Tag Archives: young readers

July 20, 2022 · 7:00 am

Why Is This My Name?: Not Just a Children’s Story by Aloysia Burgess (Book Review)

A young girl goes through her first day at a new school and struggles with her unique name as she introduces herself to new teachers and friends. With the encouragement from her family, she will soon discover how special her name really is.

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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.

 

Every child who ventures back to public school has their own feeling about stepping into a new school or classroom. Jitters. Excitement. Apprehension. Indifference. Most kids prep for the big day with a new haircut or selecting the perfect outfit. What they can’t prep for is how kids will interact or treat them. The little girl in the story went from excitement to nervousness because of her name. Why? Because people have trouble pronouncing it. This dilemma happens every day, all across the globe. 

When the little girl went to school, her fears came to life. The teacher had difficulty pronouncing it. Some kids snickered at it. BUT, she met kids who were kind. Students invited her to sit with them at the lunch table. 

When the child’s dad picked her up from school, she asked him why they chose that name and not something “normal.” To avoid spoilers, I will not disclose what her name is, why it was chosen, or its meaning. I will share a snippet of her father’s response, though. “Everyone has things that they may want to change about themselves, but what’s most important is loving yourself.” Words to live by! 

The second day of school went spectacularly well, and hooray for her! 

After Why Is This My Name? Not Just a Children’s Story, there’s a box where the child writes down the meaning of their name. I looked up mine and was shocked to find out it meant “crooked nose.” Since I did break my nose when I was a teenager, the meaning fits (now). 

Amazon didn’t list a reading age when I was writing my review. I think any preschool and elementary school child, new to a class or school, can relate to and find enjoyment in this story. Maybe teachers can read this story to their students on the first day of class and discuss the importance of being kind to others and embracing our differences. 

 

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

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Aloysia Burgess, née Colquhoun, is a wife and mother to two boys. She always had a love of literature and, as a child, would write her own stories. Her goal is to encourage acceptance and self-love through her writing.

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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!

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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.

 

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.

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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!

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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.

 

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.

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June 11, 2022 · 7:00 am

My cat brother, Sterling by Mayra Hernandez (Book Review)


A cat that barks, fetches the newspaper, and goes potty on trees?! How could that be?

Sterling idolizes his big brother Rocky and wants to be just like him. So much so, he actually believes he’s a DOG!

Rocky knows the truth about his cat brother, Sterling.

There’s only one problem! Rocky hasn’t told him yet! Or has he?

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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.

 

Aw, Sterling, the cat is so dang adorable. We loved the drawing of them, white as fresh powder snow and sporting a solid gray tail. We noticed a few illustrations had Sterling with a gray streak on his face, but others did not. There was a group shot of three cats together, and Sterling now had two stripes on his face. As the My cat brother, Sterling continued, the kitty gained more spots on his body. The inconsistencies in the design of Sterling couldn’t be overlooked.

We thought Sterling believing they were a dog was the cutest thing ever. FYI: We also have a cat who thinks they are a canine. Our cat barks like a dog, just like Sterling the cat did in My cat brother, Sterling by Mayra Hernandez. Our cat plays fetch too. However, our feline doesn’t pee outside on fire hydrants or head to the dog park. My kitty doesn’t dig in the trash either. They do stretch and sniff inside it quite often.

The similarities in coloring and hysterical canine behavior between Sterling and our furbaby made this story a home run in our house. Okay, we would’ve loved this story even if our cat didn’t look or act like Sterling. We loved the “Meet the real-life characters.” Your furry friends were just as adorable in person as they were in cartoon format.

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 3 – 8 years, and I agree with that assessment. Toddlers might not understand the dialogue, but I think they will get enjoyment out of the pictures. Kids love dogs and cats!

My cat brother, Sterling by Mayra Hernandez is absolutely, 100% brilliant. I will be recommending the book to my parenting groups, and my daughter said she would tell her friends about it too. We can’t wait to read more creations by Mayra Hernandez!

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

Meet the Author

I am a former kindergarten teachers aide, now author. I hope to continue writing books for children to find joy and laughter in. I love watching true crime shows, and having family game nights. My husband and I live in the beautiful Sunshine State with Rocky, Katie, Pumpkin, and Sterling, of course.

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June 5, 2022 · 7:56 am

Summertime with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid (Book Review)

Sure, Paul is a snowman – but should that preclude him from having fun with his best friend all year long (including the Summer)?

Snowman Paul doesn’t think so, but hot summer days do pose some obvious problems for a snowman.

Snowman Paul is ready to give up when his best friend (Dan) comes up with a brilliant idea that saves the day.

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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.

 

Joanna Pasek, marvelous job on all your illustrations. My family liked the images that dealt with summer activities. My daughter was curious what would’ve happened if Snoman Paul did a cannonball in the pool. We also pondered if the beach sand stuck to his snowy feet and backside.

I must give props to Richard Bruning for art direction, lettering, and design. First impressions matter and the cover for “Summertime with Snowman Paul” caught my eye immediately. If I saw this in a bookstore, I would buy it for sure!

For the majority of the book, the word choices were simple. I think only one word might trip up kids 4 – 8 year-olds (Amazon’s recommended reading age), and that’s chagrin. I know Yossi Lapid was trying to find a word to rhyme with “in,” but I would’ve stuck with a word that children understand. No offense, but I wondered how many adults know the meaning of “chagrin” or use it regularly in everyday interactions.

“Summertime with Snowman Paul” did have many positive qualities. The book teaches children about the seasons, which season was not the snowman’s favorite (at first), and why. These seasonal pages led to a lovely discussion with my child on which season is her favorite and why. She loves fall because it’s not too hot or too cold. It’s just right. Oh, and it has Halloween in it.

When you’re a snowman living in hot temperatures, you must think outside of the box to survive the heat from the sun. Summertime with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid teaches more than just the seasons. It teaches children how to problem-solve.

My daughter enjoyed “Summertime with Snowman Paul” by Yossi Lapid, and so did I. I will be recommending it to my parenting groups, especially those with children who are beginning readers.

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Yossi Lapid was born in a small town in Romania where toy stores were absent, but stories and snowmen were abundant. Lapid holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has three children and lives with his wife Susan and a little dog named Sasha in New Mexico.

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