The book starts out with a definition of what the word superlative means. The second page says superlatives help us describe foods.  I think that statement might be a little misleading to children. It sounds like superlatives are only used to describe foods.

The pictures are marvelously done.  The language is great for children, geared towards reading out loud to young children. The book asks questions of the reader, which is great to get them to participate and to think.

This book is a great way to explore the senses with children.  It explores sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing through the use of food. I don’t know that I would read it to a kid right before bedtime though, because all that yummy food is going to make them hungry! It would be great to read during the daytime, before a snack or meal time.  I think it may be a great way to help get picky eaters interested in trying new foods as well.

 

Disclaimer: I received a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a board book with bible stories for young children.  Safe for small children and babies, made sturdy with no paper to tear. This book tells the bible stories but the pictures are of the classic Berenstain Bears.


When I opened the box and pulled this book out my husband said "They still make those books?"  For anyone who grew up reading Berenstain Bear books as a child, this is sure to be nostalgic and fun for you to pass on to the next generation.


The stories include Creation, Noah's Ark, David meets Goliath, Daniel in the Lion's Den, The Birth of Jesus, The Good Neighbor, Jesus in Jerusalem, and He Is Risen.

 

This book is about the Kindertransport that took Jewish children out of Germany when Hitler was in power.  Peter, a small butcher’s son with a musical gift and a love of the violin, is the main character.  Peter is sent away on a Kindertransport train at the age of 11 and the book follows the next seven years as Peter grows from a scared boy into a man fighting in the rebellion against the Nazi’s. This book takes a unique look at real life events from the fictional characters of children who left Germany on the Kindertransport.

All I can say is, wow!  I have read the Diary of Anne Frank and other books based in this time period in history.  I want my children to read this.  Perhaps not suitable for elementary school children due to the violence, but if you want your children to know history (and not just the dry and watered down version in textbooks) then get this book for them.  The author somehow manages to portray the horror of concentration camps, the brutality inflicted upon the Jews, and the harsh and hopeless living environments and still keep it okay for junior high children to read.   Some of the violence and senseless slaughter is portrayed as people are shot right in front of the character’s eyes.  There is some allusion to young girls being forced against their will, people being treated as slaves, as less than dogs, and the abject depravity that those who followed Hitler’s command perpetrated on the Jewish people. 

I am a writer and an editor and I had work I was supposed to be doing, but from the time I read the first line of this book, I was hooked.  I read it in two nights and didn’t do any work other than read this book.  Even the most imaginative author cannot come up with a story that rivals the horror of real life reflected in this book.  I think it is very important for the younger generation to know the stark naked truth of what really happened rather than the glossed over history book version that they get in school.  I hope youngsters will get this book, read it, and cry and rail against the fates at the suffering that these people endured at the hands of someone who convinced a nation to follow them in the wholesale slaughter of a people. 

 

Disclaimer: I received a free ebook copy of this book from Net Gally in exchange for writing a review.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

 

Grace Blades is a child born and raised for the first few years in a trailer park by parents who neglected her in many ways and were physically abusive to her.  In a substance-induced rage one fateful day, her mother slits her father’s throat with a knife and then stabs herself in the belly in a murders-suicide.  Grace ends up in the foster care system in one bad home after another.  She gets switched around often because the foster parents take on special needs children which means they get more money.  Therefore, since she is a good and quiet child, she keeps having to move around because she doesn’t bring her foster parents in as much money. 

In a Cinderella-type ending, Grace ends up being adopted by a rich couple who helped shaper her career decision to be a psychologist because her adopted father was a psychologist. She does quite well for herself in her private practice, and that is helped a lot by the fact that when her adopted parents died they left her a millionaire.  I personally wasn’t a fan of this overdone Cinderella twist and felt that it took a lot away from the book.  When a murderer is after Grace it made it all together too easy for her to hide and plan a counterattack.  She spends money without even caring how much it is costing.  Hotel rooms, dinners, fancy wigs and other accoutrements, car rentals.  I think if she had been poor and had to struggle to afford things then it would’ve made her search for who was after her much more interesting.

Despite this drawback, Kellerman once again delivers a psychological thriller like none other.  With his own background in psychology, Kellerman is able to give the reader a more rounded character with a lot more insight into her psyche and the psyche of those around her.  At one point in the book I thought Grace was a psychopath and I enjoyed the questions that this raised in my mind of nature versus nurture.  Grace has psychopathic qualities when it is mentioned several times in the book that she watched how others reacted to situations and then copied their smiles or other expressions and comments so that she would appear more socially acceptable and “normal”.  However, I came to the conclusion that Grace’s emotional growth had been severely stunted by her upbringing.  Although she is genius-level book smart, her early and long-term childhood emotional neglect left her stunted in this area.  The development of Grace was perhaps the most enjoyable part of the book to me because it appealed to my own psych training.  Overall, well done, and I would definitely recommend this book to others to read.

 

Disclaimer:  I received a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dessert cookbook with 50 recipes for marshmallow treats.  I was excited to get this book in the mail because this is something my teenage daughter loves.  In fact, all three of my children like to cook.  My first impression of the book is that the color scheme and pictures are excellent!  I like the pinks, pale greens, yellows, and blues.  The combination of colors makes me feel like I am in a candy shop and is pleasing to the eye.

The beginning of the book starts with some helpful tips on how to spread marshmallow treats in dishes without making a mess, how to melt marshmallows, and how to melt chocolate.

I had never heard of a homemade marshmallow until this book!  I can’t wait to try this one with my kids. The recipes in this book do not appear overly complicated and they use ingredients easy to find in any grocery store.

My only disappointment with the book is that for some reason when I read “no bake” in my mind I thought no cooking at all which would be really easy and safe for children.  Even though there is no baking involved, these recipes require melting marshmallows and other ingredients on the stove or in the microwave, so supervision and help will be needed by adults if children want to try these recipes.  Regardless, these are sure to be a hit with everyone!

 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for writing a review.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Written by father and son, this book is a part of the American Revolutionary War Adventures series aimed at children ages 8-12. This is a work of fiction but is historically accurate and the historical events in the book are accurate depictions.  The main character is based from the Skead’s ancestor who was a part of the Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution. 

Mainly a chapter book, but there are a few black and white sketches in the book. Although the book is mainly a work of fiction, I think this would be great to use as a reading assignment in school to help teach history.  In fact, the authors included more historical facts and discussion questions at the back of the book.  They included the Oath of Allegiance that colonial patriots took to let everyone know that they were serious about their commitment to the cause. 

There is also a list if historical characters with more detail about each one.  The Glossary gives more information as well, such as telling more about the American Turtle, the world’s first submarine used in combat.  I love the name!  Finally, the authors included copies of historical letters copied true to form, including any misspellings and punctuation errors they were originally written with.

I think this book is a fun and informative read and would be great to use in elementary or middle school history classes as a supplement to history textbooks 

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for writing a review.  I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Using the scripture 1 John 3: 17-18 “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words and speech but with actions and in truth.” The authors encourage churches to help more, not less.  The authors say that some churches have stopped benevolence and have been afraid that by helping people they have been hurting them instead. 

In this book the authors try to get the readers to understand that poverty is a life-long cycle and that to truly help the poor it requires a commitment to do more than just give them handouts, which is where most benevolence funds stop.  They also urge churches to err on the side of giving if they have any doubt to the legitimacy of a person’s claims. 

If you have spent any time at all working with the poor you can quickly become jaded because unfortunately there are many that will lie, cheat, and steal and are only wanting handouts rather than a hand up.  The problem with church benevolence is that many churches have denied people who were truly in need because of unfairly judging them or their situation.  Many people have been turned away, unable to pay their rent or to keep their electricity on because someone judged them incorrectly and looked down their nose at them, not believing their story.  The same churches who turn needy people away are also seen adding on to their building, paying for expensive trips for their youth or elderly ministries to go on frivolous trips, and funding overseas mission trips and bragging about the good they are doing to help the poor in another country while one right under their own noses goes away in need.  This has to change. 

Unfortunately the majority of churches do not employ a psychologist or mental health professional, and the staff who make the decisions on who and how to help are not trained to understand or recognize the complexities that makes up poverty for an individual.  If all you do is meet material needs then you can create a dependency.  You have to get to the root of the poverty and treat that.  The concepts presented in Chapters 1 and 2 of this book are only beginning to touch on the surface of helping churches understand poverty.  There is no way that something that usually takes 6-8 years in college to fully understand can be taught to a layman in a few short pages.  Although the intentions are good, and it is a great start, expecting people who are not trained in mental health to fully grasp these concepts is asking too much.  Additionally, the majority of staff in churches are males, and males have a tendency to look for solutions to problems and to try to fix things.  It takes training for most people to understand that they cannot fix or change another person and to learn how to help the right way.

I think this book would be great to use in conjunction with some conferences on mental health or to guide church staff to make appropriate referrals to professionals who can handle the complicated issues surrounding poverty which are usually multilayered, complex, and ingrained. I have been on both sides of giving and receiving and unfortunately have been the recipient of judgmental benevolence church staff who did more harm to me than good when I needed help.  I am also a social worker and trained mental health professional and can grasp the intricacies that make up poverty.  I recommend this book and think that more people will be helped instead of hurt by their churches if churches can begin to understand poverty and change their benevolence programs to truly help those in need.

Disclaimer: I received a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for a review.  I was not required to give a positive review.

This is a 16-page sticker, activity, and coloring book meant as a companion for The Beginner’s Bible, but it can also stand alone.  Retail price is 3.99 and it is priced as an impulse buy.  This book is not just a coloring and activity book, but has a story line to follow as well.  The story line goes along with the pictures on each page.   Included in this book are word puzzles, counting, find objects that don’t belong, mazes, and matching.

When my children were little I always gave them a coloring book to keep them busy and quiet through the church service, and also on long car rides.  This is exactly like something I would’ve bought for them back then.  It is short though, so it would only last them for one service and then I would need to find something else for them because once it is used, it’s done.  I don’t think this is something that can be reusable.  Overall though I give it 4 stars and was pleased with this book. 

 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars all the way!  Titled simply “Fried Chicken’, this is a marvelous cookbook with many recipes for a southern favorite.  Immediately when I opened the box and saw the book, my mouth watered.  I had just eaten supper but I wanted to try these delicious recipes anyway.  Chicken has always been a favorite for my family and my picky eaters, so imagine my delight when I found a book that is full of different ways to cook my family’s favorite meal.  I immediately tried the buttermilk-soaked bacon-fried chicken in white gravy and it was absolutely delicious.  The beginning of the book is helpful as well, with tips on how to cut up a chicken and even what brand of oil and flour to use.  Anyone who likes chicken will find this book to be a necessary addition to their cookbook library.



 

About the Author



REBECCA LANG is a food writer, cooking instructor, television personality, and a ninth-generation Southerner. Born and raised in South Georgia, she is the author of Southern Living‘s Around the Southern Table, which appeared on QVC and sold 3,600 copies in 6 minutes. She is also the author ofQuick-Fix Southern, Mary Mac’s Tea Room, and Southern Entertaining for a New Generation. She has appeared on Fox & Friends Weekend, WGN America’s Midday News, and numerous regional and local networks. Rebecca and her cooking have been featured in more than 50 nationally televised Southern Living food segments and in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle, Wine Enthusiast, FoxNews.com, The Daily Meal, Glamour, and Fitness. She serves as a contributing editor for Southern Living and myrecipes.com, teaches cooking classes across America, and is the spokesperson for Georgia’s official vegetable, Vidalia onions.





Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for writing a review.  I was not obligated to write a positive review.