Strong Girls of the Ordinary People Change the World series: a great educational series

My daughter received the Strong Girls Set of the Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer for Christmas. It contained four books each book featured an historical figure who had an impact on the world. First, I am Harriet Tubman is the story of a woman and her heroic acts to help fleeing slaves escape the South for freedom. Second, I am Jane Goodall is the story of how Ms. Goodall fell in love with chimpanzees and devoted her life to the study of these beautiful creatures. Third, I am Sacagawea is the story of a young woman who was the only female and only Native American on the Lewis and Clark’s expedition of the Pacific Ocean. Lastly, I am Amelia Earhart is the story of a aviation pioneer who became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic.

What I love about these books is they not only male historical figures fun and engaging but they encourage further reading into these people’s lives and contributions. Mr. Meltzer not only includes his own sources but suggests other books for further reading. Other titles in this series include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Lucille Ball and many others. I highly recommend this series for any family and classroom library.

Ordinary People Change the World

is available in multiple formats at major booksellers

Two new titles in the wonderful If you were me and lived in... series

Today I have two new children’s books from Carole P. Roman. First, If you were me and lived in…the Mayan Empire where this ancient society and culture from the Yucatan Peninsula is explored. In this book, Ms. Roman discusses daily life and rituals, the foods the Mayans cultivated and ate as well as the structure of the classes and the jobs everyone had. There is even a section which discusses that the lasting contributions to the world that the Mayans left behind. Such as the concept of zero in mathematics and their calendar.

Second, If you were me and lived in…Germany is an exploration of the European nation. The sights and sounds of the capital and largest city, Berlin. The foods which are common in German households and the famous festivals such as Oktoberfest. Readers will learn about the beautiful castle which are located in Germany, even the castle which inspired Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland. 

I enjoyed learning about the Mayan Empire which was instrumental to life as we know it today. I also enjoyed getting to know life in the beautiful country of Germany. These books will teach children about life in the past and life in a present country. They will realize that people may live in different countries but they may like and enjoy the same things they do. Both books are excellent additions to the If you were me and lived in… series. I highly recommend both books and the other books in the series to any family and classroom library.

If you were me and lived in...The Mayan Empire

and

If you were me and lived in...Germany

are available on Amazon 

in paperback and on the Kindle

Two great news books from Carol P. Roman

Today I have two new books from Carole P. Roman to review. First. One to Ten: Squirrel’s Bad Day. In a forest, Squirrel drops his acorns in the river and he is very sad. Rabbit teaches him how to deal with the problem. He tells Squirrel to rate the problem from one to ten. One being no so bad and ten being the absolute worst. Other forest animals give examples how they turned their different situations where it seems to be the wort and then they figured out how to turn it around. For example, when a game of baseball was interrupted by rain (a 10) turns in to a game of jumping in the puddles (a 1). I enjoyed this book as a story to help children deal with difficult situation and draw positives from it.

Second, If You were me and lived in…Israel is a journey through the beautiful country in the Middle East. The readers learn a brief history of the country as well as the modern day food, culture and life in Israel. Common celebrations such as Purim, the celebration in remembrance of Queen Esther. Is discussed as well as the unique reading form in Israel. They read from right to left as opposed to the rest of the world who reads left to right. This book is another great addition to an outstanding series.

I highly recommend One to Ten: Squirrel’s Bad Day and If You were me and lived in…Israel for any family and school libraries. They are highly educational, fun and enjoyable!

Both titles are available

on Amazon

in paperback and on the Kindle

Another great addition to the Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant series

Ellie’s Fun Day at the Farm by Marci and Elle Fair is another addition to the Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant. The story follows Ellie and her friend, Pudgy the Penguin as they eat lunch and they wonder where their food comes from. So they decide the take a trip to a local farm. There they see many animals like goats, sheep and cows. They see a garden with tomatoes, onions and peppers. The book also includes fun puzzles and games for readers to enjoy.

I enjoyed Ellie’s Fun Day at the Farm. The mom-daughter writing team blends imagination and realistic photos to introduce children to the world around them. I loved the play on words when Ellie and Pudgy saw the different farm animals. For instance, when they saw the goat, the word “kidding” was used referring to a joke and a baby goat. The book encourages readers to take their own stuffed animals to visit a farm and snap pictures and shar them with the hashtag #elliesfriends. This book and others in the series are very unique which allowed engagement on the part of the readers. I highly recommend Ellie’s Fun Day at the Farm and other books in this wonderful series.

Ellie’s Fun Day at the Farm

is available at major booksellers

in paperback and on the Kindle

Two great new books for children

Today I have two children’s books to review. Both educational and fun for the kids. I highly recommend these two books as great additions to a child’s reading list

First, If you were me and lived in…Egypt by Carol P. Roman is a new addition to the exciting series. This book takes the reader through the land of Egypt and introduces life as a resident. The book teaches about the geography, history and the cultural aspects of the country. The children are introduced to the pyramids, the food: falafels, popular games and national holidays and festivals. I have review these books before and I have loved every single one. Every book in this series, including Egypt, needs to be a part of a family’s or a school’s library. This book will help open other countries to the reader and inspire more reader about Egypt and other wonderful countries.

Second, Cave Kiddos: A Sunny Day by Eric Jay Cash is a book about four Paleolithic children who share the experience of developing and learning important words and concepts. The readers join Alk, Haha, Lala, and See as they discover the world around them. In this book, the word, water, is water. It’s a simple story which helps children flow the development and pronunciation of the word water. The author writes a note to the reader to read in a caveman voice as the characters are doing. While I don’t do voices when I read to my daughter, I’m sure there are parents who could have fun with that aspect.

If you were me and lived in...Egypt

is available on Amazon

in paperback for $10.99

or free on Kindle Unlimited

Cave Kiddos A Sunny Day

is available on Amazon

in paperback for $9.99

and on Kindle Unlimited for $1.99

. 

What was I thinking?: a fun book to teach children about their brains

What was I thinking? Volume 1: My Brainy Best Friend by Zac Lange is a engaging story which introduces children to the power and responsibility of their brains.

The story follows a young boy and his best friend: his brain. It helps him think, play, laugh, and read. Sometimes when the brain takes a rest, he make mistakes because he did not think before he acts. When the brain comes back from its rest and it realize the mistake he’s made. The boy with his brain create a special list about how to avoid making mistakes in the future. First, stop and think. Think of the consequences. Will he get in trouble? Second, could this hurt? Physical injury or broken items around the house. Third, could this get me in trouble? Is he allowed to do this activity?

What was I thinking? is a great book introducing kids to the power of their brains. It teaches them to use their brain in order to do the right thing. The illustrations are fun and engaging. I think that children will enjoy reading this story and will understand the lesson involved. My 4 year old daughter enjoyed listening to the story and even today still tells me that her brain is in the head. I recommend this book for any family or classroom library.

What was I thinking?

Volume 1: My Brainy Best Friend

is available on Amazon

in hardcover $22.95

and in paperback for $9.95 

When I grow up I want to be...A Good Person: a great book for children

The Wigu Publishing Company has released another great book for young readers. When I grow up I want to be…a Good Person is another great addition to this amazing series.

The story begins as Brendan and Blake are dragging their heels about going to a funeral with their parents. They grip and moan like kids do but their parents are insistent. They need to go and remember the kind and generous man, Mr. Becket. As the service begins, various people come up and tell stories about the kindness and generosity that Mr. Becket showed to his friends, his neighbors and his community. As the boys attend the reception after the services, they continued to hear stories about Mr. Becket and they realize that “being a good person is not just one single think but is the total of everything you do.” Brendan and Blake both decide that they want to be a good person too.

I’ve reviewed this series before and have enjoyed every title. This title is a topic that many children don’t hear about and don’t have examples of what it means to be a good person. This book will help open doors to conversation for both families and classrooms about what it means to be a good person. I highly recommend this book for every classroom and family library.

When I grow up I want to be…a Good Person

And the other titles in this series

Are available on

Amazon, Barnes and Nobles

And many other online book retailers. 

If you were me and lived...Italy: another great addition to an amazing series!

If you were me and lived in…Italy by Carole P. Roman is another addition to this great series. This book follows the same format as the titles before.

In this book, children will learn about Italy and its residence. They will learn about its history as the home of the Ancient Roman Empire and how at its height covered an area which includes almost 48 modern day countries. The book also covers the uniqueness of the city of Rome, Italy’s capital. Vatican City is the home of the Roman Catholic Church and is its own independent country with the city. Readers will explore the common sites, food and festivals which Italians celebrate.

I’ve reviewed the other titles in this series and this book, exploring Italy, is a great addition to an awesome learning tool for classrooms and families. I highly recommend the book on Italy as well as the other titles in the If you were me and lived in… series.

If you were me and lived in…Italy

Is available on Amazon

on the Kindle for $1.99 and free with Kindle Unlimited

and in paperback for $9.99

The Morgan James Kids books: great lessons for children through imagination

A great new set of children’s books by author Nancy Guettier. These books introduce lessons for children in a fun and imaginative way.

First, Mermaids on Mars is the story of mermaids who wasted water on their home planet of Mars. They used the water from everything until the planet ran dry. Desperately needing water, the mermaids come to Earth where they conserve water as the precious resource that it is. The end of the book gives the five rules of water conservation which includes not running the water while brushing your teeth and taking shorter showers.

Second, Circus in the Sky is t a wonderful lesson of the constellations in our night sky. The story is told through the imagination of a young boy named Julian as he dreams in he is the ringleader of a circus in the sky. As the tent floats among the stars the various famous constellations are introduced. Constellations like Orion the Mighty Hunter, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and the seven sisters.

Third, I Wish is the story of two young girls who find a magical wand and as wishes are made, they realize what is more important Arianna makes wishes that she would be a bird or a fish or even a cat. With each wish, Genevieve points out that if all these wishes come true, she would miss out on spending time with her friend. It is a great lesson about being yourself and the joys of spending time with your best friend.

Fourth, Jude’s Moon is the story of Jude and imagination that the moon is his very own balloon. He receives a lesson in the moon’s phases as he discovers that the moon looks like a banana and not a round ball. The story then explains why the moon like it does from the first quarter moon through the cycle of phases. Jude loves the moon and its light: his very own flashlight.

Lastly, ROY G BIV is made at me because I love pink! is a story about Genevieve who loves pink and one day after it rains, she meets a rainbow who introduces her to the colors of the rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet are remembered by the acronym of ROY G BIV. It is a story about the primary and secondary colors which make up all the colors of our life.  

Each book is beautifully illustrated by various artists and written in a manner that children will enjoy and understand the important lesson of the book. I loved how the books are told from the imagination of a child and teaches lesson about our life, planet and universe. I highly recommend these titles for any family and classroom libraries.

These titles are available on Amazon

in paperback for $9.95

n hardback for $19.95 and on the Kindle for $9.45

If you were me and lived in...China: book review

Another great addition to the If you were me and lived in…series is here! Now we get a glimpse into life in China.  We get a geography lesson about the area which makes of the country such as the rivers, desert and grassland areas. China was founded by the Qin Dynasty over two thousand years ago. We learn about the capital city, Beijing, as the center of political, cultural and educational center.  We learn the popular names for boys and girls and endearments for Mom and Dad. We visit the great sites of China such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. We also learn about the regional food. Mandarin in the north, Cantonese in the south, and Szechuan in the southwest.  As well as holidays and festivals popular in Chinese culture.

I love this series. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This series is a great and engaging way to introduce children to the various cultures around the world. I love that this book gives an interesting look into China. I highly recommend this book and the other titles in this series for any family and classroom.                                                                                                                                                                        

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo: a science adventure into space

Dr Dee Dee Dynamo’s Saturn Surprise by Oneeka Williams and illustrated by Valerie Bouthyette is an adventure story of Dr Dee Dee and her friends as the travel to Saturn to investigate the disappearance of its rings.

The story opens with Dee Dee and her friend, Lukas, attending an exhibit at the Positivity Planetarium when she learns that Saturn’s rings are gone! A mission to Saturn to investigate why. While on this journey, Dee Dee educates her friend and the readers about Saturn’s rings. She discusses the ring phase crossing when Saturn and the earth are aligned the rings appear to have disappeared. This events occurs every 14-15 years. The book also explains the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft which was sent to study Saturn in 1997. When Dee Dee arrives at Saturn, she learns that the rings are tired of being rings. Dee Dee helps them realize their importance to Saturn and helps them get back into place.

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Saturn Surprise is a fun, educational adventure which introduces science and problem solving to the readers. I loved that the author included a glossary of terms as well as a pronunciation guide. There are also Mommy Dynamo’s Discovery Questions in which the readers can be quizzed about what they learned in this adventure story. The illustrations are great, colorful and fun. I highly recommend this book for any school or family library.

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Saturn Surprise

is available on Amazon

on the Kindle for $2.99

and in hardcover for $14.95

Great new titles in the "If you were me and lived in..." series: Scotland and Hungary

We are visited again by the wonderful series, “If you were me and lived in…” Today, I am reviewing two books featuring the countries: Scotland, a country on my bucket list to visit, and Hungary, a country with an interesting history.

First, Scotland is the northern third of Great Britain and has about 790 islands in the North Sea. The capital is Edinburgh and it is famous for its university of medicine, law, science and engineering. The book covers common names in the country as well as what children might call their mom and dad. We learn that the unicorn is Scotland’s official animal because it represents grace, purity, healing and happiness. Any book about Scotland would not be complete without learning about Loch Ness and its famous monster, Nessie. We also learn about some of the favorite dishes of Scotland, like porridge, tattie scones (potato muffins), cullen shink (a soup with haddock, potatoes, and onions) and of course, haggis. Children will learn about golf and how it was first played in 1457 in Scotland and the famous Highland Games with its traditional dress, events and music.

Second, children can learn about Hungary, a landlocked country in Central Europe. The capital of Budapest is actually three cities separated by the Danube River. Buda and Obud on the west bank and Pest on the east bank. Children learn about places to visit in Hungary like The Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe and the Caves of Aggtelek filled with stalagmites, Readers will also learn about the famous dishes of Hungary such as goulash and menygyleves. Saint Stephen is celebrated in Hungarian as a hero as he was the first king of Hungary, crowned in 1001, he united the people. Children will learn that the famous Rubik’s Cube was invented in Hungary by Professor Erno Rubik in 1974.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. These books are great educational tools for any children’s library. It presents the information in a way that engages the children without giving any information that they wouldn’t be interested in. I highly recommend all the titles in the “If you were me and lived in…” series.

If you were me and lived in Scotland

And

If you were me and lived in Hungary

Are available on Amazon in paperback for $9.99

Another adventure for Anthony Ant!

Anthony Ant goes to Egypt by Julie Bettendorf is a delightful exploration of Egypt. Anthony Ant arrives in Cairo and meets up with Babu the beetle. Together they explore Egypt. They ride on camels, see the giant pyramids and the Sphinx. They explore the bazaar, a marketplace, where a wide variety of items are sold, such as blankets, rungs, and spices. Anthony Ant and Babu visit the museum where they see the mummies and the riches they were buried with. Next, they sail down the River Nile and see many of the temples along the way. Lastly, they go snorkeling in the Red Sea where they see beautifully colored fish and coral.

Anthony Ant goes to Egypt is a wonderful exploration of Egypt. The information is presented in a way which will appeal to children and engaging them in learning about the country. I highly recommend this book for any family and classroom library.

Anthony Ant goes to Egypt

Is available on Amazon

In paperback for $14.95

And on the Kindle for $2.99

Two new titles in the When I grow up, I want to be... series

Wigu Publications has released two new titles in their wonderful When I grow up I want to be… series. In this series, children are introduced to different careers. Today, I have two new titles to introduce to you.

First, in the U.S. Army, Jake must do a report about what he wants to be when he grows up. He’s unsure about what that is. His dad decides to take him to an army surplus store where Jack learns about the U.S. Army. The book explores the history of the Army which began as the Continental Army in 1775. Jake learns about the Army’s uniform, the different stars, stripes which indicate rank, the patches which indicates unit and specialty. Jake also learns about the different jobs available in the Army such as doctors, nurses, lawyer and firefighter. He also learns about the service ribbons and medals that are rewarded like the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Medal of Honor.

Second, a Veterinarian, Sofia wants a pet of her own but her mom says no. One rainy night, she finds a stray cat and the family takes her to the vet, Dr. Helen. Dr. Helen tells Sofia and her family all what a vet does for animals. There are vets for household pets, farms and ranches, and zoos and wild animals. Sofia also learns about the school training that a vet must go through to earn his or her degree. The most popular pet is the cat and dogs were the first animals to be domesticated. Sofia also gets a lesson in what it takes to be a responsible pet owner.

Both books are great introductions to different careers for children to explore. The information provided is fun, engaging and educational. I highly recommend these titles and the other titles in the series for any family or classroom library. Children will enjoy reading about the different careers that are possible for them when they grow up.

When I grow up I want to be…in the U.S. Army

and

When I grow up I want to be…a Veterinarian

are available on Amazon in paperback for $12.95

and on the Kindle for $2.99