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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Heather Bass

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read a few books from this author to my niece and we love them. These stories are so fun to read but they are also educational. I like how the pictures go perfectly with the story as well. I can wait to read another book with my niece from this amazing author.

Loretta goes to make herself a flower garden but she finds these bugs that glow. She takes them home with her and she watches them. They are some that glow when they fly and some don’t fly. Will she find out the real truth of these cool little bugs?

Review by @heatherbass

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand)The Hidden Present by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars
The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom

The Hidden Present is book eight in the Invisible Magic Wand Series. What a super fun adventure Caspian takes us on to figure out where his unpresent is at. The illustrations are colorful and bring the story to life. My son loved it and was being an investigator trying to help find clues. I live this age l, their imagination is running wild and I love it. With the help of the inquisitive indicator Caspian finds his way to his grandfather. Will he find the hidden present? Where could it possibly be? My almost six year loves this author and we look forward to new adventures. We highly recommend reading this book and look forward to reading more from this Author.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars
The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

The Glow in Loretta’s Garden ( Loretta’s Insects) is a fun children’s book that children ages 4-8 can enjoy. My son loved this book so much we’ve read it several times already. The illustrations are colorful and bring the story to life. Loretta is in her garden is digging in the dirt when she notices and something glowing. Loretta puts the glowing larvae in a box and continues watch it for several days. Fireflies are my favorite and my son loves to try and catch them. We truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend reading it to find what happens next. We look forward to reading more from this Author

The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tori Mitton

<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198380575-the-glow-in-loretta-s-garden” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects)” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1695737781l/198380575._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198380575-the-glow-in-loretta-s-garden”>The Glow in Loretta’s Garden</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/6347146771″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
One day Loretta is in her garden. She thinks she finds armadillo eggs. They are not! So she gathers them in her ant farm to watch them glow. A few weeks go by and nothing is happening the ant farm. Then one day she sees the glowing, so she takes the little ant farm out to the garden to release the bugs. She is able to determine the different types of fireflies, and makes a little light to play with the firefly’s.
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<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6813301-tori”>View all my reviews</a>

The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Kerry Baker

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

As usual, when I come to write a review for a book by this author I feel like a complete broken record. Each book we read by this author is fun and entertaining and has a great premise to it. They teach kids so many things but in a way that isn’t obvious or off putting.
My kids always completely engage with these stories and this one was no different. We have read it multiple times and enjoyed it every single time that we have. The illustrations are really detailed and creative, they also appeal to my son in particular. This author has gained fans for life in our family and we are already looking forward to the next book.

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Megan Conley

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

This is another cute installment in Caspian’s “Unbirthday” series. Every year on Caspian’s unbirthday, his grandpa gets him a special present in a special box, but this year the box isn’t in its usual place and Caspian can’t find it anywhere! However, Caspian does find a special compass that helps him answer some questions he has by pointing him in the right direction. Eventually through some detective work and help from the compass, Caspian unravels the mystery surrounding his special box and enjoys some time with his grandpa. As always, I love the way Wickstrom works age-appropriate lessons into her stories and the illustrations are bright and wonderful.
Reviewed by @meggs1717

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Nicole Thompson

Lois Wickstrom, a beloved children’s author, delivers another charming and educational story in “The Glow in Loretta’s Garden.” Loretta’s back, exploring her garden and uncovering the fascinating world of fireflies. With a simple, engaging narrative and vibrant illustrations, this book captures the wonder of nature and the life cycle of these glowing insects.

Children (and adults!) will be captivated by the easy-to-follow story, learning about fireflies while enjoying the original and fun tale. The beautiful illustrations bring Loretta’s garden to life, adding a touch of magic to the learning experience.

Ideal for ages 4-8, “The Glow in Loretta’s Garden” sparks curiosity and encourages young readers to explore the wonders of their own backyards. If your family enjoys the Loretta’s Insects series, this latest installment is sure to be a favorite!

The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Crystal Brehant

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loretta and her stories always make bugs seem less disgusting. They show a whole new side to them. You see their usefulness within nature and their purpose in the world. You and your child read an entertaining story, and learn along the way. There is always some useful information after the story as well. You can learn more about what you read. My 7yo son and I always love Lois Wickstrom books.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An introduction to fireflies. Everyone loves catching fireflies when they are young, I like how Loretta is interested in the life of the fireflies and tries to watch them in her ant farm, until she has to set them free so they can fly and glow. Reading the information on fireflies at the end, I can see how Loretta was to be experiencing all the stages of a fireflies life but the wording didn’t translate well, and I was left kind of confused. My favorite part of the book is the information about the life of a firefly at the end, I was interested to know they are considered beetles, and that they glow in all stages of their life.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Phipps

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful watercolor illustrations that bring the pages to life. Lois Wickstrom is a treasure in the way she takes a very common thing, such as a kid interested in bugs and turns it into an informative story for all ages to enjoy. In the story Loretta finds “armadillo bugs” which is the name she gives one of the four stages of a fireflies’ life cycle. While at first Loretta took the bugs and put them in her ant farm to observe them, she later releases them back into her garden. She wants to find more of them but when she discovers the eggs, she respects nature and covers them back up until they hatch on their own. The life of fireflies at the end honestly was informative for the whole family and left us all with one question, There’s glowing turtles?

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Phipps

The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand)The Hidden Present by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Always such colorful illustrations in this fun series. One of my favorite things about Lois Wickstrom’s works is how she gives common items such interesting names that you wouldn’t think of but make perfect sense. The Hidden Present’s new word is for a compass, it is an Inquisitive Indicator and honestly, I will be using it from now on as a compass does point to the wonders of your mind. Like Caspian you may not always know the questions but following isn’t always such a bad thing, you never know what you’ll find at the end.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Natalia Gonzales Castrejon

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a great book! I definitely recommend to any kid audiences. I love fun little books. Most especially ones about fireflies! Fireflies are probably my most favorite bug species. This really was enjoyable. My son has really enjoyed books like these because they’re fun and he always learns about new kinds of bugs!

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects Book #5) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Hayes

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars

 

The Glow in Loretta’s Garden is the fifth book in the Loretta’s Insects series by Lois Wickstrom. This is another fun children’s illustrated storybook, full of interesting facts about insects- this time we learn about the lifecycle of fireflies. The added educational elements added an extra element of interest to the engaging adventure.
As we discovered previously, Loretta loves insects, and this time she discovers some glowing larvae while digging in her flower bed. She puts them in an empty ant farm and watches them do interesting things. What happens when they finally hatch? You really should discover all the interesting details for yourself – because 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 the 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)
-The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Book #5)
Happy reading!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand Series Book #8) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Hayes

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

 

4 Stars

 

The Hidden Present is the eighth book in the Invisible Magic Wand series by Lois Wickstrom. As with the rest of the series the story draws you in right from the get-go, grabbing your attention with the bright and interesting illustrations which accompany the cute storyline.
Caspian’s unbirthday has come around again- but this time Caspian can’t find it and will need to search for it. Lucky he has the Inquisitive Indicator to help his investigation. And so, let the adventure begin….
This is another cute children’s story and a fun addition to series. It has bright and colourful illustrations, fun, educational elements/lessons, and a touch of whimsical fantasy.
As with the other books in this series, it is a slightly quirky tale that proved to be quite engaging- feeding both the imagination, as well providing a few lessons along the way.
Suitable for children aged 4 to 8.
The series consists of:
-The Empty Box (Book #1)
-Things Are Shaking (Book #2)
-Caspian’s Unbirthday (Book #3)
-The Sneaky Kitten (Book #4)
-The Know-It-All Kitten (Book #5)
-The Mind-Reading Hat (Book #6)
-Baking A Bicycle (Book #7)
-The Hidden Present (Book #8)
As you can see, there are plenty of adventures to take with Caspian and Grandpa.
Happy reading!

Thank you, Lois Wickstrom!

 

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jennifer Crain

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The Glow in Loretta’s Garden” by Lois Wickstrom is a charming and beautifully illustrated children’s book that teaches the importance of gratitude and compassion.

The illustrations in the book are vibrant and engaging, capturing the beauty of nature and the wonder of Loretta’s enchanted garden. The message of the story is delivered in a gentle and uplifting way, making it a perfect read for young children.

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@bookworm1909

The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Kerry Baker

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is yet another fun and entertaining story by one of our favourite children’s authors. The book was just as engaging and as the others we have read and this book took no effort at all to get in to. The illustrations were imaginative and added to the whole story. They are always what draws my kids attention to the book initially. The storyline was great and I enjoyed this book as much as my kids did. It is always nice to find a story we all like and can read multiple times and this book is one of them. I always enjoy books by this author and we are counting down until the next one.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lorralei Hoerner

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Loretta is taking us in the garden to see what we can find. To Loretta’s surprise, she finds armadillo bugs. What comes upon these armadillo bugs is quite a learning experience….going from little critters to something that glows….what fun!

This is a fun story for ages 4-8 with colorful illustrations. I love how this story comes full circle and I learn something new as well!

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jenni Bishop

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loretta is back in a new adventure where she is once again in her garden and this time she learns about Fireflies. The story is cleverly told, and children will learn the life cycle of Fireflies from glowing larvae to the beautiful glowing insects. The narrative is simple and easy to follow along.
The beautiful pictures as always bring the story to life. The story is original and fun and full of interesting facts and always opens discussions with my grandbabies who love Loretta’s stories and exploring the garden themselves.
The story is aimed at children aged between 4 – 8 years old.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Nina Maes

Great nature story of what we can find in our gardens. Fast read that keeps your mind busy. Great for story time or just fun reading for all ages. Love how this author taps into your imagination every time.

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great nature story of what we can find in our gardens. Fast read that keeps your mind busy. Great for story time or just fun reading for all ages. Love how this author taps into your imagination every time.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

🌼 .•°*°•.🌼 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 🌼 .•°*°•.🌼
The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom
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Genre – Kids
Page Count – 32
Cover Designer – Ada Konewki

Goodreads – The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

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When Loretta digs in the dirt to plant her flower garden, she discovers glowing larvae. Learn about the lifecycle of the firefly as she puts the larvae in her empty ant farm box and watches the larvae build tunnels and mud houses. After they hatch, she also learns the secret to their special flashing messages.

~ AMAZON ~

Click here to view the Book Trailer for The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

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Lois Wickstrom lives in a world where imaginary playmates are real. She doesn’t remember being born, so she finds unbirthdays are more exciting than the official once-a-year date on the calendar. She’s taken so many science classes that she believes science is the solution to almost every problem, including the dilemmas in fairy tales.

Author Interview with Lois Wickstrom

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

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

The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

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

As always, I love the artwork in the Caspian books. The relationship Caspian has with his grandpa is sweet, and I like that they have such a bond. This wasn’t my favorite unbirthday present, but still fun to watch Caspian discover all the same. This book also could start a conversation with children about what a commas can do, and how it can help in different situations.

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Crystal Brehant

The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand)The Hidden Present by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My 7yo son and I have been reading Lois Wickstrom books for quite a while now. We have read so many. There hasn’t been one book of hers that we’ve given less than 5 stars. Caspian and his grandpa have a special bond. The books about them are so sweet and fun. Every year, Caspian gets a special gift on his UNbirthday from his grandpa. This year, he couldn’t find it. Did Grandpa forget?! Is he too old for presents? Read to find another Caspian and Grandpa adventure and to find out!

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Nina Maes

Great book it will open up your imagination and more. I love how this author always seems to put a smile on my heart with her books. I love reading these for little ones and for myself as well. Recommend for all ages.The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand)The Hidden Present by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great book it will open up your imagination and more. I love how this author always seems to put a smile on my heart with her books. I love reading these for little ones and for myself as well. Recommend for all ages.

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Amanda Haller-Doris

The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand)The Hidden Present by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caspian and his grandfather have the cutest bond! This is such a great series for younger children to really help spark their imaginations. Caspian has to go on a mini adventure to find his present from his grandfather using his Inquisitive Indicator he finds in the kitchen. This takes him on a fun adventure to hunt for his gift. I always love the illustrations in this author’s books. It makes them bright and engaging for children. Definitely a wonderful story for children of all ages!

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tori Mitton

<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175870263-the-hidden-present” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand)” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696960241l/175870263._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175870263-the-hidden-present”>The Hidden Present</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/6332641693″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
It’s Caspian’s birthday! There was a compass on the table grandpa left for Caspian. The compass will answer Caspian’s questions. But where is his gift? Grandpa tells him he has to eat because it’ll help him think better. (Very true!) this was another amazing Caspian story!!
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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Natalia Gonzales Castrejon

The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand)The Hidden Present by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was so cool and different! I loved the whole story. This is something I need to read my 3 year old! I think he would love this story and I might have to start doing this with him too! It’s super fun and a quick, happy read!

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Nessie and the Celtic Maze (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Stephanie Robb

Nessie and the Celtic Maze (Nessie's Grotto)Nessie and the Celtic Maze by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fun and engaging read. I am really enjoying this series as we visit Nessie in Loch Ness. We follow Craig and Linda as they journey from Quebec to Scotland to help Nessie. This story was full of drama, intrigue and mystery that children will love.

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Nessie and the Celtic Maze (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Laura Jones

https://www.amazon.com/review/RMRQW6CNX6MRI/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6327808128

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The Hidden Present (Invisible Magic Wand) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

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

These books are such sweet reads and I love to see what Caspian is going to get for his ‘unbirthday’. This year Grandpa is making Caspian search for his present. I love the magical themes that run through this story – they certainly get children’s imaginations going. Children will enjoy following Caspian and helping his solve clues to find the hidden present. The story is short and easy to follow – perfect for children aged 4-6 in my opinion and it is accompanied by lovely, bright colourful illustrations.

@katiem
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Nessie and the Celtic Maze (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom- Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

Nessie and the Celtic Maze (Nessie's Grotto)Nessie and the Celtic Maze by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is summer time and Craig and Linda are on another adventure, however, this time they are not at Loch Ness in Scotland, they are at another place in Quebec, Lake Memphrémagog, far away from any monsters. Meanwhile, Angus, a seven-year-old boy, and his older sister Haining are holidaying at Loch Ness, and they are staying at the same place as Craig and Linda did.

One day Craig and Linda are talking to one of the people who live around Lake Memphrémagog and are asking about the lake and what lives there and in the end, they start talking about Nessie, so they make a plan to explore, after they have learnt how to properly do this.

This is how they find out about Princess Sheona who they find stuck in an underwater maze, but how will they be able to get her out and can Angus and Haining be convinced to help? This is a fantasy adventure which grips you from start to finish and teaches us all about bravery and being kind.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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