How Flowers Got Their Colors by Scott Sollers

 

How Flowers Got Their Colors by Scott Sollers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

There are only three colors....blue for the sky, green for the grass, and yellow for the sun. A shepherd is curious where to find colors for the flowers and other things in his environment. Everything is white except for aforementioned things. The shepherd goes on a quest to find color to bring back to his pasture to liven everything up.

It's not often that find a children's book "boring" but this one just didn't grab me. I like the general premise of the lack of color but the "adventure" part just didn't do it for me. Others may really like this book, and I hope you do! It would be a great way to start a discussion about color and how not everything is as it seems.



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Notebook Mysteries: Murderous Christmas Mischief (Notebook Mysteries Series) by Kimberly Mullins

 

Notebook Mysteries Murderous Christmas Mischief by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I look forward to these Christmas novellas in this series! Set in Chicago in the 1880's, Emma, Jeremy, their family and friends are all ready to celebrate a quiet, no frills Christmas. It's been awhile since they could just enjoy the company of each other without some sort of crime taking place. Dora, who's battling a fever, happens to look up and is convinced that she sees someone sinister outside the window. So much for a non-working Christmas! It takes her a bit to convince the team that they should look into this and eventually, they do.

It's a quick, exciting read that will have you wanting more!

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Fabulously Flawed: A Small-Town Contemporary Romance (Keeney Builds Series #3) by Lynne Hancock Pearson

 

Fabulously Flawed: A small-town contemporary romance by Lynne Hancock Pearson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Carl and Sylvie have history together but neither of them are excited about reliving it anytime soon. Carl has made it clear that he's back in Keeney for as short a period of time as possible. He's devoted to caring for his grandmother but then finds himself working temporarily for the family business. Sometimes life has a funny way of putting people in your path (or back in your path) that you didn't know you needed.

Carl and Sylvie are easy characters to fall in love with! Enjoy spending a few hours in their story!

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Cody's Whisper: A Heartwarming Children's Book About Emotional Resilience and Nature's Wisdom by Malia Grace

 

Cody's Whisper: A Heartwarming Children's Book About Emotional Resilience and Nature's Wisdom by Malia Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading this story evoked some emotions that I was not expecting! First of all, the cover of this book and the illustrations inside are so vibrant!! Kudos to the illustrator!! Secondly, this book is very inspiring and I recommend it for anyone of any age, not just kids!

Cody is struggling in life. The kids at school make fun of him and he can't seem to find where he belongs in the world. He takes a walk in nature and learns more about himself and uses this new knowledge when he goes back to school.

Kids and adults can be mean and this book talks about ways that a person is valuable and how they can add value to the lives of others. There are practical tips at the end. The entire story is inspiring and I found myself tearing up a bit while reading it. This would be great to read with anyone having a bad day.

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Mouse Visits Grand Canyon National Park (Mouse Traveler) by Tricia Gardella

 

Mouse Visits Grand Canyon National Park by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mouse is on another fun adventure. This time he's going to the Grand Canyon National Park. He quickly realizes that the park is so much bigger than he is! Scientists are able to explain a unique phenomenon that is occurring over the Canyon. Mouse also rides a donkey and meets some other animals along the way. More adventures await him once the donkey ride stops!

Another great book that can showcase a place to visit. This would be a great read before a visit or if a child is wanting to learn more about the Canyon itself.

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Gavin to the Rescue by Cori Cooper

 

Gavin to the Rescue by Cori Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such a great book and really, the whole series is a lot of fun to read. There is quirkiness, teenage angst, some romance, and just a lot of fun when reading a Cori Cooper book!

It's Gavin's senior year and things all seem to be going well. He just needs to survive the annual prank war with a rival high school. He receives a mysterious text message that turns things upside down and all of a sudden, he finds himself questioning a lot of things.

This story is about finding out who your real friends are, who you can trust, and how to overcome challenges. It's geared towards young adults but it can be enjoyed by adults of any age range. I love how the author writes in such a way that you feel that you are a part of the story and the characters become your friends. Finishing a book by this author sometimes leaves a pit of sadness until the next story arrives!

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Mouse Visits Carlsbad Caverns National Park (Mouse Traveler Series) by Tricia Gardella

 

MOUSE Visits Carlsbad Caverns National Park by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mouse is on another adventure, this time to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. He's intrigued by the bats that are there and wonders if they could possibly be related to mice. He makes a new mouse friend who shows him around the sites while the bats are doing their nightly show routine.

This is a cute book that has some information about the Carlsbad Caverns. It would be a great resource to read with your youngster before going to visit. If a visit in person isn't possible, it could work as a literary book tour to this beautiful national park.

This is part of a series that is very fun and adventurous to read. I recommend reading them all!

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Death in Vain (Eve Sawyer Mystery #6) by Jane Suen

 

Death in Vain by Jane Suen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a pretty quick read that kept me turning pages pretty rapidly. I'm a fan of this series and have enjoyed the cases that Eve has been involved in.

It's time for Eve to take a break. She's definitely earned it! She stops at a small town diner in Vain and starts to hear rumblings of a young lady's body being found in the road. Eve just can't help herself and she soon finds herself investigating the murder of this young person. So much for that much needed break!

This book can be read as a stand alone but I do highly recommend reading all the books in this series so you don't miss out on more of Eve's story. Each one seems to be better than the last!

I am also in love with this cover! It's very reminiscent of the small town diners that I like to frequent for a good downhome country kind of meal!

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Sangrita: Jessica Watts Southwest Suspense Series by Kathryn Dodson

 

Sangrita: Jessica Watts Southwest Suspense Series by Kathryn Dodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is such an enjoyable series and one that I recommend reading in order. They can be read in any order but this one especially builds off the last book, El Diablo.

Before I say much more about this story, can we take a moment and enjoy the beautiful cover that holds this story?! It's a perfect introduction to Jessica Watt's newest adventure.

It's actually more of a nightmare where Jessica quickly learns that she's the hunted instead of the hunter. There's action, danger, lots of suspense, and a focus on issues facing people in the world today. It's scary to think that, even though this is a work of fiction, there are real life monsters out there who act like those that Jessica is after.

If you love a strong female lead who doesn't back down, along with enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, this book (and entire series) is for you!

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Reviews of Alycat Series books by Alysson Foti Bourque

 

Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday by Alysson Foti Bourque
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun book about a sleepover with Alycat and her friends. There is a cake drop (sounds like a bunch of yummy fun!), some scary ghost stories, and Luna's big secret. No dogs or mice are allowed at this sleepover that is full of fun for all!



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Alycat and the Sunday Scaries by Alysson Foti Bourque
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sundays are scary to Alycat because it means the next day is Monday. She's concerned that she may have a surprise quiz or that her shoes won't be right. Her mom sends her out to the park to play with her friends. Along the way, Alycat and her friends help a few people overcome their fears, which in turn, helps Alycat with hers.

This is a cute book about the value of friendship. It'd be a great book to share with the small children in your life. The illustrations are very well done. They are colorful and grab the attention of the reader.

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Alycat and the Copycat by Alysson Foti Bourque
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's science fair day and Alycat has on the PURR-fect shirt! She's excited to show off her exploding volcano to the class. When she gets on the bus, Lucy has on the same shirt and then she sets up the same experiment. This is upsetting to Alycat but even more so, when she realizes she doesn't have any baking soda for her experiment to work. Both Alycat and Lucy learn an important lesson in this great book.

The main theme of this book is that "two things are better than one" and the value of appreciating those around you. There is a STEM activity in the back of the book teaching the reader how to make an exploding volcano science experiment.

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Alycat and the Christmas Cookie Swap by Alysson Foti Bourque
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's Christmas time and Alycat is hosting a cookie swap with her friends. She's excited to make her cookies 'n cream cookies to share with her friends. One of her friends isn't able to show up so there are 1o extra cookies. Not knowing for sure what they should do, Alycat asks her mom for advice and gets a great idea. That idea leads to a mystery to be solved!

A super cute holiday book that is great to share with people of all ages. It'd be fun to read this book and then make some Christmas cookies together and host your own cookie swap with friends!

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