What Do the Plants Say? (Alex, the Inventor) by Lois Wickstrom

 

What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alex hears the plants talking to her. She's very intrigued by this and wants to learn more of what they are saying to her. She tries a variety of methods to distinguish between the different "pops" and learns that they want to have a party. What's the best way to have a party? With helium of course!

This was a fun book but not my favorite by this author. She writes a lot of books with a science them, and while this one was still science focused, it had more of a mythical approach to it as well. I was not fond of the "talking to plants and thinking they speak to you" aspect. I do know that there is some research out there about talking to plants but I'm not super convinced of this having a true effect. I think for kids, it's best to keep it simple. I still recommend this book though!

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The Guardian of Whispers (The Reeds of West Hills Book 1) by B. E. Padgett

 

The Guardian of Whispers by B.E. Padgett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A little bit of a Harry Potter feel to it has the reader diving into the story of Jon and Frank Reed. They are twins with some pretty cool special abilities. When they are sent away to school to refine these abilities, they come across some interesting people who are like them in some ways. The school has regular academic coursework, along with classes for each special gift.

Jon is a bit of an enigma as they've not seen his gift in many years. Could that gift become his downfall, his curse? He gets to have exposure to the Guardian of Whispers but then it does missing and everyone automatically blames him. Can Frank help him out in any way? Frank hears voices so maybe Jon can get a message to him before it's too late.

This is a super fun middle school fantasy book. I look forward to reading about the next adventures of the Reed brothers!

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Helpful Hudson by Dannielle Pickford

 

Helpful Hudson by Dannielle Pickford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book focuses on the importance of self-care. Hudson is very helpful to everyone, doing things as he's asked. However, one day Hudson wakes up very grumpy and doesn't want to help anyone. It's then that his family helps him and rejuvenates his helpful spirit.

This book is a very important one and should be shared with children and adults of all ages!! I have been a caregiver from the tender age of 4 and I felt how Hudson felt many times. If you know a caregiver, the best thing you can do is to offer to sit with their loved one, even if it's just for a hour, so that the caregiver can have some alone time. It's vital to our survival!!

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People Safari by Feather Chelle

 

People Safari by Feather Chelle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let's just take a moment and admire the cover of this book. It's beyond brilliantly beautiful and the illustrations inside are equally as radiant!

This book was a journey...an adventure and was a very fun read! I laughed out loud several times reading this book and I know that kids will find it even more humourous than I did! Some parents may not appreciate one portion of the humor presented but given the story, I found it very appropriate and the kids will love it.

Ranger Marco, who is a raccoon, is helping out the Deer family in teaching their young Fawn about safety in different environments. They journey out of the woods to a nearby town where big yellow tubes suck up children and bring them back at the end of the day. Where there is a lot of noise that's not heard in the woods. Small animals that are attached to their owners who are covered in strange material. Fawn learns to respect her environment and to accept who she is during this adventure.



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Concert Hall Hit (A Darcy Gaughan Mystery) by J.C. Kenney

 

Concert Hall Hit: A Darcy Gaughan Mystery by J.C. Kenney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was enjoyable from word one! I especially love all the music and television/movie references scattered throughout. I did not realize that this book was part of a series. Reading this one as a standalone worked out well, as there was enough backstory throughout this story to catch me up to date on previous events that took place. I do want to go back and read the first book though!

Darcy is a former drummer who owns a music store. Derek is coming to town and he's an entertainer that's got a bit of a tarnished reputation. He's decided to do an apology tour to make it up to his fans for his past behavior. He purposely chose to kick off his tour in Darcy's hometown due to some history that they've had together. The town is all abuzz about Derek's arrival and upcoming concert. Then the big night comes, the show is a success, and unfortunately, it does not go on as planned. Derek is found murdered in his dressing room. There are several people that are potential suspects and the police are on it. The question is, can they solve it before Darcy can?

I loved the adventure and mystery in this book. It keeps you guessing right up until the end. The curve balls thrown are very clever! As a lover of music, I enjoyed this even more with all the musical references.

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Tally and the Angel: Book Three, Japan by Eleanor Dixon

 

Japan by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tally's adventures have taken her, her dad, and her guardian angel Jophiel to India, Canada, and now Japan. I was most looking forward to this adventure! While it's still really enjoyable, it's not as exciting of a read as I was anticipating. However, there is a cursed drum, sumo wrestlers, and a ghost queen who will really keep you wondering what she's going to do next!

Tally meets Miyu and Yoshi when she arrives in Japan. They are just as excited as she is to have a new friend. They speak amazing English and really hit it off pretty quickly. Tally learns that Miyu's family used to own a museum and Miyu knows a lot of the family history. Yoshi comes from a long line of sumo wrestlers and he's going for his interview to be accepted into the academy. They spend time outside of their schoolwork playing with a drum that seems to have some sort of special powers.

I was really sad when Jophiel started to act the way he did in this book. I wanted to smack some sense into him!! Overall, I do think he might be my favorite character in all the books that I've read in this series.

I do highly recommend reading these books in order, although one could skip around. It would bring about some confusion as to Jophiel's backstory if you don't read them in order and some of the character names would be a mystery. I've really enjoyed reading this series and I'm hoping that we'll have more adventures with Tally and Jophiel to read about soon!

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Tally and the Angel: Book Two, Canada by Eleanor Dixon

 

Canada by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do believe this is my favorite book of the series. I also recommend reading them in order although the author does a good job of catching the reader up to speed on how Jophiel came to be.

Tally and her dad have had their adventure in India and now it's time to move on to Canada. They are in need of a doctor up there and since Tally's dad is a doctor, they make the trek there. While there, Tally is excited to learn how to run a sled dog team. As a matter of fact, on the first day there, she gets to drive them for a small bit! Tally's struggling to adjust to the massive temperature differences between India and Canada too. Here she can't see anything but eyeballs on the people she meets!

There's this man named Earl and his daugther Amka who come to take Tally and her dad to the place where they will stay. Something is pretty sinister about Earl, at least to Tally and Jophiel. Then Tally learns about a curse and the Gold Rush and things, well, just aren't as they seem.

This book was so much fun to read and as previously mentioned, is my favorite in this series. There is a lot of mystery in this one, as well as adventure. This is a middle school level book but I thoroughly enjoyed it as a middle ager!

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Tally and the Angel: Book One, India by Eleanor Dixon

 

India by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fun adventure story!! This book is geared towards middle grades, ages 7-12, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult!

We meet Tally at a really bad time in her life. She's just lost her precious mother, whom she loves so dearly. Before taking a trip, her dad gifts her with a pendant. In that pendant lives a guardian angel named Jophiel. Tally is thinking that she's going to be sent away to boarding school but instead talks her dad into letting her join him on his journey to India. It's there that Tally makes two really great friends but they had no idea the horrible adventure that awaited them!

I LOVED this book!! There is mystery and adventure, cultural changes, grief and loss, as well as bravery and compassion in this book. I devoured this book pretty quickly as it was just that exciting! My heart broke for Tally and honestly, I struggled reading this book because I too, just lost my mom recently. I love how this book focuses on having a friend(s) nearby to help in times of sadness. This would be a great book for summer reading!!

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The Promised Plan by Sharon Hughson

 

The Promised Plan by Sharon Hughson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a very emotional read but one that might help someone struggling with loss.

Krista and Lacey are sisters who've lost their way with each other. Life has dealt them a series of blows that have cost them a lifelong friendship, not to mention a family bond. When they are faced with the tragedy of losing their mother, this bond is even further apart.

Mercedes is the daughter of Lacey and made an agreement with her grandmother on her deathbed that she would see to it that the sisters make a trip that they'd been talking about for over a year.

When neither sister wants to make this trip, it's up to Merci to get them to go. But then, Merci has some secret that she's keeping that she does not want revealed either.

This is a story of love, loss, redemption, and forgiveness. Lacey and Krista are like fire and ice. They clash over so many things but they are ultimately just "things" that get in the way of a great relationship.

I recommend this book for anyone who is going through the fires of loss, disappointment, or feeling lonely/discouraged. This book will bring about a different perspective on life when it can be seen through the eyes of another. This is loosely based on a true story with the author and the way this was penned was just beautiful. There is a religious element that was such an important thread to this story!

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Three Women in November by Jim Shomos

 

Three Women in November by Jim Shomos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a based-on-a-true-story of the author's quest to find love. He's a divorced dad of boys who lives in Austrailia and he's ready to move on with his life.

He first meets Zoya, who is a super ambitious business woman. She's a bit crazy though and has bouts of anger and lashes out at the weirdest of times. Zoya and Leo have good chemistry, until everything blows up and Zoya admits a huge goal that does not interest Leo.

Next is Aysha. She's a therapist and there is an ethical dilemma with them forming a relationship. However, after the pre-determined time passes, they are free to do whatever they wish.

Last is Jade. She's still trying to recover from a failed marriage and treading a new pathway for herself. Her kids need to come first and then there's the semi-ex-husband, who seems to keep popping up.

This book just wasn't for me. I felt this was really superficial and almost like a bad high school play. I think Leo's only redeeming grace in this story is his love for music and poetry. He seems like a real romantic but it had a feel to it that just didn't attract me to this story at all.

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Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow! The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lois Wickstrom has done it again! Another classic fairytale with a scientific twist! This is a fun retelling of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The illustrations are very well done and are wonderfully brilliant! This is a great bedtime story or really, an anytime story!!

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Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Future World Changers by Janice Pratt

 

Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a collection of short stories meant to empower and embolden youngsters. This book is great for self-readers (ages 7+) or for an adult to read to a smaller child. There are stories of loss, bravery, bullying, confidence, and more. The stories sometimes involve animals as the characters but mostly use humans in the story-telling. Children will be able to relate to many of the situations included, as well as the advice given by an elder to help them overcome the issue at hand.

These stories are relatively short, most being only 3-4 pages long. They would make great night-time stories or even as a short storytime read.

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Raising Elle (Sweet Valley Series Book 1) by S.E Reichert

 

Raising Elle by S.E. Reichert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a super hard book to read. It's not at all what I expected but I did finish it and I'm glad that I did. However, the subject matter is difficult and the language is super strong, neither of which I was thinking this book would include.

Elle Sullivan has had a horrible six years. She's been through situations that no person should ever experience. She's back home now and is looking forward to fixing up her grandma's ranch, not realizing all that goes into being a rancher.

Blake O'Conner is a loser who's lost everything, including himself. He's been in the bottom of a bottle for quite some time now and has burned a lot of bridges. No one wants him around and he's run out of chances. That is, until Elle comes back to town.

This is a story of redemption and forgiveness, a story of lost loves and a loss of self. New beginnings are welcome here. Overall, a decent read, but as previously mentioned, a hard one to read. This book will not be for everyone and I honestly almost gave up on it due to the content.

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Ten Thousand Shells and Counting: A Memoir (Teenage War Survival Book 1) by Nadija Mujagic

 

Ten Thousand Shells and Counting: A Memoir (Book 1) by Nadija Mujagic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nadija Mujagic recounts her teenage years growing up in Sarajevo during the war in the 1990's. She tells of the harrowing days and nights when the shells kept coming and hearing the next morning of her friends who became casualities of this unnecessary war. The telling of the countless times she and her family had to move, often times seperated, just to stay safe. Nadija was denied an opportunity to attend school most of this time as well.

I am roughly the same age as Nadija and this book really put some things in perspective for me. While I was enjoying life in the US, she and her family were literally fighting for theirs. I had three meals a day while she was fortunate to get a crumb at times. This book will give the reader pause at times, in which time can be spent being thankful for the opportunities that have been experienced in a different place.

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A Curse of Ash and Iron by Christine Norris

 

A Curse of Ash and Iron by Christine Norris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a Cinderella meets steampunk in the 1800's setting. At first, it's not easy to pick up the fairy-tale vibe but it eventually plays out.

Benjamin Grimm is a stagehand and an inspiring inventor. He also works in his mom's bookshop along with the rest of the family. He's never known wealth but has big dreams of one day inventing something that will change everything for his family.

Eleanor Banneker grew up in a life of priviledge. At a young age, she lost her mother and all of a sudden, her governess is becoming her step-mother. Everything changes and Eleanor loses her social standing and the life she once knew. That's not all she lost though.

I enjoyed this story even though it's a retelling of the popular fairy tale. I love the steampunk elements thrown in throughout. I found it to be a very enjoyable read on a rainy afternoon!

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A Monster for Meg (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom

 

A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Most kids are scared of monsters under their beds, but what if you can't see one? Are they still scary? Meg is blind and she's asking her big sister Sue to describe what a monster is like. Sue describes them to Meg using things that she's familiar with. Meg gets to learn the best thing about monsters too!

This is a fun book that is very vividly illustrated! It showcases the love of two sisters and focuses on the descriptions of what something looks like. Looking through Meg's eyes, one might see a monster much differently!

I love books by Lois Wickstrom! They have a great message in them and usually some sort of learning tool as well. These are geared for ages 4-8 but I love reading them as an adult! They'd be great to share with kids, grandkids, daycare attendees, etc!

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A Spot of Earl Slay (Tea Time Troubles Book 1) by Aubrey Elle

 

A Spot of Earl Slay by Aubrey Elle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Naomi Front and her teenage daughter, Ella, are moving to a new town. A place away from Naomi's ex-husband and Ella's dad, along with his crazy mother. No more expectations to meet that are somewhat unrealistic for Naomi but rather moving to where she and Ella can make their own decisions about life.

Upon arrival at their new home, which was bequeathed to Naomi from her uncle, they are instantly met with tragedy. When a dead body is found in their backyard shed, they soon become leery of even going into their home. The next door neighbors, Ingrid and Barbara, are quick to invite them into their own home until things can get settled down. They discuss the town gossip over a cup of tea. Barbara and Ingrid come to love Ella as a grandchild and become a source of strength and encouragement to Naomi.

This is a cozy mystery that I was able to read in a few short hours. I do wish that the author would have included recipes for the teas and the desserts mentioned in the book. That would have added an additional layer of fun to this read.

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Cabin Eight (The Millersville Series Book 3) by Susan Specht Oram

 

Cabin Eight by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Miranda Diggs hasn't lived the best life. She's had some childhood trauma that might have prompted her most recent incident. She accidentally sets fire to a motel and subsequently, has a lot of reparations to make. Her mom sends her off to a secluded resort where she can think through her actions and try to get her life together, while avoiding the media. What Miranda doesn't realize is that the reporter tailing her might be her only hope for survival.

Once at the resort, it doesn't take Miranda long to figure out that this isn't your typical location for a private getaway. Things start to go downhill fast and Miranda longs to just be in Cabin Eight.

While this book is part of the Millersville Series, this can be read as a standalone. Of the previous two books and this one that I've read, I think this one is my least favorite but it's still a really good read. There is a lot of twists and turns in this story and it will keep your attention until the end. I look forward to more stories from Susan Specht Oram!

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