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Goldilocks and the Six Simple Machines (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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Goldilocks and the Six Simple Machines (Science Folktales #3)Goldilocks and the Six Simple Machines by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I need a Goldilocks like this one!

In this classic retelling of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Lois Wickstrom has created a new classic with a science twist. Baby Bear has an issue that he needs help with so his family goes on a walk to think about a solution. In the meantime, Goldilocks shows up and does her thing with their home. In the end, Goldilocks teaches the family about the six simple machines that make our lives much easier.

I would recommend all of this author’s books. She writes engaging stories that are also educational. These stories should be in every family library, daycare, school, etc. and would make a great gift for a new family!

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Hole in the Rock by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Julie Johnson

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Hole in the RockHole in the Rock by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

I have a few mixed feelings about this book. First of all, it’s geared towards 10-14 years of age. This age group is going to love Lizzie’s story and totally get where she is coming from without any issues. I tried to see it from that perspective, however my 40+ year old mind sees it as an adult. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much but felt like Lizzie’s parents could have done more to guide her along the way. It seems like they were more wrapped up in their own lives to really give Lizzie and her brother the attention they deserved. On another hand, they did have their hands full and maybe just didn’t know how to handle everything coming at them at once. I get the impression that Lizzie’s day was trying to guzzle water from a firehose and it just wasn’t working.

That being said, again, this book was enjoyable and young readers will find humor in Lizzie’s antics. Hopefully they will also be able to learn from her choices and not make the same or similar ones. Learning that all actions have consequences, whether good or bad, is so important in this age group.

I do recommend reading this book, no matter your age! It would make for great discussion and maybe even some cave adventures of your own!

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The Finding (Berrycreek Heights Series Book 1) by A. M. Porto – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Finding (Berrycreek Heights, #1)The Finding by A.M. Porto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This book will invoke all kinds of emotions. I found myself all over the place and a couple of times I had to put it down for a brief moment to just breathe. This book is listed as a young adult book but does come with a warning that it’s not intended for anyone under eighteen due to the sensitive nature of the topics that are covered. This book will stick with me for awhile.

Logan (Lo) has a great life with a mom who loves him dearly. At the tender age of seven, he begins to learn that not everyone has life so great.

Victoria (Vic) lives with her step-dad. Her mom died recently and she’s stuck with Zach. He doesn’t seem to care much about her at all. He spends most of his time in a drunken stupor. Vic lives next door to Lo and one day invites him over to play.

This story is told from both perspectives of Vic and Lo, starting in the past and building up to the present. This story is very dark and deals with extremely difficult topics. The things that Vic especially, endures are horrific and terrifying. I just want to hug them both and let them know everything will be ok.

I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to spoil anything. However, it’s only fair to warn readers that this book does contain very strong language and scenes/situations that are not appropriate for immature readers. I do look forward to learning more about Lizzie’s story and what’s going on with her.

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The Book of Hours (Coin/Hours Duology Book 2) by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Book of Hours (Coin/Hours Cycle 2)The Book of Hours by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gabriela is a well-known artist and she is auctioning off some of her most prized pieces to benefit a local children’s charity. A psychopathic curator named Wickham is obsessesed with Gabriela’s work and is bound and determined to get his hands on a certain piece prior to the auction. Gabby isn’t willing to allow this crazy lunatic to have his way and she’ll do whatever she can to prevent this sale from happening, even if it means risking her life.

Richard lost the love of his life four years ago. There are secrets that have been revealed to him and he needs to find his way back to Gabriela. Lucky for him, someone is in need of his services so he finds himself at Gabby’s side. How long will that last though? Will she even have room for him in her heart?

This was a slow starting book for me, mainly because I was missing some context from the previous book in this series. I will be going back and reading it soon though as I need to fill in some holes. However, I don’t feel like I missed so much that I couldn’t enjoy this book. There was plenty of action, a small amount (but just enough) romance, and some twists and turns that weren’t really expected.

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The Sisterhood of Secrets (The Gods’ Scion Book 4) by Winnifred Tataw – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Sisterhood of SecretsThe Sisterhood of Secrets by Winnifred Tataw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally, Princess Arcelia gets to be the focus of the adventure! I’ve been a bit of a fan of her from the beginning and I’m glad that her story is finally coming out.

I do recommend reading the previous 3 books and reading them in order to fully understand the context of this adventure series.

Continuing to learn that there are more secrets, lies, and betrayals, Princess Arcelia and Prince Rodderick continue on their adventures to better their countries and lives. This world that the author has created is very interesting as it’s a mix between a modern and a futuristic world full of hybrid beings. Princess Arcelia is determined to find out more about her mother and her deeds and begins to find out that things are nothing like she thought. There are many twists and turns in this one, making it hard to put it down!

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The Lone Star Child (The Gods’ Scion Book 3) by Winnifred Tataw – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Lone Star ChildThe Lone Star Child by Winnifred Tataw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the fantasy series featuring Prince Rodderick of Diar and his girlfriend, Princess Arcelia. It would be best to read these books in order as there is a lot of background information that is essential to understanding the progression of the story being told.

There continues to be a lot of family drama, more secrets, adventures and betrayal. This time, the Space Acolyte Caro is missing. She is beholden to the help from Time, Life, and Death, as well as assistance from Rodderick to escape her captors and restore order.

This is a fast paced read that will be hard to put down and I’m excited to read the next installment of this fantasy adventure series!

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Descendants of Time and Death (The Gods’ Scion Book 2) by Winnifred Tataw – Review by Julie Johnson

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Descendants of Time and Death (The Gods' Scion, #2)Descendants of Time and Death by Winnifred Tataw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I highly recommend reading this series in order. If you are unable to for some reason, at least read the first three short stories in book 1 before proceeding to read this one or future books. Having a background in the different types of beings and how they present will be vital to your understanding of this story. The background from book 1 will also help tremendously.

Rodderick is teaming up with his brother Rayden to try to prevent massive destruction all for nothing. Rayden has a history of drug abuse and doesn’t have the best relationship with his siblings but sees the need to try to mend fences for the sake of the country and his family. There are so many secrets that are being kept within and from the family and these secrets are causing decisions to be made that probably shouldn’t be.

This book has a bit more adventure than the first one and will keep you turning the page to find out more! Also, check out the cover art on this one. It’s brilliantly gorgeous and really drew me into reading this series!

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Child of Tempus (The Gods’ Scion Book 1) by Winnifred Tataw – Review by Julie Johnson

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Child of Tempus (The Gods' Scion, #1)Child of Tempus by Winnifred Tataw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Told from multiple points of view, this story is about Rodderick, who is the Prince of Diar. He is an Acolyte of Time as well as a dragon/human hybrid.

This story is full of adventure that is happening around Rodderick and his country of Diar. His dad, Demon King Ryder, has been thought to be dead all these years. However, Rodderick finds out that this is not so. This poses a bit of a problem because King Ryder would like nothing more than to have Rodderick dead.

Rodderick and Princess Arcelia are forced to go into hiding to prevent King Ryder from finding them. Rodderick has a lot more to learn about his country and isn’t get much help from his drunk mother to learn important things he needs to know.

This was a super fun book to read about hybrid creatures, princes, princesses, kings, queens, war, and lots of family drama! It was an entertaining afternoon for sure!!

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A Match Made in Montana (The Millers of Marietta Book 2) by Elsa Winckler – Review by Julie Johnson

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A Match Made in Montana (The Millers of Marietta, #2)A Match Made in Montana by Elsa Winckler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars for this read.

I enjoyed this story but if I hear “beading” or “throbbing” again anytime soon, I might cry. It was overdone. I found Annie to be a very likeable character and her determination to get her B&B up and going is commendable. I also found Craig to be likeable but I like Hunter even more.

This story deals with lost love situations but not all love is romantic love. The comparisons and contrasts of the relationships in story are what really drew me in and kept me reading. Choices made based on past experiences with love influence what Annie and Craig think of their futures.

Overall, an enjoyable book. I did not realize that this was part of a series. It can be read as a standalone without missing out but I am curious to know more about Ted. I’m not sure if he’s in the first book or not.

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The Master of Demise by Nadija Mujagic – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Master of DemiseThe Master of Demise by Nadija Mujagic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book that I’ve read by this author and she hasn’t disappointed me yet.

Mitch’s story stuch from me from the moment it started. This book was a hard one to put down, even long enough to grab a snack! It’s going to suck you in and keep it’s claws in you until the end…and maybe then some. This has a super suprise ending that I loved and I’m going to be disgesting this for awhile.

Mitch is an easy character to dislike. He’s incredibly narcissistic and his egotistical airs are stiffling to say the least. I didn’t really care for Emily though either. She should have been likeable to me but something about her didn’t set well with me. Normally I could say I had a favorite character but not in this book.

Prepare to just read this one straight through with no breaks. I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store!

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Shalom Israel by Melissa Lavi – Review by Julie Johnson

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Shalom Israel: A place like no otherShalom Israel: A place like no other by Melissa Lavi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel like I just took a mini tour of Israel by reading this book! The photography and the illustrations are very well done. It was neat to see some of the sites of Israel and to learn more about their significance.

This would be a great book to share with someone about to travel to Israel to give them a brief taste of what it will be like. It’s also great for someone like me who would like to travel but doesn’t.

Shalom!

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Falling Again (Buckeye Falls Book 3) by Libby Kay – Review by Julie Johnson

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Falling Again: A Buckeye Falls NovelFalling Again: A Buckeye Falls Novel by Libby Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The residents of Buckeye Falls are some of my favorite people! I’d love to live there and mix and mingle with Max, Gina, Cee Cee, Evan, Anthony, and Natalie! Of them all, Max is still my favorite.

The newest story of Buckeye Falls features the mayor, Anthony, and his wife, Natalie. The Snyders’ have been a fixture in the town for many years as Anthony succeeded his dad in the mayorship. Natalie is getting her new business with Gina off the ground, an event planning business. Things are going well for the Snyder family from the outside in, but if one were to step on the inside and look out, things aren’t so perfect.

When an opportunity arises for them to go to the lake house owned by Anthony’s parents, both Anthony and Natalie have to be convinced that they can take a few days off of work to go pack up the house to sell, while the kids hang out with the grandparents. They decide to go and things don’t go there as planned either.

I absolutely love these characters and this story. This all seems like a real place and I often find myself in this town hanging out with these people as I read. I become a resident of Buckeye Falls for the few hours that it takes me to read this story.

All of the books in this series can be read as a stand alone. There are characters that move across each book though so having some background context would make them more enjoyable. This series is one of my favorites and I look forward to learning even more about this town I’ve falled in love with!

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A Teacher’s Heart by Melissa Lavi – Review by Julie Johnson

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A Teacher's HeartA Teacher’s Heart by Melissa Lavi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book would make a great end-of-the-year gift for a teacher. It would also be a great book to read to a youngster about to start school. Teachers, for the most part, are really super great people! This book highlights some of the features of teachers to show their “human” side outside of the classroom.

The illustrations are very well done in this book as well!

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Ways to Improve Bailey by Cori Cooper – Review by Julie Johnson

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Ways to Improve BaileyWays to Improve Bailey by Cori Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bailey’s brother Dayton has taken it upon himself to be Bailey’s self improvement guru. He’s designed a list of her flaws and ways to overcome them. I mean, who wouldn’t want a brother as awesome as Dayton?

Bailey is sassy and a bit immature. She flirts her way into a dinner date every night but never goes with the same guy. She loves food and someday wants to travel the world and write a food blog. All these non-committal dates are starting to come back to bite her hiney though. Lots of jaded guys who see they were taken for a free meal.

Then Tanner starts to frequent the froyo shop where Bailey works and she finds herself committed to a dinner date with him. She can’t get out of it because of the list. Bailey will soon learn that things may not be as they appear and it’s going to take a lot of introspection on her part to see it.

This was a super fun read that young adults will enjoy. It’s a very clean book, one that I wouldn’t have any qualms about letting a 12 year old read (not sure a younger age would enjoy it as much). There are moments where I was laughing at loud and other times I felt that Bailey needed to be turned over someone’s knee (even though she’s in her 20’s). She’s such a spoiled brat!! LOL

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My Goodbye Girl by Anna Gomez – Review by Julie Johnson

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My Goodbye GirlMy Goodbye Girl by Anna Gomez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tessa and Simon meet on an airplane and things seem to stay up in the air between them for quite some time. Both are fairly successful in their chosen professions. Simon wants more out of life than Tessa does it seems. But are things really as they seem?

One truth about this book: I loved it!!

This book has a few twists and turns. It was a bit predictable for me as well, up to chapter 34 anyway. Then things changed but not as much as I thought they might.

I couldn’t put this book down until I read it all the way through though. Overall, a very well written story!

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Fetching Dreams by Mary Bleckwehl – Review by Julie Johnson

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Fetching DreamsFetching Dreams by Mary Evanson Bleckwehl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Two girls a continent apart. Neyah is super quiet and shy and lives in Africa. Abby is a bubbly socialite in Minnesota, USA. They learn of each other through their social studies teachers and become pen pals.

Neyah rarely gets to go to school. Her family depends on her to fetch water for them to survive. Neyah loves school and learning and aspires to be a doctor.

Abby is ok with school but jealous of the “time off” that Neyah has, not really realizing at first why Neyah isn’t able to attend as much.

Through a series of back and forth letters, the girls learn of each others cultures, customs, and norms and both are determined to help make the world a much better place.

I would advise you to read this in a solitary room if you’re apt to cry. I was reading this while sitting out at a yard sale in between customers. BAD IDEA because I could not stop the tears. There are happy crying moments, there are sad crying moments. This book is such a beautiful story of two unlikely people to form a bond and then do something with that bond. This story will stick with me awhile!!

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Trapping the Butterfly (Butterflies Fly Free Series Book 1) by Debra Parmley – Review by Julie Johnson

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Trapping The Butterfly (Book One in the Butterflies Fly Free Series)Trapping The Butterfly by Debra Parmley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book, set in the 1920’s, is very similar to the story of Rapunzel in my mind. Bethany is about to come of age in just a few days. She lives with her aunt and uncle after the untimely death of her parents. They decide as a family to travel to Hot Springs so that her aunt can experience some bathing treatments for ailments that she’s suffering.

Bethany is looking forward to being out from under the thumb of her aunt and uncle and she’s excited to spend her 18th birthday while on vacation. She’s tired of being told what to eat (and that’s when she’s allowed to), what to wear, how to act, etc.

She meets a man named Paul who warns her to avoid the 4th floor of the hotel she’s staying in because it’s inhabited by Al Capone. Paul is a detective trying to bring down the mobster. Bethany doesn’t take well to being told what to do and finds herself meeting Al Capone face to face.

This story is full of adventure, drama, and of finding oneself. I thoroughly enjoyed this rather short read and now look forward to reading the next story in this series.

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many young girls think their daddy hung the moon, but Colleen is convinced that her daddy holds up the sky. Colleen’s dad is a giant and most of the townspeople fear him and think that he’s made up this story about the sky. One day, Colleen decides to host a party and her dad let’s his hands down for awhile. Suddenly, everyone in town becomes concerned and changes their thoughts on how they feel about Colleen’s dad.

This is a very well written story by a favorite author of mine. The illustrations are super brilliant and vivid! The story and it’s “hidden” meaning are great to share with anyone of any age. This book should be on every library shelf, whether in an actual library, daycare, school, etc.

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The Synchronicity of Love: Stories that Heal, Transform, and Awaken by John David Latta – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Synchronicity of Love: Stories that Heal, Transform, and AwakenThe Synchronicity of Love: Stories that Heal, Transform, and Awaken by John David Latta
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This tells of the life of John Latta from growing up as a wayward Catholic, to denouncing God altogether, to becoming a mystic and a healer. There are stories throughout his life and the things that he experienced and the journey he took to get to where he is today. He tells stories within stories and includes some poetry as well. The timeline of stories is not always in order and tends to jump back and forth quite a bit.

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Talks Like Thunder (Red With Native Blood Book 1) by Randal Nerhus & Marjorie Carter – Review by Julie Johnson

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Talks Like Thunder (Red With Native Blood: Novella One)Talks Like Thunder by Randal Nerhus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This is a work of fiction but is inspired by real events that have taken place. Desert Flower is only 7 years old when she is abducted by her grandfather to join his tribe of the Chiricahua. She doesn’t understand their ways at all and misses her family, who perished, as well as her friends left behind in her original tribe.

As custom is, Desert Flower receives a new name once she’s been assimilated into her grandfather’s tribe. She becomes Talks Like Thunder and oh, does she!! Thunder is a force to be reckoned with whether its from her own people or the Blue Coats.

This is a very emotional read. I have studied Native American history to some extent but reading these stories, even though fictional in nature, provides some context as to the treatment of these people. I found myself cheering for Thunder throughout all her trials and look forward to reading more about her people in future books.

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Soul Redeemed (War of Destiny Book 5) by Theresa Van Spankeren – Review by Julie Johnson

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Soul Redeemed (War of Destiny #5)Soul Redeemed by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series!! Usually by book 5 in a series, the story has started to wane some and the action isn’t quite what you expected but that is definitely not true in this saga!!

I highly recommend reading these books in order. Failure to do so will lead to much confusion amongst the characters and the situations. There is a lot of backstory to this saga that is necessary in order to enjoy this series as it’s intended.

Julia is just now learning about her powers and the ones she possessess haven’t been seen in other vampires in centuries. Not really knowing how to best manifest them, Julia has to rely on her katet to help her hone her skills and use them for the best benefit to everyone. At the same time, Julia is concerned that Valentino is doing his dead level best to destroy her katet and all the humans too.

There is a lot I want to say about this book but I’m not going to ruin it for anyone. There is a lot of action, loose ends tied up, more loose ends created, and emerging storylines for future books in this series. This made for an enjoyable afternoon read!

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Chester does not want to clean his room when his mom asked, so like any typical kid, he goes outside. While playing in his sand box, the “messy kids” come out to play. Eventually they follow him inside where Chester gets some help in cleaning up his room.

First of all, I LOVE the illustrations in this book! They are very vivid and appealing to the eye! Second, this is a story that kids can relate too. So can moms! It’s a good life learning story about the value of help, but also of teaching others what you need help with.

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Lap Baby by Amy Q. Barker – Review by Julie Johnson

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Lap Baby: Emotional Women's FictionLap Baby: Emotional Women’s Fiction by Amy Q. Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emotional is an understatment for the sentiments of this book. I’ve not read anything by this author before but I’ll look for more by her.

This is the story of Julie, Marie, Paige, and Terry. They were all in a plane crash over 20 years ago. They were the only survivors on the flight that crashed when an engine failed during a blizzard. Julie was the flight attendant on that flight, while Marie, Paige, and Terry were passengers. Julie was instructed by the pilot to go into emergency mode so she did as she was trained. She had the lap babies moved to the floor between the feet of their parents. Julie fought for years to have this policy changed after the loss of life that took place on this flight.

This is a story of redemption, forgivenesss, and moving on. Each person has dealt with this situation very differently. They each have their own demons that they must face. There were a few times that I thought the story lagged on too much but overall, was a very good story.

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Living with Conviction: A True Crime Memoir by Toby Dorr – Review by Julie Johnson

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Living With Conviction: Unexpected Sisterhood, Healing, and Redemption in the Wake of Life-Altering ChoicesLiving With Conviction: Unexpected Sisterhood, Healing, and Redemption in the Wake of Life-Altering Choices by Toby Dorr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an interesting read!!! I am pretty sure I either watched the Lifetime movie “Jailbreak Lovers” or saw a featured story on Dateline as this did sound familiar to me.

In this memoir, Toby Dorr tells of her life as the “Dog Lady”…her volunteer program at the Lansing Correctional Center running an inmate dog training program. She meets many inmates but one really captured her attention. His name is John Manard and he escaped prison with Toby’s help. They spent 12 days out on the run before they were found and arrested. Toby became an overnight celebrity and had to learn to deal with the media through her various court appearances. She did a couple of years in prison for her antics and in this book, she tells about her time on the inside.

It was very enlightening to read about life on the inside of prison and even more so, how difficult it is to live outside of prison after being there awhile. Toby went through some very challenging times while incarcerated and lost of lot of family along the way for her decisions. This book is very difficult to read in terms of things that were experienced, both by Toby and by people she met along the way. It is also inspiring to see how she turned things around in some of the deepest, darkest moments of her life.

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Editor Kill Fee (The Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries Book 3) by GG Collins – Review by Julie Johnson

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Editor Kill Fee (Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries #3)Editor Kill Fee by G.G. Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun read that is a first read for me from this author. I’ve already added the previous books to my never ending TBR file.

This book is full of adventure as Taylor has to go undercover to help try to solve the mystery of the missing local book club president. When the ever prompt Anita Juarez doesn’t show up for the regular book club meeting and her car is located on a very mysterious road, a lot of care and concern is shown.

This book will not let you down, although this series should probably be read in order. I love Taylor’s cats and how they play into the story too! There are twists and turns, with lots of intrigue and even some humor sprinkled throughout.

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Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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Huff...Puff...Grind!: The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff…Puff…Grind!: The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stella, Hal, and Brad are the stars of this classic retelling of a popular nursery story. They are once again trying to evade the Big Bad Wolf. In today’s day and age, they have new tools to combat the scary beast.

I loved the twists of this story and actually found myself laughing at the very end. Stella, Hal, and Brad are very witty!! There is a STEM focus on this book, as well as many others that Lois Wickstrom writes.

I would recommend this to be added to personal and school libraries and daycares asap! Kids will love the story as they think they already know it but will be pleasantly surprised by the twists.

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The Wandering Isles: A Crown of Stones Novella (Soulbound Journeys Book 1) by C. L. Schneider – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Wandering Isles (The Crown of Stones)The Wandering Isles by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a novella that comes after The Crown of Stones series and covers more of the story of Ian and Jarryd. This can be read as a standalone but having the background of the series before it will help certain situations make more sense.

Fantasy lovers will love how this story evolves. There is a bit of mystery in this one too! Anytime Ian and Jarryd are together, adventure is sure to abound. When they come across an island full of mysterious beings, reality starts to blur and neither are sure of what’s really going on.

I do get a little confused as this writer tells the story one perspective at a time. I have a hard time keeping up with who’s telling which side of the story and I have never been a fan of skipping back and forth. This was a little more difficult of a read for me for that reason. However, it was still enjoyable overall.

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What Do the Plants Say? (Alex, the Inventor) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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What Do the Plants Say? (Alex, the Inventor)What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alex hears the plants talking to her. She’s very intrigued by this and wants to learn more of what they are saying to her. She tries a variety of methods to distinguish between the different “pops” and learns that they want to have a party. What’s the best way to have a party? With helium of course!

This was a fun book but not my favorite by this author. She writes a lot of books with a science them, and while this one was still science focused, it had more of a mythical approach to it as well. I was not fond of the “talking to plants and thinking they speak to you” aspect. I do know that there is some research out there about talking to plants but I’m not super convinced of this having a true effect. I think for kids, it’s best to keep it simple. I still recommend this book though!

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The Guardian of Whispers (The Reeds of West Hills Book 1) by B. E. Padgett – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Guardian of Whispers (The Reeds of West Hills #1)The Guardian of Whispers by B.E. Padgett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A little bit of a Harry Potter feel to it has the reader diving into the story of Jon and Frank Reed. They are twins with some pretty cool special abilities. When they are sent away to school to refine these abilities, they come across some interesting people who are like them in some ways. The school has regular academic coursework, along with classes for each special gift.

Jon is a bit of an enigma as they’ve not seen his gift in many years. Could that gift become his downfall, his curse? He gets to have exposure to the Guardian of Whispers but then it does missing and everyone automatically blames him. Can Frank help him out in any way? Frank hears voices so maybe Jon can get a message to him before it’s too late.

This is a super fun middle school fantasy book. I look forward to reading about the next adventures of the Reed brothers!

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Helpful Hudson by Dannielle Pickford – Review by Julie Johnson

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Helpful HudsonHelpful Hudson by Dannielle Pickford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book focuses on the importance of self-care. Hudson is very helpful to everyone, doing things as he’s asked. However, one day Hudson wakes up very grumpy and doesn’t want to help anyone. It’s then that his family helps him and rejuvenates his helpful spirit.

This book is a very important one and should be shared with children and adults of all ages!! I have been a caregiver from the tender age of 4 and I felt how Hudson felt many times. If you know a caregiver, the best thing you can do is to offer to sit with their loved one, even if it’s just for a hour, so that the caregiver can have some alone time. It’s vital to our survival!!

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