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    Budge Studios™ presents Hello Kitty Lunchbox! Join Hello Kitty in the school cafeteria to choose...

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    Welcome to Animal Jam – Play Wild!, where you will become your favorite animal pet, create a style...

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    iHuman Books

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    We help kids fall in love with reading! iHuman Books presents a full package of engaging reading...

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Secrets of the Snow Globe (Science Makes It Work)
Secrets of the Snow Globe (Science Makes It Work)
Catherine Stier | 2022 | Children, Science & Mathematics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
My 7 year old has been obsessed with snow globes for the past few years. When I saw Catherine Stier's new book entitled Secrets of the Snow Globe, I couldn't wait to read it with my son. (As we were reading, my son had to go grab his own snow globe to hold onto the whole time.) We ended up both loving it!

Secrets of the Snow Globe is a great read for those youngsters who are into science and learning. Reading this book, it felt like we were getting a science lesson but in a very fun way. My son and I enjoyed the fact that the language wasn't in "baby talk" as my son put it. The author doesn't talk down to the children throughout the book which I appreciated. The language is appropriate for the age group of this book. I enjoyed how it would have the actual science word for something, and then it would explain what the word meant. However, it didn't explain what the world "soluble" meant, so my son and I looked that word up online. Other than than, everything was explained very well.

My son and I very much enjoyed the story of Secrets of the Snow Globe. We loved learning the background on where snow globes were invented. We loved reading about how Lily makes her own snow globe and watching her collection of snow globes grow. I really enjoyed Lily's inquisitive nature and her initiative to find out information. She reminded me very much of my son who is very curious and thirsty for knowledge.

My 7 year old said his overall favorite thing about Secrets of the Snow Globe was the illustrations. Floss Pottage, the illustrator, did an amazing job at making this book come alive. Floss' illustrations are spot on at keeping a child's attention, and they were very well done and very realistic looking. Many times throughout the book, we would have to pause for a few minutes while my son took in everything the illustrations conveyed. The illustrations are colorful and very vibrant for sure!

All in all, Secrets of the Snow Globe is a fantastic children's book full of learning adventures. You and your child will be instantly transported to Lily's world of snow globes. With colorful illustrations and a well written educational story, this is a book that children and adults will enjoy over and over again. I would definitely recommend Secrets of the Snow Globe by Catherine Stier to those aged 5+ who constantly love learning and like finding out the why's of things. This is a book though children and adults can very much enjoy together. Just be ready to make a snow globe together afterwards!
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(A special thank you to the publisher and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback copy of Secrets of the Snow Globe by Catherine Stier in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
  
Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration
Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration
Julie Barker | 2018 | Children, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I love children's books. I love reading them to my 4 year old son to help instill the love of reading I had as a child and still have now. When I heard about Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration by Julie Barker, it was a book that I wanted to read with my son. We both ended up loving this book!

The plot is pretty straightforward although there are subplots like a bull destroying a fence and everyone coming together to fix the fence and Hitch's smaller brother trying to ride a bull for 8 seconds. The lessons are all the same and teach the lesson of coming together to solve a problem as well as no matter how big, small, or different you are, if you persevere, the end result will be worthwhile. Both are fantastic lessons for children and adults alike! Even though this book is part of a series, there are no cliffhangers, and it could be read as a standalone. There's also a happily ever after. My 4 year old was enthralled the entire time with this story and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next!

The dialogue and writing in Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration is easy enough for children to understand for the most part. I love how each problem is solved and the next problem is presented, yet everything still flows smoothly. I did notice a couple of grammar mistakes, but they were only minor and easily overlooked. I wouldn't say they took away from the story though.

I thought the characters were lovable for children. For those that have never read a Hitchin' Post story, Hitch is a jackrabbit who talks and acts just like a human. He's very adorable and such a fun loving character! We get to meet all of Hitch's brothers in this book. Mitch was mine and my son's favorite character perhaps because he is the smallest.

My son and I loved the illustrations. They were beautifully drawn as well as being drawn in a fun way to hold a child's attention (which we all know is no easy feat). The illustrations are so lively and very colorful. I loved all the country and western pictures especially. My favorite being the barn after it's patched up. My son loved the jackrabbits and the 4-wheeler the best.

Overall, Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration is such an adorable book that's sure to bring a smile to anyone, young or old alike! With fantastic illustrations and an unforgettable main character, children will be begging their parents to buy them the rest of the books in the series. (I already know what my son will be getting for his birthday - more Hitchin' Post books!) I would definitely recommend Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration by Julie Barker to everyone aged 3+.
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(A special thank you to Julie Barker for providing me with a paperback copy of Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
  
GW
Girls' Weekend
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Charlotte, Dani, and Meg have been friends for ages-- bonding over motherhood and the issues that accompany it. However, each woman has their own problems and are reluctant to bring them up with their friends. Charlotte, a busy and successful interior designer, has a dentist husband and a loving son, but she feels like her husband, Brett, doesn't even see her anymore. Dani's life appears great -- a caring husband and two kids, but she can't quite shake the empty feelings she has. And Meg is still reeling from losing her young son two years ago; her grief remains, but everyone around her seems to have moved on. When the three women get a chance to go away for a girls' weekend, they jump at the chance, even if involves a little rearranging of schedules. But once there, they make a fateful decision: they aren't coming back home.

When reading it, the premise seems a little farfetched, but the characters in this novel immediately seem very real and the book gives a lot of little details about motherhood that lend it realism (for instance, humming annoying intro music to a children's show at inappropriate times). Each woman is different, but you can relate to a piece of each of them. I found myself liking parts of each and being frustrated with other parts - just like your actual friends.

It's probably true that parts of the book are stereotypical toward men (and fathers) -- painting them as bumbling and clueless toward their wives and children, but sadly, there is some realism to it, too. Plus, as the storyline progresses, you fixate less on this fact and realize there's more to this story than black and white. Honestly, it speaks universally to many women, especially mothers: those seeking answers in life, those feeling guilty for not being happy when life seems perfect on paper, those wondering when life simply became a series of errands. I felt like Achterberg did an excellent job of dealing with and capturing some of the quintessential problems facing the modern mom.

The book is painful to read at times, but only because it's so well-written. Your heart breaks for Meg and all she has been through. The book lags a little in the middle, but really, the women do too, as they try to figure out exactly what they should do. It is fascinating because they are doing what you can't quite imagine pulling off. My mind was racing as I read: I mean, who would really watch your kids for that long? What spouse would be OK with this? Who could leave their kids for that long? And yet, you sort of dream for the time away, envy the women as you read the novel. It's easy to empathize with them, even as you may question some of their motives.

Overall, the book was easy to read and Charlotte, Meg, and Dani were interesting and relatable characters. The book made me think (and highlight many passages). It's a fun read, but also goes deeper, too. Really enjoyed it.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 5/3.