Posts

Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

🌼 .•°*°•.🌼 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 🌼 .•°*°•.🌼
Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3OZj5SE
#ontour #ItsyBitsyBookBits #ItsyBitsyBookBitsTours #ItsyBitsyBookBItsPromotions #BookSpotlightShowcase #RocketshipMadeofStars #IAmAnAlien #LoisWickstrom #Kids #Family #childrensbooks #science #kidlit #picturebook
Hosted by Itsy Bitsy Book Bits
Genre – Kids
Page Count – 32
Cover Designer – Nicolas Milano

Shirl takes her alien friend Eee-ahh to school with her.

The kids figure out that Eee-ahh is an alien, because she is green and has an antenna. The teacher asks Eee-ahh where she is from. Eee-ahh draws a map of the stars — She circles a constellation that looks like a rocket ship. The sky looks the same, but Eee-ahh gives all the constellations different names.

Will the teacher like the new names?

~ AMAZON ~

Click here to view the Book Trailer for Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom

 

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.

Author Interview with Lois Wickstrom

~ FACEBOOK ~ INSTAGRAM ~ BOOKBUB ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST ~ GOODREADS ~ YOUTUBE ~ NEWSLETTER ~

~ WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST ~ YOUTUBE ~ INSTAGRAM~ FACEBOOK GROUP ~ TIKTOK ~

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Julie Johnson

/0 Comments/in /by

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5.Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5. by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a very emotional book but one that should be shared with all young pet owners. In this story, Shadow, who is the stray cat that keeps showing up, has stopped eating like normal. Oscar and Emmy’s owners notice a lump on Shadow’s belly, so they take her to the vet. The news is not good and now they must all say goodbye to Shadow.

Very gently written in a way that young children can have a better understanding of what happens when pets become too sick. I would recommend this for all pet owners, especially those of the younger generation.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Shannen Kern

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My family loves it any time I bring in a book by this author, and this was no different. Though it is a shift in what her typical books have been, we still thoroughly appreciated the adventure. My kids are 7 and 11, which I found to be a great fit for the tough topics we cover in this story, like deportation. I wasn’t sure if my youngest would handle the tough moments well, but the author does an amazing job facing these with the utmost compassion. I highly recommend reading this with any of the kids in your life!

 

Reviewed by @shannlynn

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Nina Maes

/0 Comments/in /by

Great story full of culture, family and life lessons. Great characters, strong storyline. Recommend for new chapter readers and a read out loud group setting. This story will capture your heart and keep you wanting more. Never disappointed with this author, puts their heart in every story.Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great story full of culture, family and life lessons. Great characters, strong storyline. Recommend for new chapter readers and a read out loud group setting. This story will capture your heart and keep you wanting more. Never disappointed with this author, puts their heart in every story.

View all my reviews

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt – Review by Betsy Melano

/0 Comments/in /by

Amaleigha Makes a New FriendAmaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A friendship created through a penpal program between a girl in the 3rd grade from the USA and a boy in Ukraine. Amaleigha is excited to learn about her penpal through the letters exchanged between her and her new friend Vova. Not only are these kids learning about each other but also about the rich history of Ukraine and about the United States. As they get to know each other better, Vova shares that his family and the villagers are worried about the war with Russia. It is good to see the different experience these 3rd graders are learning about through their penpal. My children enjoyed the book as we read and discussed the current situation in Ukraine.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Rayne East

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Multilayered children’s story
A different book from this author but still has the educational creatively that one has come to expect. Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants is a chapter story book that tells the story of Xenia whose mother is arrested and facing deportation. The story has some fantasy, lots of emotion intermingled with family drama and the reality of a controversial situation. As always this author handles this with sensitivity and presents the writing in a way that can be shared with children of all ages. Recommend.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants is a kid’s book that centers around the character of a young girl by the name of Xenia Navarro. Xenia lives with her older brother Lucas, and her mom, who is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Her dad died in Iraq before he was able to marry her mom and her mom felt raising them in the US would be better for her children. Xenia has grown up with the fear of her mom being deported and has been taught not to draw attention to herself. She must get good grades but not so good that she ends up winning a prize and going in the newspaper because this would bring unwanted attention.

Xenia rarely plays outside because of her mom’s fears but one day while outside she begins to observe a group of ants on the special rock around the sunflower in her yard. The ants and the rock help the sunflower to grow. She watches the ants climb into the garbage can and as she watches them, she notices strange things that they seem to be able to do. As Xenia watches the ants, she decides to do a science project on them and the sunflower. However, before she can complete her science project her mom is deported back to Mexico and Xenia’s life is turned upside down.

The author did a wonderful job of writing about difficult subjects in a way that is easy for children to understand. The storyline was a bit intense at times and took me on a bit of a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The character of Xenia was smart, strong, kind, caring, independent, and inquisitive. The neighbor was someone I felt compelled to slap because what Xenia was doing in her yard was none of his business. Who was he to decide if there was a right or wrong way for a girl to act or play? My heart broke for Xenia when her worst fears came true, and her mom was ripped away from her. How traumatic it was to be separated from her mom and everything she knew. This was a a great little chapter book that touches on the topics of family dynamics, immigration, deportation, ICE, Mexican culture and language, politics, whimsy, a hint of magic, and science.

View all my reviews@tarab

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Tausha Treadway

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling . I love this author and her books are all perfect for kids and families. I think this one should be for older kids maybe Junior High. Its about a little girl named Xenia who is lives with her mom and brother Lucas. Their mother is undocumented and their father died overseas due to being in the Army. They love their life and they love to garden. Along with gardening they have a very special rock (meteorite) in their garden along with special ants that help the flowers grow. Xenia decides to do a science project on the ants and sunflowers and learns its called a “Deekatoo” in Native American or a meteorite to others. They also have a very nosy neighbor that ends up getting their mom arrested and sent back to their homeland leaving the kids in America. The neighbor is out to get the meteorite and is not very nice. This book would make such a good addition to your child’s library or a gift for a family. Great story and lesson.

View all my reviews

The Secrets of Arkaim (The Reeds of West Hills) by B. E. Padgett

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

💫 .•°*°•.💫 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 💫 .•°*°•.💫
The Secrets of Arkaim (The Reeds of West Hills) by B. E. Padgett
Genre – Kids, Fantasy
Page Count – 234
Cover Designer – Annie Loomis

Get ready for the Zodiac Games! West Hills School for the Perceptually Gifted is buzzing with excitement as the much-anticipated competition approaches, and 11-year-old gifted twins Jon and Frank Reed are eager to compete. That is… if the judges can decide on the rules.

The boys will need to use all their gifts and knowledge to help Aries house win the coveted title of Zodiac champions. But the competition is not the only game being played at West Hills.

A mysterious shadow figure is haunting Jon while he sleeps and trying to tempt him down a dark path.

Something even more sinister is happening to the young telepathy students. When his classmates begin suffering from dangerous outbursts of fear and paranoia, Frank worries he could be next.

Will Frank’s fear and Jon’s secrets prevent them from uncovering the truth? It’s a race to solve these mysteries before someone gets hurt… or worse.

The Secrets of Arkaim is the second book in the Reeds of West Hills series.

~ AMAZON ~

Click here to view the Book Trailer for The Secrets of Arkaim (The Reeds of West Hills) by B. E. Padgett

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of The Secrets of Arkaim (The Reeds of West Hills) by B. E. Padgett

  1. E. Padgett is a poet and children’s author in the Pacific Northwest. She was a student affair professional at Everett Community College before pursuing her passion for writing and storytelling. She graduated with a B. A. in Professional and Creative Writing from Central Washington University. She was editor-in-chief at Manastash Literary Journal and event coordinator for Poetry Northwest.

Growing up in a loud and chaotic family of eight inspired her to create stories about sibling connections and challenges. Although she enjoys many things in life, she considers being an auntie one of her biggest joys. She is best known for her series The Reeds of West Hills.

Her hobbies include crocheting stuffed animals, dress up tea parties, graphic design, illustration, whistling and reading.

Author Interview with B.E. Padgett

~ FACEBOOK ~ INSTAGRAM ~ BOOKBUB ~ TWITTER ~ TIKTOK ~ GOODREADS ~ AMAZON ~ WEBSITE ~ PINTEREST ~ NEWSLETTER ~

 ~WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST ~ YOUTUBE ~ INSTAGRAM~ FACEBOOK GROUP ~ TIKTOK ~

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Tanya Wall, August 2023

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed every one of Lois Wickstrom’s books and this one did not disappoint. This is a story about a little girl who loses her father. He is killed before he marries her mother. He is a US Citizen and mom is not. This leaves Xenia’s mother with an undocumented status which causes the family to make some hard decisions in order to remain in the US. While this is an integral theme of the story, Xenia also is involved throughout with the school science fair and begins studying ants. Having worked with children in similar circumstances as Xenia and seeing how they can face such hard situations at home and still have a love of learning gave me a connection to the story here.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Rebeca Elliott Figueiras

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great book by the authors aimed at kids. This book hits a little harder than other books I’ve read by the author, looking at the topic of deportation. The issues/process is explained well in a way for children and adults alike to understand.
This book follows the character of Xenia and her family, living as undocumented immigrants. Unfortunately, the book takes a sad turn when Xenia’s mum is arrested and deported. There are some fantasy elements which lighten the heavy topic for younger readers and gives the book a more encouraging push.
This is another engaging and educational book by the authors which helps to teach kids in a fun and meaningful way.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants is not what I expected. I have read a lot by this author and they are usually light hearted fun children’s picture books. This book was a little more intense topic and for older ages. It would be a good beginner chapter book for 5th-7th grade or so. The topics are a bit intense and the average young child wouldn’t understand. The book focuses on a mother being picked up by ICE and risking deportation for being in the country illegally. I have 3 kids and none have heard anyone talk about that before. But then again they aren’t in a Hispanic neighborhood or school. Maybe that is the point… to introduce kids to this in a controlled setting.
In true fashion, the author used her amazing imagination on the ant man. Very different from Marvel character, but just as exciting. A shape shifting ant man that smells like cucumbers. I don’t know where she comes up with this stuff, but I loved the book.

View all my reviews

Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Ashley Mertz

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Xenia Navarro and the Magical Ants by Lois Wickstrom & Milagros Darling is available now in eBook and Physical Book
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Book Review

Xenia Navarro and the Magical Ants is a chapter book geared towards young readers. Wickstrom and Darling do an amazing job discussing some difficult topics: deportation, living in poverty, family drama and all of the effects these situations have on children. I thoroughly enjoyed the insight to Hispanic culture and how some Spanish terminology was used throughout. Even though this book touched on many tough topics it was also filled with hope and magic allowing the reader to look forward to a positive ending. I would highly recommend this book to children approx. 3rd through 6th grade age level.

View all my reviews
@ashleysbookobsession

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend (Oscarand Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Crystal Brehant

/0 Comments/in /by

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5.Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5. by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a tough book to read. I read this with my 6yo son. I chose this book because our cat Lilly is 18 years old. Her age has been starting to show for a while. I wanted a book to help explain about animals passing away. It may come to a point where she will need to be euthanized. This was a great book to help show why we may have to put animals to sleep sometimes. It was told in a way that little kids can understand.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Trista Martin

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good children’s book by Lois Wickstrom. It is longer than the other books I’ve read of hers and I would recommend it more for middle/upper Elementary age kids. Xenia was taught not to cause trouble or bring the spotlight to her family due to her mom being undocumented from Mexico. The author utilized this book to discuss a sensitive topic in an age-appropriate educational manner.

View all my reviews

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

/0 Comments/in /by

Amaleigha Makes a New FriendAmaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Janice Pratt writes really well written children’s books that cover really important topics and allows children to learn about heavy things in a light hearted manner. I know all of us adults remember when we wrote to a pen pal in elementary school and how excited we were to send/receive letters from around the world! This book focuses on pen pals from Ukraine right before their war with Russia started. Janice discussed how fearful the children were, how some of their parents were aiding the military, and what types of precautions some of the children had to take like evacuating their homes. I thought the children in the book doing a change drive to raise money to help the people in Ukraine was a wonderful idea and much like Janice is doing with the proceeds from the purchase of this book. I’ve read quite a few of this authors books and this was another meaningful, well written, well illustrated book from this author.

View all my reviews

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt – Review by Angela Plate, August 2023

/0 Comments/in /by

Amaleigha Makes a New FriendAmaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this story. It was informative but still fun to read. It merged knowledge with empathy. I homeschool my kids and while they’re too old for this book, it did give me ideas for Geography class.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Jennifer Crain

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lot of tough topics are brought up during this story- military deployment with a parent death, ICE and deportation, fear of being deported, living in poverty, yet the story also has hope (with a little bit of magical luck) for Xenia.

My favorite part of the book includes the Mexican phrases sprinkled throughout- often times it feels forced, but in this case, it enhanced the story as Xenia loses her mother, gains an aunt, but maintains part of her Mexican heritage. One thing I didn’t enjoy was the brother’s character- thought his character was a little flat. Overall, loved the story and couldn’t wait to see how she ends it!

View all my reviews

@bookworm1909

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Megan Pesek

/0 Comments/in /by

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5.Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5. by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Like the rest of the books featuring this duo, Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend is a great teaching tool. While the book does have a well developed story, it is not a light read. Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend provides a story about a loveable cat in child-friendly language to help children learn about end of life practices for pets. This book would be a great way to introduce children to the topic of pet/animal loss if you know you’ll be faced with it soon.

View all my reviews

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt – Review by Emily H

/0 Comments/in /by

Amaleigha Makes a New FriendAmaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Third grader Amaleigha is thrilled to find out she is going to have a pen pal from Ukraine. As she gets to know Vova, a nine year old boy she finds out that Ukraine is on the cusp of war. Hoping he stays safe Amaleigha with her class and teacher find a way to support Ukraine during this turbulent time.

This was a thought provoking story for children. The story ticked a lot of boxes while describing cultural differences, the war in Ukraine and supporting others. A great book to help communicate the issues of the world to young ones.

View all my reviews

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend (Oscarand Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Anantha Rusum

/0 Comments/in /by

Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5.Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5. by Terri Sabol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a difficult and an emotional book to read. The toughest decision in life is when we decide to put a pet to sleep. And explaining it to children is very critical . This book covers the subject.
Oscar and Emmy are very fond of their stray feral cat Shadow which lives in their neighborhood and comes over for food. Over a time, they see a difference in Shadow. The family has to take a tough call about putting Shadow to sleep.
It was a very difficult book to read for me, but the awareness does help.

View all my reviews

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt – Review by Anantha Rusum

/0 Comments/in /by

Amaleigha Makes a New FriendAmaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amaleigha Makes A New Friend is a cute addition to the Amaleigha series by Janice Pratt. I absolutely love the beautiful illustrations in this sweet children’s story, they really help to bring the whole story to life. The story is sweet, interesting, educational, and has meaningful messages about friendship, helpfulness, compassion, and making a difference. The author sprinkled in a little drama and angst too, which gives the story an added element of interest.
Amaleigha’s third grade class learns a lot about the Ukraine when her teacher assigns their class a pen pal program. The class will be exchanging letters with student in the Ukraine, and Amaleigha’s pen pal is Vova, a nine-year-old boy. Through exchanging letters back and forth with Vova, Amaleigha learns about him, his family, and life in the Ukraine. With war on his doorstep, Amaleigh worries for her friend. Things seem quite dire. She and her classmates all want to help and decide on a class fundraising activity to try to make a small difference. And so, a sweet story is born.
As with Amaleigha’s other stories, this book also promotes the idea that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. The messages are inspirational and easy for children to understand.
Happy reading!

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Shelly Kittell

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this to be a very interesting book. It delved into some deep topics being dealt with in today’s society. It is definitely a book meant to kids older than 7. I found the stories to be interesting and written in a way to help kids understand deportation and what’s going on. It’s a good book and I’ll be adding it to our library. My child can’t quite understand it yet but this will help open the conversation to it. The author always does a good job of putting out the hard topics in a way that helps kids try to understand hard topics.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Michelle Troyer

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Xenia lives with her undocumented mother and brother Lucas. ICE comes and pick up their mother. Now Xenia is on a mission to get her mother out. In the meantime they have to live with their aunt and uncle. Keep reading as the story has a happy ending. Good book!

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Stephanie Tellas

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Xenia and the Magic Ants could have been ripped from this week’s headlines. American sixth grader, Xenia Navarro lives with her Mexican mother, an undocumented resident, and her older brother Lucas in Pennsylvania. Her American father was killed while on duty in Iraq before marrying Xenia’s mother. Now their mother has been arrested and is about to be deported. Family drama becomes American politics, mixed with science fiction elements.”

This is not the typical book I will usually read, but I took chance on reading it. I am glad I did.
This story takes you through life with the kids with how deportation works, and how the kids experienced being without their mom and dad for a bit. In the story it explained how ICE works and immigration status works. Great characters. You will have to read the story to find out if happy ending or not?
I give the book 4 stars.

View all my reviews” with “https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5803204490”

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Angela Hayes

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

4 Stars

 

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom is a great little children’s chapter book. This is a little different from most of Ms. Wickstrom’s other works in that it doesn’t contain any illustrations, and is a much longer story. It is a charming fantasy story with plenty of emotion, sci-fi elements, some basic politics, Spanish language terms, family drama, and more.
Xenia Navarro’s world is turned upside down when her Mexican mother is arrested and threatened with deportation back to Mexico. Xenia is very worried, because if that happens, what will become of her family? What happens makes for a charming read.
Looking forward to seeing what Ms. Wickstrom has in store for us next.
Happy Reading…

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

View all my reviews

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt – Review by Michelle TroyerAmaleigha Makes a New Friend, Janice Pratt, Review, Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, Kids, Family

/0 Comments/in /by

Amaleigha Makes a New FriendAmaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story about how Ameleigha meets a new friend from Ukraine. Her teacher leads her class to become pen pals with other kids her age from Ukraine. Her and her classmates learn about Ukraine all while writing back and forth with their new pen pals, until Russia goes to war with Ukraine. Now she is waiting to hopefully hear back from her pen pal that they are alright. I loved this book as I had a pen pal when I was a kid and could relate. It’s neat to learn about others around the world and become lifelong friends. I highly recommend this book!!!

View all my reviews

Lilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney – Review by Stephanie Robb

/0 Comments/in /by

Lilly Tames Her WorriesLilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book and its approach to explaining anxiety for children. So much of this made sense to me as someone with severe anxiety. It makes me wish I had this book as a child.

View all my reviews

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt – Review by Stephanie Robb

/0 Comments/in /by

Amaleigha Makes a New FriendAmaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This really important book is about two children across the world from each other learning about each other lives. One in America and one in the Ukraine experiencing the war firsthand. It is written so compassionately in a way that children will understand. Please read this book to your children.

View all my reviews

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Cindy Mayberry

/0 Comments/in /by

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This author never ceases to amaze me. This story is also an open ended story of science. But more than that it has other life experiences due to Xenia mother being undocumented. Even though Xenia’s father, a US citizen, had been killed before marrying Xenia’s mother. With the threat of being sent back to Mexico hanging over them, Xenia and her brother knew to lay low. The school science fair in her sights, Xenia discovers ants and takes to learning more about them. While this story was entertaining it was also sad in some parts. However the author did an amazing job explaining both Ants and deportation. This is a must read for all over 7 years of age.

Review@cinful

View all my reviews