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Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Tausha Treadway

Summer of MudSummer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff. This is an amazing coming of age story set in 1976 that sticks with you long after you’ve finished it. It’s the story of Scoob and her brother RC who are both musical prodigies. They have been dealt a hard hand in life losing both of their parents at a very young age and have found themselves homeless. When Scoob gets a gig she just knows that this is the break she has been waiting for. RC wants her to go on a road trip so she gives up the gig to go with him but they are broke and find themselves in a small town in Idaho, not sure where their next meal is going to come from. This town is a farming town that is up in arms over a newly built dam. When another tragedy comes within striking distance of Scoob and her brother it can either break them or make them. Its a story of family, loyalty and a tale of simpler times. I truly enjoyed every minute of this book. It’s one I wish I could read again for the first time!

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Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Shannen Kern

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a wonderful addition to The Adventures of Kris series! I love that the illustrations are simple yet add a fun flair to the story. I read this with both of my kiddos, ages 8 and 12, and we all had a marvelous adventure! I truly enjoy seeing the character of a single dad in this story as it makes it relatable to kids that feel a little out of place always reading of happy two-parent households. Kris is definitely a strong character and decides she’s going to prove it! She goes on an incredible adventure to save a prince and learns that no matter how strong she is, it’s always helpful to have friends by your side. I enjoyed the life lessons throughout that really started conversations between my kids and me. I highly recommend having this in your library at school or for story time at home!

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Emily H

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kris and her Dad are each others rock, but when her Dad has a job out of town she is sent to her Grandma’s for a month. Kris believes she is a knight, it doesn’t matter if she is a girl she can be as strong as any knight. When she is is exploring the woods she stumbles upon an elf named Gregory and an experience she could only imagine in her dreams.

Fast paced entertainment. I thin the author captures the spirit of Kris and children will enjoy the exciting adventure she is is on. Very fun.

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Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Jennifer Crain

Summer of MudSummer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Summer of Mud” by Rebecca Bischoff is a gripping novel set in the summer of 1976, following the story of twelve-year-old musical prodigy Scoob as she navigates the challenges of being stuck in a small town in Idaho with her older brother, RC. As Scoob dreams of becoming a jazz legend like Louis Armstrong, she faces the dilemma of choosing between her big break in the music industry and helping her brother unravel his mysterious past.

The author expertly weaves together themes of family, friendship, and perseverance against the backdrop of a divided community grappling with the safety of a newly built dam. Bischoff’s writing is captivating and emotionally resonant, drawing you into Scoob’s journey of self-discovery and resilience.

The plot is fast-paced and engaging, with a perfect blend of mystery and suspense that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each facing their own struggles and challenges that add depth to the narrative.

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@bookworm1909

Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Jenni Bishop

Summer of MudSummer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 stars
Rebecca has the ability to transport you into the story where it feels real, has depth and is vividly rich in its telling. A place where you feel right alongside the wonderfully written characters. This is one of the many things she does right with all the stories I have read written by her.
It’s funny to me how a book that is set in 1976 is now classified as a historical tale. But I guess at my age now I am just as historic having been born in 1962. Any how I digress.
Summer of Mud is a compelling heartfelt and fun coming of age historical YA novel that takes you back in time when life was much different to the world of today.
We follow Scoob who has dreams, but those dreams may never come to fruition. Tragedy strikes causing emotional turmoil and Scoob to reevaluate somethings and the importance of Family. The relationship she has with her brother is endearing.
This gripping tale had a few twisty turns and had me on the edge of my seat and the ending…. Well, you will have to read it to find out what happens.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Crystal Brehant

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kris is the daughter of a single dad. He calls her his princess but she doesn’t want to be called a princess. She wants to be seen as a strong and daring knight. Her dad goes away on business and she is sent to her grandmother’s farm while he is away. While there, she of course has an adventure! She finds herself transported into a magical world where the prince has been taken. Being the brave and heroic knight that she is, she must save him! She meets many friends along the way and learns that sometimes, even brave knights need a team of friends to help.

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Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff

☆•°•💫•°•☆ BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ☆•°•💫•°•☆
Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
Hosted by Itsy Bitsy Book Bits
Genre – Kids
Page Count – 312
Cover Designer – Ashley Literski
BOOKBUB – Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
In the summer of 1976, Scoob, a twelve-year-old musical prodigy, dreams of becoming a jazz legend like the great Louis Armstrong. But first, she needs to get off the streets. When Scoob lands a paying gig, she thinks her luck is about to change—she now has the chance to play in front of a famous band leader with his own TV show. This could be her big break! But Scoob’s older brother, RC, drags his little sister along on an unwelcome road trip. Broke and unable to afford food, Scoob and RC “borrow” gas along the way until they find themselves stuck in the small town of Rexburg, Idaho. The idyllic farming community is buzzing with controversy over a newly built dam, with residents divided over the safety of the structure.
Stranded in the tiny town and pestered by a growing group of well-meaning locals, Scoob tries her best to get back home to California and her audition, struggling to understand why her brother doesn’t seem to want to leave. RC is hiding something, and Scoob soon discovers he isn’t being honest with her. On a warm summer morning, a heartbroken Scoob decides to head home on her own, but that very day, Rexburg’s new dam springs a leak. Within a few short hours, a wall of water is rushing toward the tiny town, destroying everything in its path. Scoob must fight for her life and face mounting odds as she tries to decide what really matters.

~ AMAZON ~


Click here to view the Book Trailer for Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff

Rebecca Bischoff is the award-winning author of several books for both middle grade and young adult audiences, including The French Impressionist, a contemporary YA novel, The Grave Digger, a historical middle grade mystery, and Streets of Shadow, a historical YA mystery recently released this year. Both The Grave Digger and Hole in the Rock were honored as finalists in the 2020 and 2021 Best Book Awards. Rebecca loves to read everything from mysteries to paranormal to historical novels. She tends to research quirky and little-known facts from the past and loves anything that might make her laugh. Rebecca lives in Southern Idaho with her family, where she enjoys not visiting the outdoors. She’d rather stay inside, eat chocolate and write.

Author Interview with Rebecca Bischoff

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

Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Hannah Porter

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a cute, well written kid chapter book. I read it with my nephew over the weekend 🥰 and it was a quick, but still fantastic read. This is the first time picking up a story by this author and we’re definitely going to be reading the rest of Kris’s adventures. I loved the message of this story, because yes not every girl wants to be a princess and that’s okay(but glad she doesn’t mind it in the end from her dad). I totally understood her,I was that way, so I would’ve loved to have read this when I was younger. I also loved the fun adventure she goes on to save the prince and seeing all the cool friends she made along the way. I can’t wait to read the rest of these stories 🥰 ps the photos at the beginning of each chapter are awesome, they help with trying to picture the characters.

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Amese of Animalis (The Borosa Legacy Book 1) by MJ Murray – Review by Brandy Vaughn

Amese of Animalis (Borosa Legacy, #1)Amese of Animalis by M.J. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book from The Borosa Legacy series. I enjoyed the idea of enchanted bees in this story and it captured my attention from the beginning. Amese of Animalis is full of adventure and magic. This novel is targeted for 10-14 year olds but I enjoyed reading it as an adult!

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Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Rita White

Great children’s book for young children. It is very colorful, and the illustrations are very cute. The story tells about Mr. Bonbon is trying to figure out a way to stop Annabelle from stealing his candy from his candy factory. He sets a trap, and she falls for it. Very cute story.

Unicorn, Don’t Do That! by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Deborah Joseph

Marshmallow RabbitMarshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The third book I have gotten my girls from Lois Wickstrom and like always the illustrations are beautiful. I got this book because my youngest loves bunnies, hopping around like one, and thought that’s what it was about but there’s only a small part that has bunnies and it’s just a candy (marshmallow) bunny. I’m not really sure how to feel about this book though and glad my kids didn’t get into this one like they do all of her other books. I feel as if the story is saying it’s ok to steal without consequences because adults will be too lazy to go through with any plans to deter it. My kids are too young to understand that and I did read it in a silly way for them so they didn’t pick up on that, especially when the little girl tricked the adult into getting what she wanted.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Crystal Brehant

Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek

There are not a lot of books that deal with the tough subject of foster care. This is a great one with beautiful illustrations for children! Loris has been through a lot in his short life. He has completely shut down because of it. He moves in with a foster family and just refuses to participate in anything. Find out how he opens up in this beautiful and heartwarming story. There is a lot of emotions dealt with in this book. From anger, to frustration, pain and loneliness. You will see courage and standing up to a bully.

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Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid’s Guide to Welcoming a New Dog (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series) by Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada – Review by Heidi Sturgess

Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid's Guide to Welcoming a New Dog (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series)Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid’s Guide to Welcoming a New Dog by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On my giddy heart ! If every SPCA, animal rescue unit and pet shop could have potential owners read this before any adoptions I think we’d have more happy homes and less broken hearts !

This book not only teaches lessons on love and playing but it teaches our little friends how to groom , feed , train and how to socialise their furry friends 🐾❣️

There’s so much love , patience , joy and understanding between our friends and it’s really a heartwarming read 🐾❣️

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Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Amanda Haller-Doris

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an absolutely delight of a story. Kris is a great hero and I love that she wants to be a knight and wasn’t afraid to advocate for herself and how she saw herself. The author did a great job with this beginner chapter book for young children. It’s definitely a book that kids are going to devour and absolutely want to read more on Kris’s adventure. This is a very imaginative tale, with great characters and a wonderful story line that will be enjoyed by youth of all ages. I hope to see more of Kris’s adventures and meeting her new friends.

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Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

Marshmallow RabbitMarshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marshmallow Rabbit is a colorful, fun children’s picture book. It is said to be a modern version of Tar Baby, which I was surprised by, because its a pretty controversial story…My son is not familiar with that story, so to him, it wasn’t an issue. Mr. Bonbon owns a huge candy factory, and a naughty young girl named Annabelle often comes in, and steals his chocolates and candies. He keeps trying to catch her in the act, and stop her. One night he gets the idea to set a trap! Annabelle falls right into it, and finds herself in a sticky mess- literally. The illustrations are fun and colorful. My son did think Annabelle and Mr. Bonbon were both pretty creative in their schemes. While this wasn’t my favorite story by this author, it was still a fun quick read.

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Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy

Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kris & the Missing Prince is a children’s chapter book filled with magic and imagination. Kris is an old daughter to a single dad, and he loves to call her his princess. But Kris doesn’t see herself as a princess, and takes offense at the nickname. She is a brave and strong Knight, who loves going on adventures. She goes to her Grandmother’s farm while her dad is away on business, and soon finds herself transported into another world. (Think Narnia, but more magical). The prince of this land has been taken captive, and Kris vows to save him. Along the way, she meets a lot of new friends, including a talking beaver, elves, a dwarf, a unicorn, and a swarm of fairies. I love how the author modified the beaver’s speech to account for the speech issue big teeth would cause. There is a great lesson learned- to remember how important it is to work together. This is a great beginner chapter book for more advanced readers. It would also be enjoyed by younger readers (and their parents, if I’m being honest). This is the only book I’ve read so far, but it looks to be a series of adventure books.

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Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy

Meal Time at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson – Review by Krista Moulthrop

Mealtime at the Zoo: PB&J CaféMealtime at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun story about peanut butter sandwiches and how they can be made in all sorts of ways for each character at the zoo. Great illustrations and rhyming lines to keep a young child engaged.

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Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Cindy Mayberry

Marshmallow RabbitMarshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What do you do when you run a candy factory and a little girl helps herself to the candy? Mr. Bonbon has got to come up with an idea to stop Annabelle from taking his candy. Now Annabelle is in a sticky predicament, can she escape or will she get into more trouble. The author gives a great lesson to be learned and a fun story to read. The children will love this story and the pictures as well. The story is easy to read and fast paced. My grandchildren loved this story, just as much as I did. I am in awe of this author and her storytelling talents. We are all looking forward to her next book.

Review@cinful

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Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Tausha Treadway

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen. Kris is a young girl raised by her single dad. When he goes on a business trip she gets sent to spend some time with her grandmother on a farm. Kris is not a girly girl and her dream is to be a Prince so when she meets all kinds of new friends at the farm and one of her new friends is missing they decide to go on a search. Along the way they meet new friends and learn how to work together to get things accomplished. They also learn that kindness is the only way to be. Kris ends up having the best time. Such a fun read and great for families. This is a chapter book so its great for new readers!

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Amese of Animalis (The Borosa Legacy Book 1) by MJ Murray – Review by Tausha Treadway

Amese of Animalis: The Borosa LegacyAmese of Animalis: The Borosa Legacy by M.J. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amese of Animalis (The Borosa Legacy Book 1) by MJ Murray. This is the first book of the Borosa Legacy Series and its about Amese who bears the birthmark of Borosa. Amese who is 13 is about to begin her training to fulfill her destiny as a ruler. Amese is so independent and strong but she does have insecurities as well. She has this dark feeling that someone does not want her to succeed. Amese has to turn into animals to fulfill her destiny and in doing so she learns so much about all kinds of animals and their cultures. Will she be able to conquer her fears and become all that she is destined to be? This book is aimed at kids 11-13 and is such a fun, imaginative read. I recommend this book for all kids in this age group.

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Amese of Animalis (The Borosa Legacy Book 1) by MJ Murray – Review by Jamie Truex

Amese of Animalis (Borosa Legacy, #1)Amese of Animalis by M.J. Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book from The Borosa Legacy. Amese is just 13 years old and is to become the next potentate. But she’s not confident in herself or her abilities. She hasn’t even figured out what her magic is. But something is happening and she needs to start her training. Grab this book and come along on her adventures. This is targeted for 10-14 year olds but I think it can be enjoyed by the young at heart as well. Very well written story and I can’t wait for the next book.

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Meal Time at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

Mealtime at the Zoo: PB&J Cafe - Special EditionMealtime at the Zoo: PB&J Cafe – Special Edition by James Williamson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars
Meal Time at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson

Meal Time at the Zoo: PB&J Café is a super cute and fun rhyming story that follows James the monkey as he serves up PB&J sandwiches made to order for the different Zoo animals. The illustrations were very bright and colorful and made the story come to life. My son loved this book so much he decided to serve his animals pb&j sandwiches as well. This is a new author to my son and I but we are definitely fans. My son and I highly recommend reading this cute story .

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Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tori Mitton

<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204310323-marshmallow-rabbit” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”Marshmallow Rabbit” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1703440531l/204310323._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204310323-marshmallow-rabbit”>Marshmallow Rabbit</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/331633.Lois_Wickstrom”>Lois Wickstrom</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6478940150″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Mr. Bonbon owns a candy factory, and he does tours all the time. A little girl Annabelle does every tour, and wears the prettiest things with plenty of pockets. She steals mr, bonbon’s candy and treats. So he decides one day to trick Annabelle. He makes a chocolate sticky rabbit that Annabelle won’t be able to resist. Mr.Bonbon does his tour of the candy factory the next day, and sure enough Annabelle takes it. But she gets stuck to the rabbit!<br />
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Meal Time at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson – Review by Toni Sellers

Mealtime at the Zoo: PB&J CaféMealtime at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mealtime at the Zoo, What a fun, adorable book perfect for your little ones. My granddaughter who is 3 absolutely loved this book and all the animals. we giggled and laughed that they all got sandwiches. The illustrations are fantastic, seeing pics of all the animals made it fun to think of the noises they might make and what kind of sandwiches they might be having. Definitely a keeper, I am sure we will be reading this book alot.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Terri Jo McAllister

Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an emotional book about a young boy, Loris, who is in foster care and the struggles he faces as he learns to accept his new family. This would be an excellent resource for children going into a fostering family, as well as for the fostering families and their own children as they accept a new member to the family.

Review by Terri Jo McAllister
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Amese of Animalis (The Borosa Legacy Book 1) by MJ Murray – Review by Terri Jo McAllister

Amese of Animalis (Borosa Legacy, #1)Amese of Animalis by M.J. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amese knows she and her family are special. That doesn’t make her life easier, knowing she is destined to be a guardian. She must begin her guardian training, but she doesn’t feel like she’s ready. Can she make her family and people proud and become the guardian she was born to become? This is a great book focusing on having confidence in oneself.

Reviewed by Terri Jo McAllister

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Detective Dylan and the Hunt for Home Plate (A Youth Sleuths Chapter Book) by MJ Murray – Review by Manda Kelly

Detective Dylan and the Hunt for Home Plate (A Youth Sleuths Chapter Book Series 2)Detective Dylan and the Hunt for Home Plate by M.J. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a cute chapter book for young readers. The illustrations are cute, and simple enough that they don’t distract from the story. I read this to my 4 yr old nephew and he enjoyed it, but it would be great for new readers, or even experienced reader who might just enjoy a cute story. I recommend this for classrooms. It would be great to read along with as a class.

Review By
Manda Kelly

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Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Julie Johnson

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kris is going to spend some time with her grandmother while her dad is away on a business trip. Kris begins to explore the woods and meets some new friends. One day, one of her new friends is missing and then she hears of another missing person…a prince! Kris and her friends go on an adventure to find the prince and her missing friend and add more new friends along the way.

This is a super cute book that, in a way, kinda reminded me of the Wizard of Oz. Kris is picking up friends along the way, all of whom are looking for something. Kids will enjoy using their imaginations to see these characters in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

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Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Cross

Marshmallow RabbitMarshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom is a cute read. The illustrations by Janet King are lovely and colorful. It is a cute story and a fun twist on Tar baby. Annabelle loves candy and Mr Bonbon has to figure out a way to stop her from stealing his wonderful confections. Does he figure it out? Read this cute story to find out!

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Unicorn, Don’t Do That! by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Cindy Rushin

Unicorn, Don't Do That!: It's okay if a Unicorn poops on your doorstepUnicorn, Don’t Do That!: It’s okay if a Unicorn poops on your doorstep by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute little story and I really liked it. Stega has to overcome some issues with other children who don’t understand who she is and what she can do. I was glad to see that her real friends did understand and in fact loved her ability to poop rainbows. I think this is a great story for any child who feels that their special talent is not very important or special. I think it will help them to realize that their talents are equally amazing and their friends will greatly appreciate it and continue to be their friend.

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