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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jennifer Crain

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an adorable story about a kid who receives a magical unbirthday present. The illustrations are engaging and the story line keeps you wondering what trick Caspian is going to try next with his gift.

I enjoyed how much the author left the gifts to the imagination- things that may be possible, but haven’t been invented yet, which stretches mine (and any young reader)’s imagination.

From a social emotional stand point, the book offers readers a chance to discuss delayed gratification and disappointment at an age-appropriate level. The story line is realistic with a touch of magic.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Lorralei Hoerner

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Fun, fast paced fantasy story filled with drama and magic. I really enjoyed this story and I am really hoping for more in the future :).

Princess Zarina wants the most beautiful dress for her upcoming Royal Advancement Ceremony and be the center of attention, spoiled and all. When Zarina’s aunt suggests a dressmaker in the forest to make her own unique dress, Zarina jumps at the chance to meet this mysterious dressmaker. When Zarina picks up her dress at first she was stunned and unhappy. This dress that was made especially for her is unique and magical. Once this dress is put on by Zarina, this leads to so many events that she ends up learning not be the spoiled princess she is entitled to but fighting for her kingdom, especially after the deaths of her parents, the King and Queen.

The magical dress has some instructions on the magic and its use, will Zarina use this to her advantage and help take back her kingdom that belongs to her family, when it boils down to someone close to her family is a traitor?

Wonderful story and recommended to young and old! Enjoyable!

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Daryian Lucas

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5/5 stars
This was my first read by this author and it is a good one! Not only is it well written, it’s entertaining as well. It’s a very easy read and perfect for young readers. It touches on many life lessons that a younger reader could learn. Such a fun book!

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Ayla Eddy

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a fantastic fantasy read for young readers. With fairies, magic, adventure, evil villains, witches, and castles it encompasses the world of fantasy into the pages at the proper level for the reading age. With the main character as the narrator it gives a relateable connection for young readers. Zarina is a spoiled princess with plenty of older siblings. As per tradition she is about to have her own Royal Advancement. Though there are troubles brewing in the kingdom the only importance to the Princess is having an extra special gown for her extra special day. A deal was made, but it didn’t result in the dress she had envisioned. Now, the trouble has seeped inside and it is up to Zarina to save the kingdom. Will she save her kingdom? Pick up the book and follow along the adventure with Zarina and her dress!

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Melissa Saxton

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Princess Zarina a very spoiled and selfish princess is coming up to her advancement ceremony which is very important, however her father needs to add some politics into her very special day so now she wants a very special dress to stand out. All the seamstresses in the kingdom are extremely busy making dresses for everyone and her Aunt has heard of a seamstress who does very special gowns but doesn’t live on the castle grounds. Princess Zarina wanting to be the sole focus of this party makes a reckless decision to get a dress from this seamstress and she gets way more than she bargains for. The special dress starts a series of events where she has to make decisions that could mean life or death for others. Can Princess Zarina save her kingdom, can she mature and learn to be selfless?
Wonderful story definitely worth the read

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Trisha Cargile

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an amazing story book for beginner readers of pre-teen/teen ages. The fantasy in this book is sure to suck in even the most inexperienced readers. This story has every aspect you would want in a starter chapter book: adventure, magic, growth, and relatability. Not only does it cover the basics of fantasy, it has the relatability factor to that specific age group. It deals with self-righteousness, selfishness, and the “I’m better than you are” attitude. Luckily the story creates an adventure to deter these traits. A book like this is exactly what I want my children to gravitate to as they begin exploring new, uncharted worlds through reading.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Codi Parham

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Codi Parham

This fairy tale by K.L. Small is captivating! An epic fantasy with magic, castles, adventures, and, of course, life-lessons. I love fairy tales and I love the art on the cover of this book, and that drew me in right away. Princess Zarina makes a bad decision and gets trapped with the consequences. Will she see beyond herself to save the day? This book is a brilliant introduction to the fantasy world for any reader.

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale, K.L. Small, Review, Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, Kids, Fantasy

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Amber Howard

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a very good story. Princess Zarina is the youngest of the royal family. She is deemed the most beautiful of the children. Unfortunately it leaves her out of touch with the world. She’s selfish and materialistic. After the dressmaker makes her a special dress, she is tested in ways she never was before. She learns valuable life lessons along the way. I think it’s relatively easy to read. It moves at a decent pace and is ok for kids about 10 years old and up.

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Emily H

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loretta’s Grandma arrives for a visit bringing her an orange tree. While Loretta is looking over the plant she sees some bugs which turn out to be aphids and she finds a most unusual way of how to get the aphids to stop doing damage to her plant.

I enjoy this series quite a bit. This explores the impact a Katydid can have on plants and bugs. Great reading for young readers to learn about science and nature.

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tanya Wall, March 2023

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loretta gets an orange tree from her grandma. The tree had aphids on it, but also another surprise – an mantis and a katydid! She learns that the mantis takes care of the insects so that the tree stays healthy. This is a great young children’s book for kiddos interested in science and bugs. I love Lois Wickstrom’s books!

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Katie Matthews

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really enjoyable children’s book and one that would be a great introduction to fantasy for younger readers. The story was really easy to follow and read. It would definitely get young imaginations going as the author really did well with the descriptive language. I could easily imagine what things looked like and even imagined what some of the characters would sound like. I liked that there were chapters in this story and would be perfect for children to read before bed at night.
The main character Princess Zarina was actually a really great character progression wise, as her story evolved so did she as a character.
Overall a great story and on I would definitely recommend for young readers.

@katiem
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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Jamie Burns

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Princess Zarina comes from a large family and is very selfish. She is going to have her royal advancement is approaching. In true Princess fashion she must have a magically beautiful dress, but little does she know, she should be careful what she wishes for. This enchanting dress is just the beginning of her adventure. This book is captivating from beginning to end. You will not be disappointed.

What Loretta’s Katydid did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Crystal Jimmo

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my family’s 3rd Loretta book. This one is about the orange tree Loretta got and it has some insect problems. The steps that Loretta takes to make sure her orange tree doesn’t die before her science fair is amazing. It makes things easy for my 6 year old to understand and introduces him to other insects that are out there and what may be harmful to our plants and what we can do to help them stay healthy. The story was cute and very well written! I can’t wait to read more Loretta books to my kids!

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects Book #4) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Hayes

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars

 

What Loretta’s Katydid Did is the fourth book in the Loretta’s Insects series by Lois Wickstrom. This is a fun children’s illustrated storybook full of interesting facts about insects, educational elements, a school science fair, various insects, and an entertaining bit of an adventure.
Loretta loves insects and this time her Grammie brings her an orange tree all the way from Florida. Loretta discovers that the tree has aphids which are killing the tree. But because Loretta loves all insects she just can’t bring herself to kill them. Then she finds a Katydid on her tree- and her aphid problem is solved. With her school science fair coming up, her new tree and her love of insects might just make a winning entry. What happens makes for a fun read.
This is not just a cute story, it also encourages children to learn while they read. I read this story with my grandson, but we wish the illustrations were better, as they are very simplistic and aren’t as bright, bold, or eye catching like a lot of Ms. Wickstrom’s other books- so they didn’t grab or hold his attention like some of her others have done. As with the other books in the series, the ‘new’ cover is great, but unfortunately the illustrations inside the book aren’t up to the same standard. With better illustrations, this would have been an even better story, in our opinion.
Loretta’s Insects series contains (so far):
-Ladybugs For Loretta (Book #1)
-Bee’s In Loretta’s Bonnet (Book #2)
-Loretta’s Caterpillar (Book #3)
-What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Book #4)
Happy reading!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loretta is back with some more adventures and when she gets home from school this time, she has an unexpected visitor, her Grandma and she has not come empty handed, she has brought Loretta an orange tree and Loretta thinks that this is perfect, as she can use it for her science project. As her Grandma explains how to look after the tree, Loretta notices that it has some insects on it, her Grandma explain that they are aphids and that Loretta will need to kill them, or they will eat the tree, but Loretta doesn’t want to kill any insects and instead just watches them.

A couple of days later and the aphids have mysteriously disappeared, but Loretta can hear a strange noise “Katy did, Katy did” coming from the tree, when she goes to tell her Grandma, she is told that it is a Katydid, an insect which eats aphids, Loretta is happy about this, but not so much when the Katydid starts to feast on her tree instead!

What will happen to Loretta’s orange tree now the Katydid has moved in and will it survive long enough for Loretta to use it for her project? This is yet another charming and informative book for all ages, with lovely illustrations to go along with it.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Torey Foster

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What Loretta’s Katydid Did was a really cute story about a girl who gets an orange tree but has a few problems with insects that could kill it. Through the story, she learns a little bit about insects and how they can both damage and protect her plant.
I thought this story was great. It was interesting enough to keep a child’s interest, but had some nuggets of information that can encourage questions which will motivate kids to find out more.
I would definitely recommend this book.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Crystal Jimmo

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My daughter and I started reading this together as a part of our nightly routine. Following Princess Zarina and her black magic dress was a tale to be reckoned with. Watching as Princess Zarina started out as this spoiled princess was almost off-putting and my daughter didn’t like her at all at first. But as the story progressed, and Zarina became more and more less spoiled and like a warrior princess to avenge the death of her parents, was absolutely amazing. My daughter absolutely loved this book as did I. The writing was fantastic and certainly kept us entrapped and entertained and wanting more each night. One more paragraph became one more page and one more page became one more chapter, we just couldn’t stop! This will definitely be put on our favorite book list to read over and over again.

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Nakyshia Leger

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saving the gingerbread housesaving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an adorable rendition of Hansel and Gretel! The two are traveling with their father through the forest when they hear a strange sound. Curious Gretel investigates the sound, only to get them turned around in the woods. When trying to find their way back to their dad, they come across a beautiful house that smells delicious and is being eaten by animals! When the homeowner catches them, she insists they help her fix the home to win the most beautiful house contest. But is this the witch everyone fears? Can they finish the house on time? Will they find their way back to their dad?

This story captures the audience and draws them in with captivating illustrations. The story is easy to follow and fun for young readers. My son is seven and loves stories by this author. This is a great new telling of the adventures of Hansel and Gretel, perfect for kids to enjoy!

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Anna Hirsch

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom
4 Stars

It’s Caspian’s unbirthday again. What will Grandpa give him this year? An empty box? No, an invisible magic wand! How cool is that? This is a cute story following Caspian and his adventures at school with his wand. This is a fun story filled with colourful illustrations and silly endeavours. Geared towards children aged 4-8. They will love it!

Review by @Anna Hirsch
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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loretta’s grandma gives her an orange tree that she can grow even though she lives in Colorado. When inspecting the tree, Loretta finds some aphids. Grandma tells her that she should remove them to protect the integrity of the plant. Loretta decides to leave them there and, ultimately, she’s glad that she did. Will Loretta’s orange tree help her to win the science fair at school?

Again, Lois Wickstrom has written another great children’s book! This one is a part of a series on bugs and has a science focus on it. This book would be inspiring to a child about to enter their first science fair!

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jenni Bishop

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What Loretta’s Katydid Did is full of beautiful illustrations by Francie Mion. It is another story in the Loretta’s Insects series which is 6 books. It is for children aged 4 – 8 years or Preschool – 3. The stories in this series are original and fun and full of interesting facts.
Loretta enters the science fair with her orange tree but first she must get rid of the pesky infestation that is threatening to ruin it all. How can Loretta cure the tree of its problem and still compete for the prize.
The one thing I like about Lois’s work is that there is always something to learn and there is always a solution to a problem. It makes your imagination envision all sorts of outcomes and solutions.
To find out how Loretta and her orange tree fair grab a copy and settle in with the kids.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shelly Kittell

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Delightful story about Loretta and her orange plant. We got to learn about katydid’s and other insects that can help or destroy plants. Katydids can do both. This was fun to read to my grandchildren and learn about the insects we may find in the garden. This author does a fantastic job of writing fun books that teach interesting facts.

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Sandra (Crandomblog)

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The illustrations in the book were super bright, well drawn, and adorable. For Caspian gets an invisible magic wand from his grandpa for his unbirthday. This story was absolutely adorable and it made both of my kids happy with the story. They are both demanding that we celebrate their unbirthdays now as well. I thought that this story was cute for many reasons, but I really appreciated the family in this one.

My oldest kid: I think the drawings are a little creepy for some reason, I think it’s the cheeks. The story was fun and I wish that I could do magic. Can we do an unbirthday for me this year? I would love to be able to make time go by quicker when I am at school.

My youngest kid: The drawings are cute not creepy! I bet I could find an invisible wand. I like that the main character of this story was a boy.

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tonya Merritt

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In another Loretta’s insect tale, she learns what insects can help keep her orange tree alive and what can kill it. Another great story by Lois, telling about insects and their uses in everyday life. She puts many detailed descriptions about katydids, spiders, praying mantis, and others allowing the reader to learn about the creatures.

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

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What Loretta's Katydid didWhat Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very cute read. I really enjoy learning about different insects along with Loretta. As an adult sometimes I learn new things in these books that I didn’t know before so, learning and then teach them to my children at the same time is fun. I also like that I can go out, find and show these insects off and hope the kids won’t be as scared of insects as I was when I was a kid. Very fun learning.

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What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

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🌼 .•°*°•.🌼 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 🌼 .•°*°•.🌼
What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3ZpjFeQ
#ontour #ITSYBITSYBOOKBITS #ITSYBITSYBOOKBITSPROMOTIONS #ItsyBitsyBookBitsTours #BookSpotlightShowcase #WhatLorettasKatydidDid #LorettasInsects #LoisWickstrom #Kids #Family #childrensbooks #science #kidlit #picturebook
Hosted by Itsy Bitsy Book Bits
Genre – Kids, Family
Page Count – 28
Cover Designer – Ada Konewki

The tree Grandma brings has aphids. Grandma says Loretta must kill the aphids before they kill the tree, but Loretta refuses because she loves insects. One day, a katydid finds the tree. It eats all the aphids. Then the katydid starts eating the tree. Loretta doesn’t want to get rid of the katydid. How will she keep her orange tree healthy for the science fair? With a little secret help from the insect world, Loretta just might win first place.

~ AMAZON ~

Click here to view the Book Trailer for What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

Lois is a former high school chemistry teacher and former head science teacher at Science in the City Summer Camp in Philadelphia. She has also been an adjunct science teacher at University of South Florida. Since retiring, she continues to take science classes. Her class in Forensic Biology led to Little Red, The Detective, in which Red is studying fingerprint identification, so she can tell that “Grandma” isn’t who she says she is.

Lois has taken so many science classes that she believes science is the solution to almost every problem, including the dilemmas in fairy tales. She has invented what she calls Science Folktales. In each science-based tale, the protagonist achieves a better ending than the original because of learning scientific principles. She has turned some of these tales into plays.

She has also created a series of Mermaid Science stories, which make use of water science.

Lois is married to the love of her life. She has two children, four grandchildren and a dog.

Author Interview with Lois Wickstrom

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

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

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series Book #1) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Hayes

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

4 Stars

The Empty Box is the first book in the Invisible Magic Wand series by Lois Wickstrom. It is a cute children’s story that has a fun storyline, colourful illustrations, entertaining antics, and adventure- with a touch of magic…
This is Caspian’s unbirthday and Grandpa always gives him something silly to celebrate. But this year the box he leaves under Caspian’s bed is empty. Did grandpa forget to put a present inside? Follow along to find out what Caspian finds inside the box…
With interesting characters, this quirky story was engaging, imaginative, and fun to read.
Happy reading!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Stephanie Robb

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another incredible gem of a book from this author. A wonderful story following Caspian and his wonderful Grandpa. Every year on his unbirthday his grandpa gives him a special unusual present this year it’s an invisible magic wand.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Paula R Sayers

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Princess Zarina wants a dress to remember for her Royal Advancement Ceremony. What she receives is a magical dress. Princess Zarina thinks a lot about herself and not much about those around her. When the kingdom is attacked, she must make some choices that are not all about her. This was a delightful fairytale story.

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