If I had a Magic Wand by Melissa Lavi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is beautiful & full of love! Amazing representation as well, which is great for my biracial children to see. One of the sweetest stories I’ve ever read, the flow is gentle, & the sentiment is deeply relatable. This has quickly joined our regular rotation & we are so happy to have discovered it!
Reviewed by @lalilovely
The Sneaky Kitten: Invisible Magic Wand Book Four by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Love the idea! I do wish it had been a bit more filled out, as it left my kids with some confusion. However, this is a fun book. Having a grandparent as a main character is lovely, & the relationship is sweet. Love the name choice of Caspian. A lot of imagination & creativity went into this original & unique little story!
Review by @lalilovely
Return to Gallanvaig: Beyond A Quirk of Destiny by Catherine Greenall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is incredibly thought provoking. The premise sparks a lot of questions & really makes you wonder. It seems more informative than fictional, like it could almost be a documentary. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the storyline became more than just a storyline & spread into real life. Definitely left me pondering possibilities.
Review by @LaliLovely
Where Do Pirates Go on Vacation? : Fun pirate story that encourages imaginative and creative thinking. Ages 3 to 8, preschool to 2nd grade. by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
We’re new to this series, & this cute little book has made us want to read the rest. It’s short & sweet & inclusive! I read it to my 4 year old 1st, & when he asked to read it again as soon as we finished, my 5 year old caught interest & she loved it too. They had so much fun answering the questions with different silly answers! We can’t wait to read it again!
And Then She Fell by Dreena Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This beautifully written book left me wanting more in the very best way! It was so easy to get caught up in Catherine’s day to day life & tag along with her. She is a lovely narrator & I loved her character. The author’s style of thriller writing gave me the most pleasantly suspenseful experience I’ve had with a book, & I’m so happy to have discovered it. Even though I thought I knew, I was genuinely uncertain of what really happened to Susie all the way up to the end. The ending snuck up on me so calmly I felt a hard “wait a minute!! it’s over??” that I don’t usually feel, which was fun. Even a few days after finishing, I still find myself wanting to spend more time with Catherine & come along on the rest of her journey. There were a few more intense moments, & they were just enough to knock your heart rate up a notch without crossing over into being too much. Brilliantly created & intriguing in such a refreshing way!
Reviewed by @lalilovely
Amaleigha and the Big Idea by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is super cute ! I adore the encouragement & appreciation for the different ways a mind can work. Amaleigha is innovative & altruistic.
My children loved her idea so much that the links at the end sparked a fantastic conversation. Amazing book for kids!
Reviewed by @lalilovely
Weep, Woman, Weep by Maria DeBlassie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I LOVED Weep,Woman,Weep! The storytelling is phenomenal, the vibe is magical, the writing is lovely. Though I do wish for more of this story, I’m still happy with the ending. The whole story is poetic & thought provoking & endearing . Spooky around the edges & intriguing with touches of surprise sprinkled here & there . Mercy is inspiring & her character development is fantastic. This book is definitely in my favorites now & I can’t wait to share it with my children when they’re ready.
Reviewed by @lalilovely
Lucas the Spy Cat: A Children’s Mystery Adventure with Creativity & Imagination Boosting Activities by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is so cute ! The story is intriguing & adventurous. Full of beautiful illustrations & adorable scenes. I read this to my kids for a bedtime story, & they asked for it again & again. We loved the poetic vibe & the mystery. There are also fantastic little activities at the end that were so fun! I’m so happy to have discovered Lucas & I hope there will be more adventures to go on with him!
Reviewed by @lalilovely
Elemental Fire by E.G. Manetti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was my first time reading anything by EG Manetti, and this book is their first time writing fantasy! While the author’s scifi background is definitely noticeable, they did great creating a fantasy story. I appreciate the more thorough descriptions of the characters’ thought processes , though I would have liked for them to have more personality. The romance between Sin & Rad is a little awkward in the beginning because they don’t really flirt or talk about anything other than work. There are a few flirty moments & a few spicy moments farther in that are great, I just would have liked more of them to really feel the love & buildup. For me it ended up being more of an acceptance that they’re together than a ship. They’re still cute! Sin is great on her own & Rad is great on his own. One of the villains, Aisha, is fantastic & I would have been happy with her being the main one. She was very well written. The main villain didn’t really appear long enough to feel much about them, but they were enough of a jerk to fit. The storyline is interesting & enjoyable with a couple twists that definitely made things better. There were a lot of pop culture references, which was nice, & a few were funny rather than just informational. I also appreciated that there’s enough of a set up for a 2nd book to be interested in reading that one too, without having a cliffhanger. All in all, this was a pretty good book & I would read the rest of the series as well as other work by EG Manetti.
Reviewed by @lalilovely =)
