December 6, 2022 · 7:00 am

Home Sweet Christmas: A Holiday Romance Novel by Susan Mallery (Book Spotlight)

“The perfect holiday confection.”—Booklist

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes a witty and heartfelt story of two friends who unexpectedly find the person-and the place in which-they belong this Christmas.

With twinkling humor and heartfelt Christmas spirit, two friends find love in a town called Wishing Tree…

Until Camryn Neff can return to her “real” life in Chicago, she’s in Wishing Tree to care for her twin sisters. She’s not looking for forever love, not here. But handsome hotelier Jake Crane is a temptation she can’t resist, so she suggests they pair up for the season. No golden rings, no broken hearts. At his side, she sees her hometown through Christmas-colored eyes. The cheer is cheerier, the joy more joyful. She thought she had put her future on hold…but maybe her real life was here all along, waiting for her to come home.

New in town, River Best is charmed by Wishing Tree’s homespun traditions and warmhearted people. When she’s crowned Snow Queen, she’s honored but wary. Dylan Tucker, her king, seems like the stuff of sugarplum dreams, but she can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something big. As they perform their “royal” duties—tasting cookies, lighting trees—Dylan’s good humor and melty kisses draw her to the brink of love. But she can’t let herself fall until she uncovers his secret, even if her lack of faith means losing him forever.

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🎁 Click HERE to read an excerpt! 🎁

 

 

Meet the Author

Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books about the relationships that define women’s lives—romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan’s books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever growing legions of fans.

Critics, too, have heaped praise on “the new queen of romantic fiction.” (Walmart) Booklist says, “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling,” and RT Book Reviews puts her “in a class by herself!”

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her popular series, the Fool’s Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband, a ragdoll cat, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Animals play a big role in her books, as well, as she believes they’re an integral component to a happy life. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.

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December 3, 2022 · 7:00 am

Around The World with Moby- My First Trip! by Muzna Kazim (Book Review)

Around the World with Moby is about an awesome 8-year-old-boy with autism who suffers from travel anxiety. Moby is always scared to explore new things or go on a vacation. His parents were concerned that Moby is missing out on many new learning experiences as he likes to just stay at home and repeat the same schedule every single day. So, they decide to take him out on a short vacation to Minneapolis, Minnesota. A trip that includes a 3-hour flight, a hotel-stay and exploring the city of Minneapolis. The parents prepared for his trip by implementing helpful tools to cope with his fear and anxiety.

Will these tools help Moby stay calm?

Will they enable him to adapt to a brief change in his daily schedule?

Will he have fun?

Let’s find out in the story.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Adults have anxiety about traveling, so it’s not a far leap to think children would suffer from the same issue. 

In Around The World with Moby- My First Trip! by Muzna Kazim, we meet Moby, an 8-year-old with autism who fears traveling. Moby’s Mama tries to soothe his fears. She tells him the trip to Minneapolis is only temporary. She gives him a calendar so he can prepare for the upcoming event. She read him stories about plane rides. They watch videos together. His Mama’s thoughtful and helpful ideas ease Moby’s fear and anxiety. When they reach the airport, Mama has more tricks to help her autistic child through this sensory-overloading adventure. Now, Moby’s Mama wasn’t the only one helping Moby feel calm during the adventure. His Dad was there, discussing the mechanics of the plane, which kept Moby’s mind at peace. What a blessed family!

The excursion was not smooth sailing. Bumps in the road will occur whether a child is on the autism spectrum or not. However, suppose they are, Around The World with Moby- My First Trip! gives parents valuable tools to help their child prepare for a trip, helps a child handle new experiences and challenges, and even shows families all the fun you can have in Minneapolis. There are even pages dedicated to when they came home. The ‘after the trip” events were just as important as the ‘let’s prepare for the trip’ sections. You don’t have to have an autistic child to benefit from any idea in the book. All children feel stress over new situations! 

Around The World with Moby- My First Trip! by Muzna Kazim is a remarkable book. The illustrations by Rabindra Nath Barman were big, bold, and colorful and elevated an already fantastic story. 

I recommend that families and schools add this book to their libraries. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

Meet the Author

San Diego based author Muzna Kazim completed her Master’s in Public Health from National University in 2016. She majored in Health Promotion with a research study in Autism. She worked as a Behavior Interventionist for kids with autism and advocates inclusivity and equal opportunities for them.

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December 1, 2022 · 7:00 am

The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson and Tad Safran (Book Spotlight)

Move over, Dickens—America’s favorite storyteller has written a gift, “a delightful Christmas story to be shared by the whole family” (Kirkus), destined to become as treasured as A Christmas Carol.
 
At Christmastime, a family of three are missing someone dear to them. Until unexpected guests begin to arrive at their empty house, filling it with Christmas memories in the making. 
 
Listening to the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a beloved holiday tradition. 
 
Now comes a new one: Reading James Patterson’s instant classic, The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas. 

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🎁 Click HERE to read a FREE chapter 🎁

 

 

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Meet the Author

JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 375 million copies worldwide. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.

James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, Dog Diaries and Max Einstein series. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed author of adult fiction in UK libraries for the past eleven years in a row. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.

Amazon Author Page Link

 

(Special Note: Amazon did not have an author page dedicated to Tad Safran.)

 

 

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November 28, 2022 · 7:00 am

Marco, Pablo, & Olivia Volume One: Bella The Alpaca (Story Two) by Ana Cortes (Book Review)

Meet the Costa kids. . .Marco, Pablo, and Olivia are two brothers and a sister who came from the mountains of Ecuador. The three kids grew up in a farmhouse with their parents and very little means. After their dad got a high-paying job, Marco, Pablo, Olivia, and their parents moved to the coast for a fresh start.

The Costa siblings’ lives turn into a wild ride when they make new friends, set on adventures, celebrate traditions, deal with rivals, embark on journeys, and experience things they never thought they could have experienced.

Marco, Pablo, & Olivia is a crafted book filled with nine stand-alone mini-stories that feature Ecuador’s beautiful culture, morality, and magic!

Story Two
Pablo loves animals more than anybody loves their pets. Back in Loja, the Costa siblings had some lovely yet messy dogs for pets, but they will never forget that one special animal they had. A magical alpaca! Pablo tells a flashback story to Diego about how he tried to adopt the magical alpaca, but it was against his parent’s rule to have pets.

 


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Bella The Alpaca by Ana Cortes is a children’s graphic novel about two brothers and a sister who have come from the mountains of Ecuador. At the tale’s start, we learn the siblings have been in Guayaquil for five days. Guayaquil’s pronunciation and background information might be unfamiliar to many children in the recommended reading age bracket: of 8-13 years. An internet search will give questioning children all the information they seek. 

As the story progresses, we learn about Bella, the magical alpaca who resides in Loja. Loja, like Guayaquil, might be unheard of to some. It was to me. Therefore, I quickly searched to learn more about this location. I would suggest looking up this city with your young reader/listener. Knowledge is power!

As I delved back into the story, I learned more about Bella. She’s unlike any alpaca you’d seen before! Her unique abilities will amaze young readers: she can talk and fly. Bella tells the young trio she’s a homeless alpaca. As a pet owner, Bella’s predicament touched my heart. I bet it’ll touch yours too. 

Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Bella The Alpaca had tender moments, danger, action, and adventure. After you read this story, it’s important to stress to your child or class that sneaking out of your home is dangerous. You never know the trouble you’ll run into. Plus, your family will worry about you. This story had a happy ending, but not all real stories do. I would stress to young listeners that they should give a heartfelt apology if they do something wrong. The overall message was lovely: your parents will love you no matter what. 

Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Bella The Alpaca did have some words in Spanish and required outside assistance in background information, but overall the story was lovely. I recommend this story to families with children currently enrolled in elementary school.

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

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Meet the Author

My name is Ana! I live in Orange County I am currently working on Marco, Pablo, & Olivia volume one, while studying at community college. My first book is available on Amazon! I love comics, cartoons, desserts, and movies!


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November 25, 2022 · 7:00 am

The Eight Parts of Speech: Grammar 1 – Interactive Workbook by Lori Harvill Moore (Book Review)

This downloadable interactive workbook allows students in fourth grade and higher to learn about the eight parts of speech, which is an integral segment of a language arts curriculum. Students in traditional and home school settings will learn in three ways: watch a video, read chapter text, and complete exercises to reinforce rules and concepts of English grammar.

The student clicks on text at the beginning of a chapter to open a video. Then, if the device does not allow for completing the exercises by filling in the blanks in the workbook, the student can click on a link within the description of each exercise and provide answers online.

Requirements

The device, which can be a tablet or a desktop Kindle application, must have Internet access to take advantage of the interactive features.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. 
I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

The first chapter, “Nouns,” like the other six chapters, defines the term, gives examples of various types, and allows the reader to complete multiple exercises in the book or online through an external link. There are plenty of opportunities for the student to practice writing sentences in the covered area. Lori Harvill Moore has also provided an answer key at the back of the book. So, when in doubt, look at her guide! 

Each chapter title represents a term children will become familiar with in elementary school: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions and interjections (the last set combined into one chapter). While the chapter titles are vague, each section’s contents are very detailed. Tables and examples help take the guesswork out of (what might call) a difficult language. My only issue with the tables was their readability. In the digital format (EPUB), some text was hard to read: for example, the chart under “Prepositions About Locations.” 

The Eight Parts of Speech by Lori Harvill Moore is a perfect book to teach the fundamentals of parts of speech and also to use as a reference guide throughout your academic years. If you’re a visual person, again, I want to remind you this book has several links that will redirect you to tutorials. These links would benefit a single learner or be utilized in a classroom. 

The Eight Parts of Speech by Lori Harvill Moore is a perfect interactive workbook for fourth graders and up who are learning new concepts or need a refreshing course on parts of speech. All the exercises would be great practice questions to reinforce a lesson or to use in test prep. 

Whether you attend public school or homeschool, I recommend you share The Eight Parts of Speech by Lori Harvill with your student(s).

Review submitted to Reedsy on 10/31/22.

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author


Lori: I have been writing for three decades, both as a freelancer and as a function of my job duties. I am an avid proponent of literacy for children and adults and am working on six grammar and composition eBooks. Among my writing credits are two eBooks for Bookboon.com and two eBooks for children.

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