Tag Archives: review

July 8, 2022 · 7:00 am

Brain Crumbs: Stumbling through time with a crumbling mind by Sasha Dylus (Book Review)

A quirky collection of witty and whimsical poems for rhyme lovers of all ages. This lighthearted, pick-up-anywhere book is packed with dozens of bite-size ballads that are guaranteed to tickle the brain. From odd thoughts and ideas, to life lessons and laughs, Brain Crumbs takes a delightfully deep look at the world through the eyes of writer Sasha Dylus.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

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

 

Brain Crumbs: Stumbling through time with a crumbling mind by Sasha Dylus is a collection that touches upon many subject areas. For instance, I believe “The fish” was about going with the flow and being open to new experiences. 

“Well aged” spoke the truth: Time seems to move slowly, but then again, it moves swiftly too. In a blink of an eye, you’ve gone from babe to an older adult to not existing. 

“POV” was quite fascinating. I pondered whose mind I would like to swap with and why. A scientist? A politician? A family member? Hmm, maybe even my cat? Yeah, I think the cat brain swap would prove quite interesting. I often wondered what the heck my furbaby was thinking. 

“Lovebird” went from creepy to hilarious. Let me explain. First, the poet describes gluing a person’s image onto their eyeball. Okay, I know they didn’t mean literally: at least, I hope they didn’t. In the end, the writer made me smile when they stated the person they are obsessed with only shows them the middle finger. Yes, I think they were obsessed due to the eyeball line. 

“Small problems” used a rock in a shoe to symbolize not sweating the small stuff. Okay, I don’t know about you, but a pebble in a shoe is aggravating. That said, I agree you should not sweat the small things. Focus on the bigger picture! 

There were many other poems I liked very much in Brain Crumbs: Stumbling through time with a crumbling mind by Sasha Dylus. Why? To be honest, I didn’t have to think very hard to interpret their meaning. These poems were simple, straightforward, but well written. Minor change: I wish pictures, symbols, or something else were on each page to draw the eye. 

Brilliant cover! It caught my attention right away! 


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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Sasha Dylus is a Canadian author currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. His writing style is greatly inspired by his favourite childhood authors, Shel Silverstein and Dennis Lee. His work covers a wide variety of topics, using wit and comedy to engage readers of all ages.

Reedsy Link

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

July 6, 2022 · 7:00 am

The Seraphim’s Song (The F.I.G. Mysteries, Book 5) by Barbara Casey (Book Spotlight)

The Seraphim's Song (A F.I.G. Mystery) by Barbara Casey

 
Many changes have taken place at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women while Carolina and Larry were on their honeymoon in Frascati, Italy, on the Granchelli farm. The newlyweds have been given a larger bungalow; Ms. Alcott, niece of the founder of Wood Rose, and Mrs. Ball, assistant to the headmaster, have moved into a bungalow together; and Jimmy Bob, caretaker and night watchman at Wood Rose has moved from his family home down the road a bit into a small bungalow on the orphanage property with his hound dog Tick, as well as his new cat and her litter of kittens.

Summer is coming to an end and the F.I.G.s will soon return to the universities to complete their special projects. They are starting to feel anxious, and the coping mechanisms they have used their entire lives are starting to work overtime. Dara’s thoughts turn to an unknown language, possibly from another world; Mackenzie focuses on the relationship of math to music; and Jennifer keeps hearing the note of B flat minor and is drawing dark swirls on her canvas board.

Buy the Book:
Amazon Purchase Link
B&N ~ Books-A-Million
and local bookstores everywhere
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:

Author Barbara Casey

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels and book-length works of nonfiction for both adults and young adults, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Several of her books have been optioned for major films and television series.

In addition to her own writing, Barbara is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.

In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas.

Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with three cats who adopted her: Homer, a Southern coon cat; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

​Connect with the author:  

Barbara Casey Author ~ Barbara Casey Agency ~ Goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 4, 2022 · 7:00 am

Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words by Pat Blankenship (Book Review)

“Pensive Penelope woke up one day
Thinking about all the words she might say.
She thought she might mention the words in her head
When Mama and Papa got her out of bed.”

Filled with delightful rhyme and rhythm, this story follows Penny as she finds her voice in a matter of hours, moving quickly from easy basic words to complex concepts and ideas. And isn’t that exactly the way that works? Children go from making basic sounds to talking your ear off in what feels like no time at all!

Amazon Purchase Link

 

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

 

When you’re a parent, there’re many milestones you can’t wait for your child to reach: the first laugh, rolling over, the first step, feeding oneself, and the first word, to name a few. Each moment is filled with laughter, clapping, and shouts of glee from parents (sometimes from the child, too). 

When my children were (about) nine months old, they spoke their first word (Ma). Every day, their vocabulary was building and being shared with us, their parents. We were excited to wake up and see what our babies would say next. The toddler stage was connecting words, and then things got more interesting. This is when real conversations start to happen with our children. I loved this time. 

When kids start verbalizing more, they mimic sounds and words they hear. If you ever wonder if your child understands what you’re saying, this is the time when they parrot back your words. 

Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words by Pat Blankenship showcases all the words and thoughts that zip around a child’s brain and the excitement it brings to them and those around them when they finally can speak. 

Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words captured the realism of how tiring talking can be for a child and those listening to their chatter. I vividly recall when my kids learned to say, “Why?” Man, did they use that word often! “No” was also a favorite of theirs. 

Amazon recommends Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words by Pat Blankenship for birth to eight-year-olds. I think babies and toddlers will like the illustrations by Linden Eller. They were super cute! 

Preschoolers should be able to understand the happenings in the story, and school-age kids should be able to read most, if not all, the words with little to no assistance. 

I highly recommend parents share this book with their youngsters. 

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Pat Blankenship: I am Leo, Gryffindor, first born, comfortable-casual clothes lover and a huge fan of kids. I am a yogi, a mother, a grandmother and a reader of newspapers and novels. I am an English major, a teacher, a retired lawyer and a writer.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

June 29, 2022 · 2:30 pm

The Clever Toad: The Race by Danny Wilson (Book Review)


Thomas Find, a toad, has known Princess Tina, a frog, his whole life. The two grew up together and fell in love. But Tina’s father, the King, does not approve of Tina marrying a toad, even if he is a well-respected, hard-working toad like Thomas. So the King chooses two frog suitors for his daughter. Thomas refuses to give up his true love though, so he seeks a way to win her hand. When he comes across an old marriage law, he thinks he just may have a chance, but it will take careful planning and a bit of creativity. Thomas is willing to try anything and so the king agrees to a race for his daughter’s hand in marriage, and the race is on.

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 Clever Toad: The Race by Danny Wilson is labeled for baby – 12 years on Amazon. Some story components should work for each birth year within that wide age bracket. For example, babies and toddlers will enjoy the fun, colorful frogs and toads. The text, however, is more suitable for pre-k and up.

“The Clever Toad: The Race” contains a great deal of text, so please keep that in mind if you are reading to a young child with a limited attention span.

If your child is just starting to read, the overall text used might prove difficult except for common words such as “and,” “the,” “make,” “ran,” “day,” “to,” and “out” etc. However, I think children (3-6) will love listening to the story being read to them. The frog race to win the princess’ hand in marriage was a cute theme. Bread will flies baked in it—not so much. However, I did eat cricket salsa once, and it was good. Oh, and cookies with bugs baked into them. Also good. FYI: I was at an insectarium where samples were served for the brave visitors. It’s not like I’m always collecting and eating bug-infused food.

Older children should be able to read all the text with no problem, especially 10-12-year-olds. They might think the images are too kiddish for them, though.

If you’re an elementary teacher and decide to share “The Clever Toad: The Race” with your class, there are plenty of challenging words that you can use for spelling or a glossary test. You might also consider having relay races outside. Maybe set up an obstacle course.

“The Clever Toad: The Race” by Danny Wilson is a book you can read for many years, which I liked. Many books are for a certain age, and then there are just collecting dust on a shelf. I think this book will be read time and time again. No dusting needed. 🙂

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

Reedsy Author Link

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

June 27, 2022 · 7:00 am

Marty and Lenny by Tania Woznicki (Book Review)


Marty and Lenny is an encouraging story about the power of kindness.

Marty is a sweet, helpful monkey with lovely manners. Lenny is the complete opposite! He is a mean and selfish lion with bad manners and disgusting habits. After a memorable encounter with Lenny, Marty decides that things need to change. Join Marty as he makes a brave choice that changes EVERYTHING!

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

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

 

Marty, the monkey, was sweet and well-mannered. They always remembered to say “thank you,” “you’re welcome,” “excuse me,” and “pardon me.” Marty also did his chores and held doors open for others. What a gentleman! 

Lenny, the lion, was the polar opposite. He’s rude. Greedy. Selfish. Mean. He yelled and pushed people around (literally and figuratively). Oh, and he chews with his mouth open. GROSS! 

Marty made it his mission to change Lenny; become Lenny’s friend. During playtime, Lenny let one fart rip, and it stunk to high heaven! Instead of yelling, “Dude, your farts are toxic,” Marty spoke in a friendly, calm voice. “Gas is natural but it really does stink. So next time, Lenny, can you please stop and think?” Marty gave him sound advice. “Being polite and kind is what you should do. Please treat others how you would like them to treat you.”

By the expression on Lenny’s face, you could see he felt embarrassed and/or ashamed at this thoughtless behavior. He vowed from that moment on to be a better animal. Lenny did keep his promise. His parents were surprised at the turnabout. Teachers, too. 

Lenny looked and felt happier, and his joy was contagious. The image of Lenny and Marty looking joyful in their birthday hats made me smile.

Amazon’s recommended reading age is baby – 11 years. Of course, babies won’t be able to comprehend the moral of the story. But, it’s always lovely to read to your wee ones; your voice can soothe them. 

Kindness and manners should be taught at an early age. Children who grow up with a kind heart become adults with a kind heart. Those who use their manners teach their kids to have manners. Kindness always makes the day brighter!  

I will be recommending Marty and Lenny by Tania Woznicki to others. 

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Tania Woznicki has a passion for bringing stories to life. As a loving mum and experienced primary-school teacher who has also studied psychology, she has insights into child development, what children experience, how they interact and the powerful impact that small gestures of kindness can have.

Reedsy Link

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,