendous. Mila is fascinated by the new girl in class, but isn't sure how to approach her. She has a wonderful conversation with her mother, strategizing about how to reach out and to "grow her circle" of people in her life. It's something that we all need to learn how to do - get to know other people outside of our comfort zone of the usual suspects. And the two girls learn a lot about becoming friends, their similiarities and differences. The intertwining of their worlds makes their worlds grow and thrive. Parts of their story reminds me of my own childhood, meeting new people from diverse backgrounds and having our families get to know each other.

The story really does seem to come from a young girl, as the accompanying illustrations are more juvenile than you usually see in books. It makes me feel like a child actually did the bulk of it. I think that could inspire children to maybe make their own friendship stories and books.

There's also the social media aspect where the kids come up with the hashtag #GrowYourCircle. If appropriate, it could turn into a class project to see if they could create their own special project to fulfill this hashtag and its ideas. At the very least, there are activities at the end of the book that could be used in the classroom or even at home.

I received a requested review copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.



About the Author

Professor Stork is on a mission to write and publish books that help children build and nurture self-worth, creativity, compassion, leadership skills and a sense of purpose. He believes children are catalysts for positive change, and that reading is a way for them to begin the journey leading to a fulfilling, purposeful life.


Mansa's Little Reminders: The Money Workbook for Kids Part 1 by AD Williams & Kendal Fordham

 



Children learn about financial literacy, wealth creation, and money management in this easy-to-follow workbook developed as a second step to Mansa’s Little Reminders book. In this workbook, children will learn the tools to normalize wealth and financial freedom. Learning is easy and long-lasting through the use of interactive exercises and fun assignments.

Parents, families, and educators can support their children in developing foundational skills to responsibly earn and retain money. Together, we can create a generation of future wealth builders.

This workbook will:
  • Teach children about budgeting & saving money
  • Introduce kids to the role of an entrepreneur
  • Have them run through real business scenarios appropriate for their age
  • Encourage them to interact with elders to seek guidance and mentorship

(affiliate links included)




About the authors:

A.D. Williams learned early on how powerful representation is in books. Ensuring that kids can see and feel success through the lens of characters that look and face many of the same challenges they do. When I was growing up no one talked about investing, wealth, business plans or how to acquire real wealth,” said A.D. His underlying motivation is that this book will ignite discussions around finances in households across the world and be a seed that blossoms until wealth equity for our children. In addition to his writing, A.D. is a children hospital administrator, private investor, and entrepreneur.

Kendal Fordham is a mother, a Wealth Manager, business owner, real estate investor, and now author. She is passionate about her growing faith in Jesus Christ, financial literacy, and creating a legacy that supports and inspires her family.



I was compensated for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Review of Bobby's Story (Mr. Grizley's Class) by Bryan Patrick Avery, illustrated by Arief Putra

 


When Bobby learns more about homelessness, he wants to tell his classmates and help make a difference. But everyone is busy and distracted by their own activities. Can he find a way to tell this important story?


(affiliate links included throughout)


**My thoughts**
This is a very short chapter book about a boy named Bobby who writes his own comic series about the Purple Potato. One day he literally runs into a high school girl named Ashley who is sharing flyers to raise awareness about homelessness. Bobby wants to help spread the world to his classmates, but has to find a clever way to get their attention.

What I like about this book is it is a call to action for kids to get involved in causes that are important to them. They learn how to make a flyer to support their cause. They are also encouraged to think of other ways to spread their message.

I was left wanting a bit more, though. A couple of facts about homelessness are included in the story. The kids get excited to help do something. I think it would have been a great time to introduce at least one actionable thing they could do to put on the flyer. And I think even showing us what Ashley's flyer looked like may have helped fuel that want. But this does provide a great foundation for more discussions with kids about important topics.

I did love the illustrations. They are very vibrant and show off the diverse classmates and captures their personalities. 

I received a reuqested review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.



This series is available on Amazon Kids+.



Click on a cover below to find out more about the Mr. Grizley's Class series by Bryan Patrick Avery.


















Tuesday, August 30, 2022

The Mermaid and the Unicorns by LT Getty

 


I don't know about you, but when I was in the middle grades, unicorns and mermaids were all we needed! If you or someone you know feel the same, check out this excerpt from The Mermaid and the Unicorns by LT Getty. You can also read her thoughts on making her character Daphne both flawed and likeable. Be sure to let her know what you think in the comments as you follow the tour for more! Best of luck entering the giveaway!


Sunday, August 28, 2022

Review of Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist

 


Starting middle school is no joke! Isaiah Dunn has more to say in the sequel to the award-winning novel Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero. Friendship, community, and a love of words blend in this coming-of-age tale.

Things are looking up for super kid Isaiah Dunn. He and his little sister, Charlie, are getting used to staying with Miz Rita, and Mama's feeling better. Isaiah's poetry business with Angel is taking off, and his best friend, Sneaky, always has a new hustle. Plus, Isaiah has his dad's journals for a story or if he needs advice....

Like maybe now, because starting middle school is hard. Especially when his mentee Kobe won't stop making trouble. Isaiah knows something is up, but to get to the bottom of Kobe's secret, he'll have to rely on every hero he knows--including himself!

Discover the heartfelt and humorous sequel to the award-winning novel Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero.


(affiliate link included)


**My thoughts**
This is the second full-length middle-grade novel featuring my new favorite kid hero, Isaiah Dunn. I loved it as much as the first one. I already can't wait for the next one!

He's now starting middle school and his home life is more stable. His best friend, Sneaky, wants him to come play football. But Isaiah's first love is still the written word. Plus his business with Angel is expanding. And he still has his hours at Rock's barbershop. And then he's getting roped into Rockets Reach Back, a mentorship program that pairs him with a struggling elementary student. He is going to end up learning as much from Kobe as Kobe does from him.

I love this story because not only does Isaiah grow a lot within himself, but he learns how to help others. And while he is doing mentoring of his own, he is being mentored to through his job and others in his life. It's a great learning lesson for both kids and adults about how we can all do so much good, even with one seemingly simple act.

Isaiah Dunn is an important voice in children's literature and can appeal to so many readers. I hope we keep hearing his story for quite some time!

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my review request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Click on a title to read my review of the  Isaiah Dunn series by Kelly J. Baptist:

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Review of Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

Carnegie Medal winner
A National Book Award Finalist
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
An NPR Favorite Book of 2019
A New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019
A Time Best Children’s Book of 2019
A Today Show Best Kids’ Book of 2019
A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2019
A School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Book of 2019
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019
A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019
“As innovative as it is emotionally arresting.” —Entertainment Weekly



From National Book Award finalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes a novel told in ten blocks, showing all the different directions kids’ walks home can take.