Pulling Together is another exciting read from Lois. It is a story that the little ones from 4 to 8 years old will enjoy as they follow along with Lila and her unusual poncho. Lois has many children’s stories that also have something to teach little ones which is what makes he stories good. Is Grandma crazy or is there more to her words? Children will indulge their imaginations with the colourful illustrations that help to bring the story to life. Find out what Lila does and how her poncho helps her in her adventures.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jenni Bishophttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJenni Bishop2023-04-05 06:53:032023-04-07 11:33:48Pulling Together by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jenni Bishop
This is a cute story of friendship and working together. This author creates fun stories that teach valuable lessons and values. They are always enjoyable stories to read at storytime.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Shelly Kittellhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngShelly Kittell2023-04-05 05:47:012023-04-07 11:32:17Pulling Together by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shelly Kittell
Grandma knits Lila a poncho. This poncho has not one, but three, head holes in it! Lila is sure Grandma made a mistake. Grandma sends her out to play, saying, “We all pull together!” Lila thinks that makes no sense. She encounters three kids who need her help, including the neighborhood bully. Who will she help? And what does the poncho have to do with it?
Lois Wickstrom lives in a world where imaginary playmates are real. She doesn’t remember being born, so she finds unbirthdays are more exciting than the official once-a-year date on the calendar. She’s taken so many science classes that she believes science is the solution to almost every problem, including the dilemmas in fairy tales.
She writes by herself. She writes with co-authors. She asks illustrators what they would like to draw. If she ever writes her autobiography, the title will be My Life as a Group Project.
Her mother used to get angry with her for daydreaming. Her little sister picked on her. So she lived in books and wrote her own stories in which the bad-guys made sense, and the good-guys had a chance. As she has grown older, her imagination has grown weirder. Even she doesn’t know what she will write next.
Lois is a former science teacher. She has written a series of science-based folktales, and turned some of them into plays. In each modernized tale, the protagonist achieves a better ending because of learning scientific principles. Lois likes to garden, ride her bike with her husband, cook, and she votes in every election.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/pullingtogether.jpg12001200itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2023-04-05 00:02:352023-04-14 23:15:34Pulling Together by Lois Wickstrom
White Picket Fences is a poignant women’s fiction story by Kyle Ann Robertson. This family drama is an emotion infused story of motherhood and marriage and is a family portrait of love, loss, guilt, challenges, complexities, self-examination, family dynamics, self-discovery, and more. Julie Cahill’s transient childhood left her yearning for stability and a place to call home that came with permanent roots. Now with a family of her own, Julie ensures her children to have the experiences she never did. So intent on keeping her dream of home, family, and belonging blossoming that Julie begins to lose herself in the process. Then feelings of guilt cause her to hold on so tightly, that she inadvertently causes a discordant spiral to ripple through her family. Her dreams begin to crumble, and what happens makes for a relatable and heartfelt read. Looking forward to exploring more of Ms. Robertson’s works in the future. Happy Reading…
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Angela Hayeshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAngela Hayes2023-04-04 23:19:362023-04-07 11:31:53White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson – Review by Angela Hayes
I loved this book, it keep me engaged, and as a mother and wife, I felt connected to Julie. I completely understand the feeling of being taken for granted, and feeling invisible, like you really matter until you aren’t there to care for their needs, I relate to being boxed in or at least feeling that way and like there is not enough time for everything especially time to chase your owns dreams. I felt all the emotions and would definitely recommend this book to anyone, it is a great heartfelt story, and well written to draw you in and keep you in.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00franhballhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngfranhball2023-04-04 10:24:472023-04-07 11:23:41White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson – Review by Francis Ball
The story kicks you right in your feelings at the start. A story of taking things for granted and losing your place when you think you are inadequate. As a mother and wife it stirs a lot of things inside you when reading White Picket Fences. Heartbreak and closure in one small book. Guilt ridden, Jules is trying to get her life back together after the tragedy. A great read, that I would recommend not reading in public if you cry easily.
This is such a beautifully written contemporary women’s fiction story. It is wrought with complex family drama. I think that the drama and the emotions are those that many women can really relate to. This looks at the pieces of a puzzle in a marriage, in a family and how many times women struggle to see where they fit. Also, it looks at the point where the person in the mirror is not someone you recognize anymore. The main character throughout this struggles with not knowing herself anymore. She is struggling to see herself and who she is. Things begin to crumble around her and that’s when the story really begins. I definitely cannot recommend this story enough!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Christinehttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngChristine2023-04-03 15:42:412023-04-07 11:17:18White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson – Review by Christine Baranek
Julie grew up in a military family and as a military brat found herself moving from place to place. Nothing in her life was ever permanent and she vowed that when she had a family of her own, they would never experience a life like that. Julie worked hard to achieve that goal and when she got married with kids of her own she ensured that they had a forever home, in a forever neighborhood, complete with forever friends. Going through the motions she did everything for her family to make the best life possible for them but somewhere in the process she not only lost her sense of self but felt trapped in the life she created.
Julie finds herself feeling as though her family takes her granted and does not appreciate what she does for them. In a moment of weakness, Julie does something out of character and takes a moment to herself. That one moment changes everything and when her family needs her the most, she is not there for them. Her life and everything she worked so hard to create suddenly starts to spiral out of control when she loses her young son. Overwhelmed by grief, guilt, and thoughts of what-if, Julie finds herself struggling to keep her family together. The harder she tries, the farther she seems to drive them away.
This was a beautiful and poignant story that had me reaching for the box of Kleenex more than once. Julie’s story is one that will resonate with many women who have experienced similar situations. As a wife and mother, we often overlook our own needs and focus on those of our family. We do everything we can to keep them happy and show them that we love them through the things we do everyday. Cooking them their favorite meal, keeping a clean home, and ensuring everything is perfect. In the process we often feel as though we go unnoticed, feel taken for granted, and feel unappreciated. We lose our sense of self and no longer identify as anything other than who we are when we are with them.
In Julie’s case she struggled with all of this while simultaneously dealing with the sudden loss of a child. She was already feeling a discord in her family life and this tragedy only caused a farther rift between the family. Each member of the family is dealing with the loss in a different way, and they start to drift apart. Suddenly everything Julie holds dear to her is being ripped away from her and she risks losing it forever. This was beautifully written, and I felt as though I was reading Julie’s personal diary about her innermost thoughts and feelings.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Tara Johnson Barneshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngTara Johnson Barnes2023-04-03 12:30:482023-04-07 11:16:39White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson. I loved this book. I could really relate to it. Its the story of Julie Cahill who is a Army Brat so she knows what its like to move all the time. She knows what its like to not know anyone in school so she was determined not to do that to her kids. While her marriage seems perfect she is left feeling unappreciated and unloved. She is a great mom and she has given her life 100% to her kids so she is left feeling like a stranger with her husband. Clinging to her kids even more after a horrible tragedy she smothers her kids only to cause permanent damage. Will she lose her husband and kids? This book is so full of emotion and tragedy and the life that’s left after that tragedy. Please keep tissues close by and be prepared to read until you are done with this great book.
This was a really interesting read. I really loved this author’s writing. It felt like the author’s writing was describing my life in parts. As a mother I know the feeling of losing yourself when you have kids. You do everything you can to protect and support your kids that in the process you lose yourself and the relationships you had before the kids came along. Julie Cahill has tricky life growing up. She was always on the move never staying for long periods of time in one place she never felt like she was settled or that a place was home. She vowed that her own children wouldn’t grow up that way. Fast forward and her family are dealing with a sudden loss. No parent imagines they will have to bury their child. Now the whole family are dealing with this loss, Julie’s relationship with her husband is suffering and she is trying to hold on tighter to her girls to protect them like she couldn’t protect her son. Julie is battling grief because the one time she did something to rediscover herself was the same day the accident happened and Curtis was taken away from the family. This is a story of love, grief, loss of a loved one and loss of yourself and about rediscovery. It is a very heartwarming and moving story and there is definately parts that I could relate to.
Cute kids story with some good lessons attached. Loretta’s love for nature and all within it show the joy all kids can experience outside. Both my 4 and 8 year old loved reading this book
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Laurenhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLauren2023-04-03 02:53:442023-04-07 11:13:36What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lauren West
I really enjoyed this story. It portrayed what many mothers/wives go through – how often we give everything of ourselves to our families, friends, jobs and lose a bit of ourself in the process. This story tugged at my heart – I could feel what each character was feeling and just wanted to help make it all better. Julie and Micheal had a great start to their married life – twin girls, a son… but when death takes someone from our life at an unexpected time, it is hard to pretend that things were okay before the death and that they can go on after. The family each has their own grief and guilt to work through… but it is even more than that. It is realizing that letting go, giving space, and finding yourself is what keeps you together.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Tanya Wallhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngTanya Wall2023-04-02 15:53:422023-04-07 11:08:42White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson – Review by Tanya Wall, April 2023
White Picket Fences is a contemporary fictional story of loss, love and life and the debut book by Kyle. It is a family drama full of regret and sadness. White Picket Fences looks at the dynamics and complexities of family, marriage and one’s place in it all.
It is a story that many will relate to. I think everyone in a marriage at some point feel like they are not appreciated and taken for granted and at times almost invisible. When looking at the person in the mirror is not someone you recognise anymore, and this is what our MC goes through in this story.
There are a lot of emotions in this heartfelt and gripping tale where one person’s actions change all that they know. Where tragedy becomes a heavy burden to bear. Where everything starts to unravel. Where everything you want to keep you push further away.
Can they ever get back to forever? You will have to read it to see what this family goes through.
Julie is just trying to do the right thing and put her family together again after the loss of her son, Curtis. Oh my, that family would make me lose my mind. I have to say that I would do what she did also. I mean, I could not fathom that type of loss but still… The writing is beautifully done as the author transports us back and forth from the tragedy to current times. We see how the how family adjusts. It’s a lot and you feel all the emotions they are going through. The characters are well-written. Her win daughters are so relatable. I think the only semi-normal one is Roger. I did feel as if I was intruding on a private moment but that is what makes it a wonderfully done family book. Love it. 5 stars for sure. Definitely on my Best of the year for sure!
White Picket Fences is a heartfelt family drama fueled by an honest story of motherhood, written for those of us caught up in our own self-searching journeys. The one thing Julie Cahill knows because of her transitory upbringing as a military brat is that she never had a hometown. So she has made sure her kids would grow up in one forever home, in a forever neighborhood, with lots of forever friends. Yet her dream of a permanent hometown has her feeling fenced in. Set in the Delaware Bay area, Julie has achieved her dreams but struggles with having to accept invisibility, underappreciation, and being taken for granted by her family in trade for her unconditional love. Her guilt over not being available for her family on that one fateful day has her challenging karma by tightening her grip on her daughters and husband, ultimately pushing them away.
Since achieving her Creative Writing Certificate from Emory University, Kyle Ann has authored the children’s book series ” Nissa- The Woodland Fairy.” as writer BB Walsh. is the CWO (Chief Writing Officer) of the blog IF CORKS COULD TALK. And now her first novel WHITE PICKET FENCES with more to come. Kyle Ann’s a retired Physical Therapist Assistant with most of her education coming from raising four children who are all out of college, happy in their own space, and paying their own bills! She spends as much time as possible reading, writing, golfing, gardening, and enjoying a glass of wine with friends and family. KyleAnnRobertson.com
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-10.24.23-AM.jpeg1200790itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2023-04-02 00:02:322023-12-29 20:19:31White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
This is such a cute story for our little scientist. I read this book to my niece and she absolutely loved it and she also learned something new. This book makes science fun and you learn about gravity. My niece also loved the pictures as well. They went perfectly with the story.
What Loretta’s Katydid Did by Lois Wickstrom This is a cute book, Loretta’s Grammie Stella got her an orange tree, it had some insects on it and she learned about som of them and how they were helpful to the tree.
Lois Wickstrom has created a fun fractured tale based on Chicken Little. In this tale, Chicken little isn’t so naïve, and decides to investigate about “the sky falling”. Chicken Little tests her theory that it was really an acorn that fell and bumped her head. When she and her friends have come to a conclusion that something DID fall and hit her head, they cannot decided what to call this “thing” they discovered. They quickly decide the king is the best person to ask for help! On their trip, others try to help them and then join their efforts to name the discovery. Soon a whole crowd joins Little Chicken on her trip to see the king. But a hungry cunning fox might just stop the friends from visiting the king for help. How will they escape? Will the king help name their discovery? What do you think Chicken Little should call it when something drops from the sky? To find out what the King calls object dropping, read Chicken Little Investigates!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jamie Burnshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJamie Burns2023-03-30 09:29:242023-04-07 10:27:48Chicken Little Investigates (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Reviewed by Jamie Burns
I love Lois Wickstrom’s stories about Loretta. She reminds me of my son. Loretta is an animal and bug lover and she will protect even the ones that are destroying her new orange tree. She needs to enter the science fair, but how can she when there are bugs eating and killing her plant? Find out what happens in this cute, informative story!
Loretta, a lover of insects, discovers her orange tree is infested with aphids. Because Loretta likes insets of all kinds, she leaves, them, even if they pose a risk to the little tree. Luckily, another insect takes up residence on the tree: a katydid. This children’s book is perfect for inquisitive minds! The illustrations are cute and follow the story well. Once again, I feel like I’ve learned something new from the author about the world of insects.
Chicken Little with a twist! Chicken Little and the whole gang is here to go on a new adventure. They have discovered something new. I love that Lois Wickstrom can take classics and put a spin on them. Lois Wickstrom is an author that I will continue coming back to.
I… I love this! I was learning every step of the way. I didn’t even know what a katydid was before I read this story. I love the science behind it and how Lois wraps entire short stories around it. Thank you for the gardening lesson!! 😁❤️
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Marie Collinshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngMarie Collins2023-03-30 00:22:262023-04-07 10:21:40What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Marie Collins
Lois has done it again. She’s taken one of the children’s stories we’ve heard again and again and made it make sense with her awesome sense of humor. It’s adorable with the way it’s written, and I absolutely love the font changes and the creative text placement throughout the book!! It really stood out to me, and I haven’t seen it done the way this was in a good while. Bravo 👏
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Marie Collinshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngMarie Collins2023-03-30 00:00:052023-04-06 12:31:31Chicken Little Investigates (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Marie Collins
Big fan here of this author, Lois Wickstrom. Chicken Little Investigates is a cute little short read for you and the little ones. I love all the rhyming name she used.😆 Henny Penny and Turkey Lurkey are my favorites. And it is just as educational as ever.
Another great read by Lois Wickstrom I read it tonight to my child before bedtime and tomorrow we’re going to go outside and observe some of the bugs in the backyard. Also I’m not ashamed to say I didn’t know what a katydid was so I learned something new tonight too. And I would love an orange tree but I do not have a green thumb 🤣
My kiddos and I always love Lois Wickstrom’s books, but this one was special for the little ones. They enjoy the original Chicken Little, so this new spin on it reeled them in. Instead of just panicking and making wild assumptions, they begin to investigate to see the cause of what is happening. It is a cute story but also teaches a great lesson about not jumping to conclusions. We really love the science side of this story, and the illustrations are wonderfully done! I recommend this one if you have some littles of your own. It really encourages them to look at things from a different (and fun) scientific perspective!
As a parent, I love reading Lois Wickstrom books! I was excited to introduce Chicken Little Investigates to my children. My kids have been watching the movie Chicken Little and I was looking forward to seeing this author’s spin. I liked how words like “falling” or “fell” were printed in a downward motion and some important words in bold. My daughter was able to pick up on cues and help read the book with me which is always a great feeling. When I asked her if she liked the book she said “I didn’t really think it was good, I thought it was the goodest!” So I would say Chicken Little Investigates is another hit by Lois Wickstrom!
Chicken Little Investigates (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom. I have read several books by this author because I have a 5 and 9 year old nephew. They have loved every one I have bought them. This is the story of Chicken little and her friend Henny Penny. Chicken Little thinks the sky is falling because a acorn fell and hit her on the head. Thinking she needs to tell the King, she and Henny Penny set off to tell him. On the way they do experiments to try and find another reason for the thing to hit her on the head. Along the way they meet other friends and discover what gravity is along with the funny name they call it. This is the perfect book for gifts because they are not only precious they are teaching a lesson. Loved it so much!
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Pulling Together by Lois Wickstrom
