Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I remember having pen pals when I was in elementary school. Of course we wrote to people in the United States though. I loved the story and how we learned just as much as Amaleigha about Ukraine. It was wonderfully written and perfectly detailed for young children.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was beautiful and made me cry! Such a sweet story of two young people communicating across the world – it just goes to show that children know the true meaning of friendship. I also learnt a lot about the Ukraine and its culture through this story! Definitely recommended!
Reviewed by @sparkinside
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a great story for kids. Happy Days Elementary got to have pen pals and they wrote to kids in Ukraine. Amaleigha gets to write to Vova, they become quick friends. They ask each other all sorts of questions. They soon find out that a war has been called in Ukraine. Amaleigha and her class help raise money, to try and help everyone out.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha is a young girl in 3rd grade and one day her teacher, Mr Bowles, announces that they are going to be getting a pen pal and writing to students of a school in Ukraine and everyone is excited about this opportunity, so they cannot wait to see who is going to be their pen pal. Amaleigha is paired with a girl called Vova, she is given a card with some details about Vova and she writes her first letter asking some questions and showing her interest about learning about Vova’s life and soon the class’s letters are ready and sent off.
As the class are waiting for their letters, they start to learn more about Ukraine and its traditions, culture and life in general and this helps them to write their letters, that is until one day when their letters spoke about something other than excitement to learn more about each other, the possibility of a war with Russia.
What does this mean for Amaleigha and Vova’s friendship through letters and how will this war impact them both? This is a book which talks about current events in a way that is fun, but also serious at the same time and is a wonderful way to show how to handle the emotions that go along with them, it is brilliant for all ages and well worth a read.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
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 book I was iffy on from the start I mean it’s a hard subject matter but I’ll be honest by the end I’m actually really glad I got it. Sometimes as parents we sugar coat hard stuff for our kids, this book took a hard situation for people of all ages really and handled it with clear information but also the heart side of it. My nieces thought it was a good book to help kids understand this part of pet owning and such. The illustrations were beautifully done.Four stars for a good story that touched our hearts.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a cute book that I enjoyed reading with my nieces ages 10 and 11. Each of them took turns reading, each did very well so it was easy to read and understand. This story actually really had them wanting to also have a pen pal. It’s a story that also had us learning new things about a different place so that was fun, it also had some difficult subject matter but this author handled it wonderfully. My nieces really got hooked and it opened a lot of different conversations with them about different parts of the world. The art work wasn’t every page but when it was there it was colorful and well done.Over all we’d give this book a four star rating and my nieces would like more stories like this.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt. I enjoyed this book so much. Its a great kids book but even as a old lady, I enjoyed it. Amaleigha’s class has decided to be pen pal’s with kids from other countries. When Amaleigha picks a young boy from Ukraine they become fast friends. Vova is 9 years old and loves going to school and playing with his friends. No one had a clue that while they were pen pals that a war would break out in Ukraine and Vova would go from a happy go lucky child to a child scared to death for him and his family. Bombs are going off all around him and his dad has signed up with the Ukraine Services. No knowing what might happen to his dad scares Vova the most. This is such a great book for ages 4 to 8 but like I said I think all ages will enjoy it. Such a educational, emotional read.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A young girl Shirl and her Alien friend Eee-ahh go to school together and the lesson is about constellations. This is a fantastic read to engage young ones in science and learning with fun illustrations from a very creative author.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Great artwork, I love how colorful the book is. This is a fun book to teach kids about stars and constellations, especially the with the back of the book listing different constellations and the shape they would appear in the sky. Very informational and fun to think aliens are out there.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such an informative children’s story. A story with learning and fun, for both adults and children. Eee-ahh goes to school to learn, but the teacher wants to know where she lives. Therefore the lesson begins for all, including you the reader. I absolutely love this story. As well as the author. Her imagination opens so many doors for children. Creating so many projects and activities for all who read her book. The story is short enough to keep the children’s interest, and includes so much more. I hope you and your little ones enjoy it as much as my grandchildren do.
Review@cinful
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
The art in this book is so beautiful, and my heart really hurt reading this one. Putting your pet down is very heartbreaking not only for you as the human but for any pet friends they had. I teared up on this one, but it is a great learning tool to explain to children why their pet would have to be put to sleep permanently.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha is given the opportunity to write to children in other countries by her teacher, Mr Bowles.
Before they are able to write to children in Ukraine, they learn more about the country, such as it is the second largest European country.
After learning a bit about the country, Amaleigha is excited to write to her pen pal to ask them questions about the country!
The day arrives where she is finally able to write to her pen pal! Mr. Bowles passes out notecards with names and Amaleigha writes to Vova. She tells him about her family, where she goes to school and even her favorite food.
They wait for the responses and sometime later, Amaleigha receives hers. Vova tells Amaleigha that they are learning about America in school and reading books by Ukrainian authors. He also explains about his daily life and that he may want to be an artist.
Reading this made me wish that we had done something similar to this when I was in school. It seems like a great way to discover more about a different country and how other people live.
In one correspondence, Amaleigha and other students read a letter that mentions war with Russia which causes the students to be worried about their pen pals and the people of Ukraine.
I went into this thinking it was going to be a short read. It was a lot more descriptive and an emotional roller coaster than I thought.
I learned a lot about Ukraine. War is scary and just because war is not happening around someone, doesn’t mean one shouldn’t stay informed or finds ways to help.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Shirl and her friend Eee-ahh, who is an alien, head to school together. The teacher is teaching the class about constellations and Eee-ahh shows different planets and how you connect the dots to show images. Shirl and her friends share their constellations as well.
Great story to engage children into looking at the stars and seeing the constellations. I think this is a wonderful way to start a conversation with young children and get them interested in science.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love the concept of this book and I like that it encourages pen pals and learning about other countries/cultures. There are nice facts about Ukraine and I do think it’s a good book to start the conversation of the war over there. The book actually caused me to do my own research because the term “old country” was used frequently. I spoke to a couple people and we all see that phrase as like a third world country. I feel this is a good book for older kids because the mentioning of people getting shot when leaving their home might scare younger kids. The book is longer than most children stories but there illustrations are great and they make a nice break between pages.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Engaging and education
As always with this author’s books there is wonder amongst the pages. Rocketship Made of Stars is an entertaining and educational book that teaches children, aged 4-8 years, about the constellations in a fun and engaging way. The illustrations are bright and detailed and the writing easy to follow with the added message about acceptance of differences interwoven. Recommend for any home or class library.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lois Wickstrom has done it again! This is an adorable book that is not only engaging for children but adults who read this with the kids! This book is science being made entertaining for everyone reading it! This book was about constellations and kids learning about them. I enjoyed reading this book! I cannot wait to read this with my best friends children. I know that they will love this book as much as I did! The graphics were also amazing and colorful.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rocketship Made of Stars is the 2nd book in the children’s series I am an Alien. While it does follow the first book, it is cute and can be read without the previous book. Shirl has a friend who is an alien, that we met in the first book. The alien’s name is Eee-ahh, and has landed on Earth and decided to stay a while. She decides to go to school with Sherl one day, to listen to the stories. Turns out, the kids are just as interested in HER story, and she is in theirs. They learn about constellations and the different names for them. It is a cute, but educational story. My seven year old enjoyed it, but we both struggle to see pictures in the common constellations.
Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A beautifully done story about an American 3rd grader and her pen pal from Ukraine. As the story unfolds war breaks out, causing concern for her pen pal.
This book takes a delicate topic and shows us from the eyes of a child. We sometimes forget children see the world very differently. This is a great story to immerse your kids in different cultures and to explain our ever changing world climate
The Secrets of Arkaim by B.E. Padgett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Frank and Jon Reed are twins. Not just any twins, but “gifted” twins. Frank has the gift of telepathy and Jon is an oracle. Both boys attend school at West Hills School for the Perceptually Gifted . When events begin happening that could shut the school down, Frank and Jon join their friends together to get to the bottom of the mystery. This was a quick read that kept me entertained the entire book.
Reviewed by Terri Jo McAllister
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a very cute story of a young girl and her pen pal, who is from Ukraine. The book includes information on their lifestyle and some customs. Very informative. I had a pen pal when I was younger and loved writing and receiving letter
Reviewed by Terri Jo McAllister
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a cute book for grade school age kids. My 9 and 10 year old enjoyed it. Shirl is a little girl on Earth who reaches out to the vast reaches of the Universe by sending out a radio transmission that Eee-aah, an alien from a far away planet, responds to. Eee-aah is excited to go to school with Shirl, and Shirl is equally excited to introduce her new friend to her schoolmates. While Shirl and Eee-aah are at school, the young alien talks to Shirl’s class about her home planet and the constellations that can be seen from it, as well as the constellations that can be seen from Earth, with help from the other students and the teacher. The illustrations are fantastic, and the information section at the end of the book about constellations is an excellent addition.
Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The book follows the main character Xenia and her family, living as undocumented immigrants in America. The themes of immigration and deportation are addressed in a way that children can understand but I would recommend reading it with an adult to help discuss the themes. As always another beautiful and education book from this author.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This adorable book follows a human school child, Shirl and their alien friend, Eee-Ahh. Shirl explains why she goes to school and how she enjoys hearing stories every day. Intrigued, Eee-Ahh chooses to go with Shirl the next day, as she too enjoys stories. While the other children immediately notice how different Eee-Ahh is from the others, they quickly become enamored with constellations and where she comes from.
I think children and adults will enjoy this book and the dynamics between the very open minded teacher and the children’s incredibly curious minds. Astrology is always a great subject to share with children and they may often come up with their very own ideas of what shapes they can find in the stars.
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
I will admit this book did have me shed a few tears. Owning pets is one of the best things but having to say good bye to them is heart breaking. Poor Shadow! The children in this book show such compassion towards Oscar and Emmy and they also did towards the stray cat Shadow.
This book is a great story to help explain to children about what happens when animals become poorly. The illustrations in the book are lovely as well.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a lovely story. I love Amaleigha, she is such an insightful little girl considering her age. I love that she was able to make friends with someone who has a completely different life to her. Through writing to Vova and learning about the war in his country enabled Amaleigha to think about how she can support him and his country even from thousands of miles away.
This is such a great story to read to children to help them understand different countries in the world and what is happening there.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom. This is my very favorite Children’s author so I try to pick up all her books. They are great for reading, teaching kids about different things and gifting. In this book we meet Shirl and her alien friend Eee-Ahh. Eee-Ahh comes to visit Shirl and ends up going to school with her. While she’s there Eee-Ahh teaches Shirl’s classmates about her planet and all the cool things there. She also learns about the other planets and makes a lot of new friends. This is such a fun, educational book for kids age 4-8. My 5 year old nephew loved it.
Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Shirl and her friend are back to teach us about constellations. What a fun story. I loved the information about the constellations and the pictures. The stories are always so very informative. It’s another favorite in this household.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Thought provoking. Informative. Inspirational. This is the first book I have read by the talented Janice Pratt and honestly, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect which led to a huge surprise.
Amaleigha is an American third grade student. Her teacher Mr. Bowels has exciting news about the class having pen pals across the world in the Ukraine. Throughout the book her class learns about the Ukraine, their customs and history between waiting for their next letters. Suddenly, Vova, her pen pal and several others are saying the same things that the news is. Russia has declared war on Ukraine, and they don’t know when they can write again. Determined to try and help Amaleigha and her class work together to help their new friends.
This book covers several levels of curiosity. About other countries outside your own, the customs and traditions of others, empathy for others, and finding ways to help when you feel too small to do anything. I read this book to my two sons, eleven and six, and they both started asking more questions, asking if it was real, if it was still happening and if we could do anything to help. This book helps children understand that just because we live in different places and do things differently it doesn’t mean we are different. Amaleigha instantly saw the similarities in her and Vova. The book doesn’t necessarily have an end, but it ends with a prayer. For the children, families, and people of Ukraine.
The Secrets of Arkaim by B.E. Padgett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It’s Jon & Frank’s second year at West Hills School for the Perceptually Gifted and they are ready for the Zodiac Games, a competition between the houses. They are training to be the champions, but everything seems to be working against them and sinister forces are trying to keep them from winning the games – or worse.
This is a sweet fantasy series for tweens. It is great for vocabulary and reading and the story is fun enough the kids won’t even know they are learning.
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 book covers the difficult topic of what to do when an animal we love becomes so ill that a choice needs to be made about the animal’s welfare. It’s a difficult topic when our pets are ready to cross the rainbow bridge and this book covers that topic well. I like how the children in the story are able to help in the end of life care for an animal they care about. The story is well written and age appropriate.
