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Super Enemies by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

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Super EnemiesSuper Enemies by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think there are a lot of people out there who even as adults can fully relate to how these two siblings behaved. I know I certainly can! I love how this authors stories really come up with some great talking points for children whilst they are reading. I think this book is definitely best shared with an adult so maybe these talking points could include the children coming up with their own resolutions about how to behave and how we can all like different things but be respectful of each other.
I really enjoy the stories by this author and whilst I’m not sure this was one of my favourites I can see how it could help open further discussion for children about how we behave and respect each other.

@katiem
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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Torey Foster

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dream shifter is a story about a young girl, Gwendolyn, who can shift into animals while she dreams. In this story, she is woken abruptly and left trapped in the body of an elk. Even worse news, hunting season is about to start. How is she going to stay alive long enough to figure out how to get back to her human form again. The clock is ticking…
This is a fun story that takes you on an adventure as Gwen avoids hunters, while searching for a way to become a girl again. It is full of excitement and fun and I would definitely recommend reading this story to your kids.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Misti Maggio

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

  • I really enjoyed this book. The world building was wonderful and really made you feel like you were there. I loved the characters and how well they went together. This is a delightful YA fantasy and any easy read. I love reading this author and look forward to reading more by her.

    Review by @mimimadge
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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carisa Saenz-Videtto

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think at some point in everyone life people can relate to this book. Having a dream and turning into someone else whether that’s an animal or a person and having an adventure in dream space. It is a touching story. The author does a great job on explaining a child’s life then turning into this grand adventure.

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Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Moriah Venable

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Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw the cover and the premise for this and just had to read it. Perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Albert is a turkey that lives on a turkey farm. As the holidays grow nearer, people are looking at Albert and not to be a pet.

One day, Albert sees the President on the T.V. where he announces pardons. Albert wonders if the President will pardon so he wont be someone’s dinner.

I went into this, thinking it was going to be funny but I finished it with a more open mind. Albert tries to communicate with the family that picks him, to not eat him. He wants to be the pardoned turkey this year so that he does not end up on a family’s table.

This is more than what the title and cover suggests and I am glad that I read this. I will have to read more of this authors’ books.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars
Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom

Dream-Shifter is a fantasy/children’s book that is intended for readers ages eight to twelve years old but I think anyone can enjoy reading this children’s book. We are huge fans of this author and this one may be a bit longer than her other books but we made it a fun bedtime story. My son is almost five and he loved this magical story about Gwendolyn and how she has the ability to shift into the animals shes dreaming about. But what happens when she gets woke up abruptly and is stuck as an Elk? I highly recommend reading this book to find out what happens next as we follow along with Gwendolyn and her journey. I can’t wait to read more from this Author.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lauren West

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a sweet story with a big message. Gwendolyn was an amazing character. A dream shifter at night, and all it takes is one event to keep her transformed in her shifter form almost permanently. She works with her family to find a cure within a 3 month time. It’s a fun and fantastic adventure! It’s a story all ages will love to read and experience!

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ashley Westerman

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Even though this book is aimed toward middle school ages, I still read this to my younger kids (ages 5 and 8). It was easy to read to them and they understood what was happening in the story. They loved every minute of reading this to them and requested we read it again soon. In the meantime, they’ve been pretending to be like Gwendolyn and “shape-shifting” into different animals. It’s so much fun watching them use their imaginations.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shannen Kern

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have loved all of Lois Wickstrom’s books, but this one was different than the others I’ve read from her. Dream-Shifter is geared towards kids that are 7-12 years old, and everyone in my household enjoyed it! I highly recommend picking this up and sharing it with the kids in your life.

Gwendolyn is a middle school dream-shifter. When she dreams, she turns into different animals depending on each dream, which sounds like an amazing talent! Typically, she awakens as a human again but when she is startled awake, she is stuck as an elk. Gwendolyn doesn’t know what to do next and to make matters worse, it’s elk hunting season! Will she be able to find anyone who can help her, or is she stuck as an elk forever?

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoy Lois Wickstrom’s books and Dream Shifter sounded so promising so I was incredibly surprised by the fact that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Dream Shifter was still chock full of all the wonderful lessons that the author uses her stories to teach such as learning ways to handle our problems in healthy ways, if you can’t solve a problem one way search for another, we are always learning in life’s classroom, animal welfare for the elks during hunting season, how people should always ask before touching someone, and maintaining awareness. One thing that confused me was how the subject matter switched from middle grade to young adult, for example, I’m not really sure that what I would consider middle grade aged children would be thinking about paying for massages before big races. Second, a middle grade child obsessing over winning the race to earn money for journalism school. Also, once Gwendolyn gets to the magic house I couldn’t tell if the other characters were her friends or if they really didn’t like each other because they seemed to be really mean and manipulative. Gwendolyn’s parents also seemed weirdly detached, and behaved as if she was a much older child. Although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would I will still be looking forward to this authors other books and stories.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ashley Hasting

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gwendolyn is a really sweet pre-teen who has an interesting trait. When she sleeps, she becomes the animal she dreams of, then wakes up as a human again. The only problem is that if she is startled awake, she stays as the animal she is. Turns out it happens to her by an alarm, and she is stuck as an elk till she finds a way to get it fixed. She is told of a magician and goes to them for help. She has an adventure doing so and learning things along the way. It’s a cute read for teens.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Cindy Rushin

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute story. Not really a run of the mill paranormal tale. It was a different kind of a shifter story that I really enjoyed. The story had some adventures and I enjoyed going through them. I have read other stories by this author and like how she weaves her stories. I will look forward to reading more from her.

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The Dwarves’ Dilemma (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Dwarves' Dilemma, TheDwarves’ Dilemma, The by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the Dwarve’s Dilemma with my 6 year old daughter and we both loved it. It was a great, unique take on what it is like to be fair to one another. I often enjoy reading this author to my children, especially the stories that have an element for science to them. I love a children’s book that teaches important life lessons as wel. This book has that as well as fun characters and really cool illustrations. Another fun book to add to our bedtime story rotation!

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Amanda Swindle

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do not read many books aimed at teens, but this was such a fun book to read and easy to get into. Gwendolyn is a dream-shifter that changes into the form she is dreaming about, and comes out as an elk, right at elk hunting season. Now she has to learn what it means to be an elk, and try to return to herself, without being hunted. That aside, she is also challenged by time. If she doesn’t find a way to revert to her human form within 3 months, she will remain an elk forever. This is definitely geared towards the middle school chapter book genre, and my kids would easily love this one, but even as an adult it made me smile and appreciate it. I would recommend it to anyone that wants something a little unique.

Reviewed by @zoltrixes

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gwendolyn is not your typical 12-year-old girl. At night when she goes to sleep, she can shift into the shape of any animal that she dreams of. Usually when she wakes up, she is human again. Up until the day there is a fire in her home and a fire alarm wakes her up in the middle of the night. Now Gwendolyn is an elk and is unable to shift back to human form. She is anxious to shift back to human form because she has Journalism camp that she wants to attend. Oh, and there is the problem that it is elk hunting season.

Gwendolyn asks for help from a magician, but he seems to be unable to shift her back. The magician does give her access to his magical library in case there is a book that can help her. Of course, the book she needs has a magical spell on it and she cannot get anywhere near it. Will Gwendolyn shift back to human form before Journalism camp begins? Will she be able to keep safe as an elk from the hunters?

A very cute story geared towards 8–12-year-olds. This book contains magic, drama, and adventure with some twists and turns along the way. Gwendolyn is a remarkable young girl who is smart, funny, and brave despite the odds she is faced with. She knows want she wants and will not be deterred by obstacles that get in her way. A beautiful story about self-discovery and the importance of not giving up.

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Dream-Shifter. Book Review by Jennifer Ramos

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you’re a fan of Lois Wickstrom’s books and the Disney movie, Seeing Red, you will love this selection! Gwendolyn, a middle school student, is a very determined and goal-oriented girl with ambitions of one day being a journalist. Her main priorities right now are finishing her paper on time and a running competition where the prize money will go towards a journalism camp at the university. Then unexpectedly, there is a fire in her home and realizes she needs to escape when she wakes up as an elk. The changing into the elk doesn’t come too much of a surprise as Gwendolyn comes from a family of dream-shifters, humans that can transform into animals while dreaming. The unfortunate part is that now Gwendolyn is stuck in this animal form. She then embarks on a mission to continue her strides to make it to journalism camp and find a way to transform herself back to human form before time runs out.
Being a kids book, there are so many great takeaways from the situation Gwendolyn has been dealt with. Learning to be flexible, sticking to your goals, coming up with new ideas, and seeking others in times of need are all great points to be instilled in kids. Another great thing for kids to enjoy is that fantasy aspect, which is a big trend nowadays. Thinking of this as I’m reading the book is to seek the opportunity of reading this book along with your kid/pre-teen together. This opens up such great discussions and bonding as well.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Mary Espinoza

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not my first read by Lois Wickstrom, I think her books are very entertaining, short reads for children of all ages. This one, Dream-shifter is geared towards the older adolescents, but is without a doubt a great story!
Imagine waking up and you are the animal that you were dreaming of!! Gwendolyn is a dream-shifter, she transforms into any animal when she is asleep but turns back into her human form as long as she isn’t startled awake. Well, one night all of that changes and a fire at Gwendolyn’s home startles her awake and she finds herself stuck waking up as an elk. And despite Gwendolyn’s best efforts, she is stuck as an elk for quite some time, will she ever change back into her human form, or will she forever be stuck wondering around as an elk??
Lois Wickstrom definitely covered suspense, adventure, and great character building!

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Mary Espinoza, November 2022

Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Albert is a turkey and lives on a turkey farm, he knows that he will probably be eaten at thanksgiving like all of the other turkeys there, but he doesn’t want to be, which turkey would?

So when a family start to look at him, he knows what is coming, so he does everything he can to change their minds. While he is thinking of what to do, he sees on a tv in the shop, that the President has pardoned his thanksgiving turkey, can he get this family to do the same for him and let him live in Turkey Pardon Park for the rest of his days?

This is a story which has an interesting premise and is done in a way that is fun and educational all at the same time, a good book for young and old alike.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Super Enemies by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Barbie England

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Super EnemiesSuper Enemies by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mira and Carl are a sister and brother duo that are the main characters in this story. The two usually like to pick opposite sides f every activity. When they read comics, Carl wants to be the hero. Mira, however, likes the villains more. So one day when they go to the beach, they decide to play these roles. Carl builds elaborate sandcastles as each time his sister finds different ways to try to destroy his efforts. At the end of the day they discover something new. I didn’t really see it coming ahead of time. I think children working in any type of group could benefit from reading this book.

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The Dwarves’ Dilemma (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Barbie England

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Dwarves' Dilemma, TheDwarves’ Dilemma, The by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the kingdom of Aleta, the Queen uses a mirror to help her know if he is treating her subjects fairly. When the mirror reveals a situation where the Queen is not the fairest, Snow White come to help. Will the Queen give up the title of the fairest, or make a decision that favors one party over the other? As always Loos Wickstrom has woven some true science facts into the folktale elements of this short children’s book. The illustrations add a colorful background to the story that will aid the reader to have a better visualization of the story.

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Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Barbie England

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Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Albert is a turkey who lives at a farm. There is a family shopping at the farm and they begin to examine him. Albert uses his physical features to display his emotions as he listens to the family discuss his fate. Albert really likes the talk about the President of the U.S. pardoning his turkey. This is a cute little story that uses personification to possibly introduce a new tradition into the Thanksgiving celebration of American families.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Kerry Carr

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great fantasy read for older children. The author does an amazing job of making fantasy feel like it could be reality. This is a heartwarming story of a young girl and her adventures as she navigates her life however things aren’t that straight forward.

Gwendolyn is a dreamshifter. That means at night she shifts into whatever she dreams about. Normally this isn’t a problem she always wakes up the next morning back in her human form. However, this one night she gets startled awake by the fire alarm in her home and gets stuck as an elk. Now she has to figure out a way to get herself back into a human all the while making sure she keeps safe and away from hunters. Can she stay safe in the form she is stuck in? Will she be able to change back or will she be trapped as an elk forever?

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The Dwarves’ Dilemma (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

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Dwarves' Dilemma, TheDwarves’ Dilemma, The by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another really cute children’s book from this wonderful author. I loved how each of her books tackles something different for children and creates talking points for children to discuss different issues. In this books the dwarves have a dilemma and have to think about how to deal with things fairly. This is great for children especially as they often don’t understand this kind of problem.
Again the story was well written and beautifully illustrated.

@katiem
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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jaimie Salmon-Colburn

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have never heard of a dream shifter before. I really loved the idea of it and how the author put it into a book that not only I loved, but I think my ten year old will as well. Gwendolyn is a 12-year dream-shifter. She shifts into the animals that she dreams about. Fun right?! Well each night she prepares for the dreams and normally enjoys them. There is one catch to being a dream shifter though. If you wake up normally on your own you shift back to human. BUT if you get woken up suddenly (like from a fire alarm) you stay shifted! Crazy right?! Lets just say that her parents were shocked the first time it happened. Unfortunately, she learns that if you don’t shift back within a few months you get stuck in the form that you last shifted to!! So, she’s leaping around as an Elk and having fun, when she’s bolted awake from the fire alarm. They forgot to turn off the space heater that they used to make smores indoors. Not only is Gwendolyn stuck as an elk now, but their home burned down. To top off her already horrible night, she learns that it’s almost elk season! Which means she has to find a place to hide! Where do you hide an elk?? She’s stuck as an elk with no knowledge on how to turn back and now she must keep away from hunters! Thankfully she can speak English and she still thinks mostly like a girl. But how do you explain this to people? And who would believe her?! Getting the help from a magician that she’s a little scared of is her last resort, but she must. He gives her access to his magical library which she finds out that her grandmother’s written books are part of! Maybe she can find some answers finally!! He does end up having a book that might help, but for some reason she can’t get near it. Oh odd!! Will Gwendolyn spend the rest of her life as an Elk? Will she get hunted and killed during the season?! Hiding out at the magician’s house, putting on magic shows for kids to pay for room and board is just the start to this fun and interesting book!! I got sucked in and I hope my daughter will as well. I’m excided to share it with her. If you have never heard of a dream-shifter (like me) you are in for a treat!!

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Reviewed by @jaimie0459

The Dwarves’ Dilemma (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Renee Diaz

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Dwarves' Dilemma, TheDwarves’ Dilemma, The by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The queen always tried to be fair. Citizens would come to her when problems would arise. She would resolve the issues. One day both citizens didn’t seem like they were wrong. It happened for the first time. Then the queen found out she wasn’t fair and was the one at fault. She admitted her wrongs and made it right.

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Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Gabrielle

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Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Almost everyone eats turkey on Thanksgiving but Albert the turkey hopes that he is not one of the turkey’s that get eaten. When a family picks him out to buy, he tries to communicate with the family and not be their dinner. As the family tries to figure out what they plan to do with Albert he tries to find a way to get them to understand his wishes. This is an interesting way to introduce some dialogue to children about animal welfare and the different things that people eat. It does not push any agenda, but I would find it hard to explain how the turkey that this family is buying turns into dinner to young readers. That may be going a little deep bit there are children who will ask these kinds of questions. It was nice to see how the story involves the whole family making the decision.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve read a few Lois Wickstrom books with my youngest child and we always love them. Dream Shifter was the first full length novel I’ve read by this author vs the usual younger children stories with illustrations. Dream Shifter was just as imaginative and enjoyable as the books I’ve read before it though! I enjoyed the creative storyline and the characters were fantastic. I actually read this book myself but I feel that my 8 year old would have loved it. I really look forward to reading more from such a creative author.

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Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pardon Me, Please was a great book to read with my daughter (6 yr) as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday. She enjoyed the book and has had me read it more than once to her since. It’s so important as a parent (or at least this parent) to have a well written story that doesn’t take forever to read at bedtime. Pardon Me was fun and to the point with creative tricks to try to get that pardon.

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Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Renee Diaz

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Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A good short quick kid book. Perfect with Thanksgiving around the corner. Pardon the turkey and take the turkey to turkey park. Taking it to the turkey park because the family isn’t going to eat it. I love this author. Looking forward to reading more books from this author.

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Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

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Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pardon me, Please was a cute Thanksgiving book. The illustrations are colorful and cute. I read the book to my 7 year old. He enjoyed it and was happy with the decision the family made. After we read the book, my son wanted to look up if the story was true. I had never heard of the president pardoning turkeys, but it seems it’s been going on for decades. It was a creative way to teach young kids about history and traditions. We read up on the start of the tradition. We both learned something new. Cute book for younger elementary school aged kiddos.

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Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy