Children of the Wandering House by Lois Wickstrom

 

Children of the Wandering House by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you've read any of my reviews, you know that Lois Wickstrom is a favorite of mine. This book is a little different than her norm, as this one is a chapter book. She mostly writes very short stories that are beautifully illustrated. This one does not have any illustrations and I so wish it did!

Berry has become separated from her house and when she gets to the Gathering, her house is nowhere to be found. Skew has picked her up and then her friend Invert and Invert's brother Hasty join in their house. What's to come is a lot of adventure, a little bit of a mystery, and a quest to keep the forest from being destroyed.

As I previously mentioned, this one is a bit different than the norm for this author. I did find the storyline enjoyable, if a bit strange. This one is more geared towards older chapter readers and the story will likely intrigue them!

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The King's Gold (Kingdom of Mir) by Lois Wickstrom

 

The King's Gold by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great story from Lois Wickstrom! In this story, the King's goblet is missing. He tasks Wynnie, his young advisor, to locate it. Wynnie pretty much already suspected where it was and she quickly found the goblet. Before she'd let the King have it back, she asked a series of questions and established a new relationship between the King and a thief.

This is a great story to read aloud or have read to you. Kids will love the dragon and the story!

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Showdown at Recess by Lois Wickstrom

 

Showdown at Recess by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"You can't always win."
"You can't always break even."
"You can't ever stop playing the game."

These are statements that Max and Jo Jo's teacher posts on the board and tries to instill into her students. When there is a class bully (Jo Jo), it makes it hard to understand these statements. One day, Max decides to give Jo Jo a run for her money and is able to win the race to start the tetherball game. The lesson is that winning isn't everything.

This is a good story written by one of my favorite authors. This isn't my most favorite of her work but it is still a worthy story to share with children. Read this one together and have a great discussion on how winning isn't the be all end all.

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Hot in the Pot by Lois Wickstrom

 

Hot in the Pot by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lois Wickstrom has done it again! I love this story about Squilla Balloo and her little experiment gone wrong. The name Squilla makes me smile every time I say it too! Squilla has an enemy and she thinks she knows how to change that but when things don't go as planned, the outcome changes too!

Super cute book that kids will love! It will help teach them a lesson in kindness too!

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In the Dragon's Fiery Lair by Lois Wickstrom

 

In the Dragon's Fiery Lair by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a book for a little bit older crowd than Ms. Wickstrom usually writes for but can definitely be enjoyed if read to younger kiddos. It is the story of Amy, who, on her twelfth birthday, receives the gift of Magyck. After an unfortunate event with her mother, Amy learns to control her magyck by an unconventional source.
As with most of this author's books, there is a lot of adventure and learning along the way. I was thrown off by the spelling of "magyck" but don't want that to deter someone from enjoying this fun-filled adventure filled with mystery and intrigue. This is geared towards a middle grade reader and would be great for those who enjoy fantasy!

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Vanishing Act by Lois Wickstrom

 

Vanishing Act by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this newest book by Lois Wickstrom, we read about a boy who feels like he's invisible. Drake has an interesting appearance and he's a bit mystified by it.

This is a good book to start a conversation about noticing others. It's a bit quirky but could be a good starting point. I love the way this author incorporates some type of learning experience into each of her books.

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Loretta's Stick That Walks by Lois Wickstrom

 

Loretta's Stick That Walks by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loretta loves to be in her garden and in nature in general. She's enjoying watching the ants when she notices a stick that walks. I personally am a bit terrified of walking sticks but Loretta is not and shows the proper appreciation for this interesting design of nature.

The illustrations are very well done in this book. They are vibrantly colorful! This author places a focus on science in a way that is appealing to all ages and teaches many STEM/STEAM concepts as well.

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Dinopotamus Solves a Mystery (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Dinopotamus Solves a Mystery by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dinopotamus is with his friends at school again and it's naptime. The kids are all lying on the floor and it's a bit cold where they are. However, where Dinopotamus is, the floor is nice and warm. No one can figure it out until Dinopotamus uses his scientific reasonings of deduction to come to the proper answer.

This is a cute story that kids will love. It has scientific elements in it taught by a dinosaur! There was one section where I felt like it was repetitive but maybe it was felt that it was needed there. A very enjoyable story and another winning read by Lois Wickstrom!

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The Amanda Mini-Mysteries by Lois Wickstrom

 

The Amanda Mini-Mysteries by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this book! It's a series of 12 very short stories (1-2 pages each) about a particular problem that Amanda is facing. These problems are pretty common amongst people. At the end of each story, there is an explanation of why or why not the problem worked out the way Amanda was wanting it to. There are some pretty cool things explained!

I highly recommend this read, especially for those who are very curious about science and the body and the way everything works.

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Orange Forest Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom and Lucrecia Darling

 

The Orange Forest Rabbit Mysteries by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of Lois Wickstrom, as most probably already know if you've read any of my recent reviews. This book is a collection of 3 stories featuring the Orange Forest Rabbit and his dog, Robes Pierre. There is adventure, some sci-fi characteristics, fantasy and mystery spread over these three stories. This book is geared more towards older readers (ages 7-12) but younger ones would appreciate the stories being read to them. The first story is my favorite of them all!

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Opposite Day for Dinopotamus (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Opposite Day for Dinopotamus by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great read by a favorite author! My favorite thing about this book (ok, so there are 2 things) is that there is a person in a wheelchair featured. It's rare that this is seen in a children's book but so very important as it opens up avenues for conversation. My second favorite thing about this book is the hand drawn and colored illustrations. I feel that it makes this book more authentic.

Dinopotamus is going to school again today but it's "opposite day". The teacher instructs everyone to the opposite of what she says. At first, it's a bit confusing to Dinopotamus, but then it becomes more enjoyable.

A fun way to teach opposites!

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Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom

 

Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story about Soara, Zanie, and Lulu has some very vibrant illustrations throughout. This is my favorite part of this book.

Soara is a bit unique. She can fly into the sky when she drinks flower nectar. It's cool and all but her friends Zanie and Lulu really miss playing with her at recess. The bell rings and Soara is nowhere to be seen. Can she make it back to her seat before the teacher realizes she's gone?

This wasn't my favorite read by this author, who is a favorite of mine. It was a fun book but just seemed to lack the educational component that I've come to love with this author.

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Can I Keep Her? (Kingdom of Mir Series) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Can I Keep Her? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dragons are usually thought to be pretty scary creatures, but not to Wynnie. She finds a mysterious egg outside the King's castle. She's so excited that when it hatches, she names the dragon Mera. Being an untrained baby, Mera starts setting fires so the King gives Wynnie one day to get her under control. Can the love and dedication that Wynnie has be enough to save her new dragon friend?

This is a cute book with great illustrations. Wynnie is a strong-willed young lady who doesn't let just anyone change her mind. She thinks for herself and sets out to prove that she can do something that others may not have the skills for.

Grab this one today! You'll enjoy it!

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Dinopotamus Goes to School (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Dinopotamus Goes to School by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Dinopotamus just wants to fit in with the kids and go to school and learn. He follows them to school one day and participates in the class learning sessions. Some things he has to do a little differently because he is different, but he learns new things and looks forward to going to school again tomorrow.

This book subtly focuses on celebrating differences in people. Dinopotamus isn't able to do things in the same way the school children do but he adapts and finds a way to still participate. The illustrations show a child in a wheelchair, who also has to learn to adapt.

This is a great way to teach children that sometimes learning in different ways is necessary and that it's also ok! I love how the illustrations look very child-like in terms of the drawings and the crayon colorings.

Another win for this author in my book!

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Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom

 

Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Annabelle has a major sweet tooth and loves to visit Mr. Bonbon's candy factory. Mr. Bonbon learns that Annabelle is pilfering his candy and this makes him very upset. He sets up a trap to catch Annabelle in the act during one of his tours.

This is a cute book but not one among my absolute favorites from this author. It has a Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory air to it. The illustrations are very well done. My favorite page is the one showing Mr. Bonbon laying in his "too small" bed.



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Under the Bandage by Lois Wickstrom

 

Under the Bandage by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you read any of my reviews, you know I'm a huge fan of Lois Wickstrom! Of all the books I've read by her, this one is, hands down, my ABSOLUTE favorite....so far!! She writes so well that this one might be demoted at some point but it will take a lot.

This story features a young boy who loves toy soldiers. One day he has a boo-boo on his knee and his mom puts a bandage on it. The story talks about how the toy soldiers and engineers are working to put his skin back together.

I absolutely love the analogies used and I wish I would have had this book back in my nursing days. I would have read this to every one of the kiddos I took care of! The author goes a little further in depth in this story by telling about some of the bacteria that invade the body. There are some larger words here but it's great learning for kids and adults alike! She also stresses the necessity of handwashing!

I love that this book releases today in the midst of National Nurses Week too!

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Unicorn, Don’t Do That! by Lois Wickstrom

 

Unicorn, Don't Do That!: It's okay if a Unicorn poops on your doorstep by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The kids are going to love this one!!!

First of all, I love the illustrations in this story! They are so colorful and bright!

This story, like many of Lois Wickstrom's stories, has a great moral. This book is also very funny, most especially to little boys! They will want this book read to them and they will want to read it to you over and over again! Dinosaurs, unicorns, and poop....what's not to love?

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Stop that Lion (Kingdom of Mir Series) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Stop That Lion: A Tale of Friendship Love and Peace by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think this is my favorite Lois Wickstrom book that I've read so far! Many of her books are among my favorites but this one really stands out.

Using the premise of critical thinking and strategy, this is the story of two kingdoms. One has sheep, another a lion. The kings want to be friends but the lion keeps getting the sheep. It takes a brave girl named Wynnie to make a difference in the lives of those in the kingdom. Patience and persistence do pay off!

This is such a great book to read to and to have read to you! I highly recommend this one for all ages! The illustrations are also very well done in this story!

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Queen of the Fairies by Lois Wickstrom

 

Queen of the Fairies by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A young girl is writing a story about the Queen of the Fairies. She starts questioning how the Queen would respond to different events. She doesn't want to offend anyone either. How does one go about writing about someone so unique?

The illustrations are very colorful and vibrant. The images are also very well done. This is a story that boys and girls alike will enjoy! It has a theme of being respectful to others while also respecting yourself.

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Code Dog by Lois Wickstrom

 

Code Dog by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a super fun chapter book about Timmy, Beth, and Arthur, three friends who are on the hunt for a 200 year old time capsule. They have a super cool dog named Cody that knows Morse Code. Together the band of friends are on a quest to crack the codes and decipher the map that they've been given.

This is a great book to either read aloud as a family or to have on your shelf for your reader(s)! There is a sci-fi component to this story for added enjoyment! A must have for your personal or school library!

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