How to Make a Flying Carpet by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book would be a fun way to get a conversation started about magnetism. I like how it walks through different ideas of ways that magnets can be used. As always, Ms. Wickstrom has done a wonderful job presenting scientific information in a way that is engaging and educational at the same time.
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a cute read! The lesson about Insects was interesting, and I think it would be helpful for younger children to see how different Insects help plants. The illustrations were very colorful and cute as well. I enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading it to my daughter when she gets older.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R37VOFRBT68GMU/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book has to be one of my favorites written by Lois Wickstrom! The pictures are bright and colorful. I love how the pictures go with the words on the page. This book was about a blind girl who wanted to know what a monster was like. Her sister used her senses to describe it to her. I thought this was a great idea for teaching kids how to use their senses without eyes!
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Small Fry by Stephenie Wilson Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Silas Fitzpatrick has had enough of being invisible. As his sixth grade class begins he finds it hard to get adults to listen to him. He is extremely short for his age, due to lacking healthy growth hormones. His grandfather is a great man to email and gives Silas advice as to help him get along at school. Silas also has made friends who see him for who he is, and not by his size. This author has many ways of getting her point out in this story. She helps all the children see that they are so much more. I love how this book is encouraging and would recommend it to all children ages 8 and older. I must say Silas is extremely brave and patient with those around him. I love the interactions between his grandfather as well as his new friend. This should be a must read for all who have or are children. Excellent Story!
Review@cinful
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Such a cute story. Very easy to read. Teaches kids some basic things about Science as well as basic plant care. My 2 yr old nephew let me read this to him and he sat still and engaged in the story. I would suggest this for a classroom library or just to have at home, for sure.
Review by @ Manda Kelly 2023
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Star’s
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Future World Changers by Janice Pratt
Brave Kids is a Anthology of twenty-four short stories by various authors from around the world. I loved everything about this collection and the powerful message that comes with each story. This s is intended for readers ages 6-12 years old. I would say children as well as adults can take away something from this collection. We learn different ways to be brave,how to not give up on our dreams, go after what you want. We learn different things to deal with different sensory situations ,to be kind and how courage can help overcome diversity. I really enjoyed Amaleigha Tames a Bully: Kindness can change a hard heart by Janice Pratt. This story shows bravery by being herself and asking for help when you need it and standing up to the meany bully. My son is five and we are working on different ways to express our emtions,how to use our words to ask for things and how to deal with different sensory situations. He asked questions about why each of the kids showed bravery and courage to face different things. I love that he loves to read and he was sad for some of the kids in some of the stories.I highly recommend reading this collection and who knows you might find a few new authors.
monster for meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I appreciated this book had a character whom is blind, something atypical for children’s picture books. I also loved the line “Monsters are so big they bump their heads on the ceiling….” opening up the discussion of what a child’s monster may look like and how everyone’s monsters can be different.
I also appreciated how Lois interweaves the use of other senses in order for the characters to play the “guess what a monster is” conversation or game they are entwined with. The ending is sweet, and overall, the story is fast-paced and engaging for kids of all ages.
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is yet another hit from a brilliant author. Our whole household looks forward to a new book from Lois Wickstrom and this one was no exception. We loved this book and the story that has been created. As usual, the pictures were engaging, the story was interesting and we enjoyed the characters we were reading about.
This book has been read multiple times, along with all the others, and we are already in countdown to the next book that we read from this talented author.
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What Loretta’s Katydid Did is a really cute story about a girl who receives an orange tree from her grandmother but realizes it has a few problems. Loretta discovers that the orange tree has aphids, an insect that could kill it. Loretta decides since she loves insects that she’s going to keep the aphids, even though they can hurt the tree. Throughout the story, she learns about the aphids and how they can both damage and protect her tree.
I thought this story was a great learning tool for younger children. Lois has a knack for writing great children’s books that teach about different things and keeps it entertaining.
Mary Espinoza, May 2023
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Monster For Meg is a wonderful inclusive children’s book about Sue explaining to her little sister Meg about monsters using four senses because Meg is blind. This is an amazing story about the relationship between sisters and how you can use the different senses to explore the world around you.
.•°*°•. PREORDER .•°*°•.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom is an excellent children’s book! This book is unique in that the main character, Meg is blind. Her big sister, Sue is trying to help her understand what a monster is like using other sense than sight. This way Meg can build an idea as to what monsters are like. Each time Sue describes the monster, Meg relates it to Sue so that she can fully understand what the monster is like. This is such an awesome book about the bond of two siblings and how they navigate Meg being blind. I love that this book represents a severely underrepresented population. I highly recommend this book!
Small Fry by Stephenie Wilson Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very entertaining! This book is packed with all the drama of middle school. Great characters and storyline will have you feeling just about everything and anything. This is books has a lot of frustrations and triumphs. Fast pace and easy to read, you will not want to put it down. Recommend for all to read and gain different perspectives.
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic! This story has a lot of perspective on if we just let nature do what it needs. Characters are done so well. Recommend to everyone young and old. Fast paced, with a great sorry line.
Exceptional! This author is great! I love how her characters in the story have to use their words. Very insightful with different perspectives. This book is very descriptive and delightful. Recommend this other for story time to first time readers.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Exceptional! This author is great! I love how her characters in the story have to use their words. Very insightful with different perspectives. This book is very descriptive and delightful. Recommend this other for story time to first time readers.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a cute children’s book. It is well written and will keep any child engaged throughout. This is about Meg and how she is blind. Her big sister shows her how important senses are at night. A story that will show you diversity and has a learning component as well. The pictures are bright, colorful and interactive for children. This is a great book for any child that likes to read fun books. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very fine book touching on few sensitive topics to children, teens and adults alike, Brave Kids is a collection of six short stories which delves deep into emotional aspects behind loss, emotional turbulence and bullying. These are the issues which we adults suffer as well and we do know that emotional balance can only be achieved when we are brave enough to face these issues internally.
Bravery does not mean being a super hero , bravery means not being afraid of the dark, bravery means helping others in their times of need, bravery means treating nature with respect.
This is a very meaningful book and I would recommend my children also to read . Loved every bit of it.
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Brave Kids
By: Janice Pratt
This book is fantastic and is one that I will be reading aloud to my class at the beginning of the school year. Each story focuses on a child who is being brave by overcoming obstacles. It particularly focuses on navigating and overcoming feelings and challenges. Through these stories the reader can see how each child became resilient. This is such an important message that all children need to hear and see reinforced. I feel that these stories are so important and should definitely be read aloud to all children. This is such a great and important read.
This is one of the best books that I have read yet! Let me tell you, as an elementary librarian, I have read a LOT of books. Small Fry is both a heartwarming and relatable for children. Middle school is hard and difficult enough because you are just trying to find yourself and survive all of the changes in your body and becoming a teen. It is even harder for Silas he was born with a growth hormone deficiency which makes him look younger than his actual age, but he also just started a new school. So he has to endure the torture of explaining his condition and unfortunately the bullying that comes with it. Just as Silas is finding his place at school, he is faced with a challenge from Chad the “Popular” kid and the person that is responsible for making Silas’ life difficult. Chad has Mrs. Halliday, a teacher who happens to be his godmother on his side. Will Silas be able to defy the odds and defeat Chad in the school elections?
This book was well written and seems to be very authentic with from the characters to all of the challenges they face. The cover art brings the whole story together and I love the art at the end of each chapter. I love that the back matter has information about both the growth hormone deficiency and Alzheimer’s Disease. I think the only thing I would have loved to see in addition would be some information about cyber bullying since the book touched on it too. Overall, this book was fantastic and I look forward to reading more books by Stephenie Wilson Peterson.
How to Make a Flying Carpet by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I sometimes pick up books that my kids may like and I like to read them first. This one was very creative and adventurous. I really enjoyed the different ideas that the author brought to the pages. So good for little imaginations and letting their creativity flow.
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World Changers is a wonderful tool for anyone who has young children. These stories are about things that all children face such as learning to sleep in their own bed. This is a book that can apply to children throughout their childhood. I would definitely recommend it to any parent or even education staff.
Small Fry by Stephenie Wilson Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Silas was so relatable to me, I too am extremely small (only 4ft 8) and had an issue with my growth hormones growing up. It warmed my heart how Silas was brought to life on the page. This beautiful, story was obviously written with love and the characters came alive on the page. I would highly recommend this lovely children’s book.
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a wonderful collection of children’s stories that are short enough for most attention-spans (wiggly worms) and long enough to fit in some good life lessons. The illustrations help draw everyone in and are adored throughout this book. I enjoyed reading this entire collection with my two kids who are 7 and 11. I feel like there were some great conversation starters in each chapter, and we paused to talk about what they would do in each situation or what the underlying issues could be.
Two stories really stood out for me were “Catch Your Thoughts Before They Ruin Your Day” by Samantha Ena Minichiello and “Amaleigha Tames a Bully: Kindness Can Change a Hard Heart” by: Janice Pratt.
Catch Your Thoughts Before They Ruin Your Day is incredibly relatable to me even now because even adults have emotionally turbulent times, and some of us weren’t taught the best coping mechanisms. My kids especially enjoyed it because they have recently been learning about fixed mindset vs growth mindset, so it was really cool timing for this to come into our lives.
Amaleigha Tames a Bully is truly a work of art. Unfortunately, bullies seem to be in every grade at every school, but what happens if we dedicate time to uncovering the root of it all? I loved this because it’s easy to shrug off a bully as a mean person that you should just ignore, but when you have a bad day, week, or month, don’t you just really want to feel needed and loved? This sparked the longest and most compassionate conversation with my kiddos! I highly recommend picking this up for the classroom or your family. There is absolutely something in this collection for everyone!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sue tries to explain what a monster is to her sister Meg. Meg is visually impaired. Meg decides that the traits that Sue describes sounds just like Sue. In the end. Sue says that monster hugs are really the best thing about monsters and she gives Meg a big giant monster hug. This book is very descriptive and the illustrations are great!
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a book of short stories highlighting different ways kids can be brave. It give kids a view ways to cope and be brave during trying times in their lives. The stories are relevant and based on real life issues that our kids face in today’s times. I think every parent can find something in this book that will help explain or to help their child relate in order to start talking about sensitive issues such as bullying, anxiety, a new sibling, loss, or lack of self confidence.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Monster for Meg (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom
4 stars
Monsters are scary especially for kids but Meg is blind so she doesn’t know what they look like. Her big sister Sue tries to describe them using her other senses in ways that Meg would understand. Every time Sue would say something, Meg would relate it to the way Sue would do something. It was funny. I think this story is fantastic in the way that it shows children how yo use their other senses. Most people rely on their sight so it was interesting to see how the author described the other senses. Filled with colourful illustrations, this is a book children will definitely enjoy.
Review by @Anna Hirsch
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Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is such a wonderful selection of short stories and I really enjoyed them all. It was great to read a few familiar authors and also find some new ones. Each story in this anthology covers a different topic so there’s definitely something for all types of children in this book. it covers topics such as bullying, phobias. I loved that each story tried to remind us that although we may be sad, suffering or afraid we are all brave.
One of the stories I loved was Tonight it the Night by K J KaSchula I read this with my little boy as we try to get him to go into his own bed by himself. It was a really cute read!
Another story I really enjoyed was Amaleigha Tames a Bully: Kindness Can Change a Hard Heart by Janice Pratt – having read about Amaleigha before I loved that she featured in a story in this anthology. She is such a wise one for such a young age! I love reading and sharing her stories with my little boy.
Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Brave Kids is a collection of short stories written by a variety of authors. Each short story is on a different topic and discusses things such as the loss of a loved one, being afraid of the dark, bullying, and other situations where a child may feel vulnerable and afraid. Being brave is not about being a superhero, or having super powers, it is about believing in yourself and being kind. Being brave is asking for help when you need it. Being brave is about helping others be better. Being brave is about treating nature and Mother Earth with respect. Each one of the stories are designed to inspire youth and adults to create a better world for all of us, for Earth, and for animals.
This book was truly inspirational and is a good reminder for children, youth, teens, and adults of all ages. Sometimes we have a moment in life that makes us scared, and we need a gentle reminder that true bravery comes from within. Sometimes those things require us to dig down deep and believe in ourselves. Sometimes we lose someone we love, and the sadness weighs us down. Sometimes we cannot do things on our own and it is okay to ask for help from a friend or family member. Sometimes we need a reminder to not take nature and Earth for granted and we need to take care of the planet we live on.
I enjoyed all of the stories in this book but if I had to pick a favorite it would be One Rock at a Time. It is about how to be brave after suffering the loss of a loved one. This one hit home for me after the recent loss of my father. We were close and losing him has weighed me down with grief and anger. My grief was weighing me down like an imaginary backpack full of rocks. Thank you for including this short story, it has helped me release some of the grief and move forward. I highly recommend this book for all ages! A great collection to keep on hand and read when feeling like you are not quite brave enough.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This might be one of my favorite books by this author. I loved watching Sue explain to Meg why monsters were scary, and the Meg come back basically showing Sue that her and monsters were similar in some aspects. The art is beautiful, and the way Sue describes everything for her blind sister is a great way to show kids how to help when talking with someone who is blind.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This picture book will have your kids asking you to read it over and over again. This is my new favorite by Lois Wickstrom. The way she describes the monster but finds a way to compare it is brilliant. The story is out of the box and shows you an insight on how to see things in different perspectives. I recommended to several parents I know already!
