Blog Archives
Forgotten Secrets of the Tuscarora Eye: A Hannah Hallie Hawkins History Mystery
D.L. Bush’s Forgotten Secrets of the Tuscarora Eye is a lively, funny, and engaging middle-grade mystery that mixes family history, friendship, and the awkward business of growing up. Eleven-year-old Hannah Hallie Hawkins has had just about enough of fifth grade. Between an embarrassing classroom presentation, a disappointing grade, and a classmate who seems determined to make her miserable, spring break can’t come soon enough. When a family trip takes Hannah, her two best friends, and her little brother to her late great-aunt’s sprawling Victorian house in North Carolina, she gets considerably more adventure than she bargained for. A mysterious Native American blanket discovered in the attic sets her on a quest to uncover a long-forgotten piece of her family’s history, and soon the girls are caught up in a collection of mysteries involving strange noises, coded messages, hidden spaces, and an intriguing boy who seems to know more than he’s letting on.
Bush has a wonderful feel for the everyday absurdities of childhood, and Hannah’s first-person narration gives the story much of its charm. She’s inquisitive, imaginative, occasionally dramatic, and prone to jumping to conclusions, especially when her feelings get hurt. Her friendships with Chan and Aimee are equally entertaining. Each girl brings her own personality, interests, and talents to their adventures, and their teasing, disagreements, and moments of genuine affection feel familiar and believable. Hannah’s precocious little brother, Davey, adds another layer of humor, while the atmospheric old house, cluttered attic, and surrounding North Carolina woods provide an irresistible setting for a mystery. Bush has a knack for weaving amusing domestic mishaps into moments of real suspense, keeping the story moving while making its characters easy to care about.
The historical mystery gives the novel an especially rewarding dimension. As Hannah follows clues through old family documents, a forgotten diary, and an intriguing piece of Tuscarora heritage, she begins to understand how much of her own story remains to be discovered. Her encounters with Atohi and his grandmother bring another perspective to her search, encouraging her to question family legends and look more closely at the people behind them. Bush makes genealogy feel like detective work, full of surprising connections, tantalizing discoveries, and unanswered questions. At the same time, Hannah’s growing fascination with her ancestors runs alongside her struggles with insecurity, jealousy, and the changing dynamics of friendship. The two journeys come together naturally as she gradually discovers that understanding where she comes from can help her feel more confident about who she’s becoming.
What makes Forgotten Secrets of the Tuscarora Eye particularly appealing is the warmth beneath its mysteries. Hannah’s adventures are filled with the kind of discoveries that can make an ordinary childhood vacation unforgettable, from exploring secret hiding places to spending a night in the woods with her closest friends. There’s plenty of humor, a touch of spookiness, and a satisfying sense of discovery as seemingly unrelated clues begin to fit together. The story also offers young readers an inviting reason to become curious about their own ancestors and the stories waiting to be found in family photographs, old letters, and conversations with relatives. Above all, it’s a celebration of curiosity, resilience, and the friendships that help us find our footing when life begins to change. With humor, heart, and a mystery rooted in generations past, Forgotten Secrets of the Tuscarora Eye reminds us that discovering where we come from can change the way we see ourselves.
Pages: 215 | ASIN : B0GD5WV89N
The Trouble With Hector
The Trouble with Hector, by Bonnie Denmark, is a playful children’s book about a boy who spends his carefully saved $3.98 on a lizard who has already been returned to the pet shop nineteen times. Hector quickly proves to be affectionate, unusual, and a little combustible. When he’s worried, hungry, or sad, his breath heats up until sparks and flames start flying, which turns ordinary moments at home and school into escalating comic disasters. The story moves at a lively pace, and Denmark’s rhyming text gives it the kind of bounce that should work especially well when read aloud.
What gives the story some emotional weight is the boy’s loyalty to Hector. He doesn’t give up on his pet when things get difficult. Instead, he tries meditation and yoga with him, comforts him after he’s sent out of the classroom, sneaks him food, and eventually builds him a cozy treehouse when Hector can’t stay indoors anymore. That relationship keeps the book warm even while the jokes get bigger and smokier. There’s also a nice childlike logic to the whole setup: of course a bargain-bin mystery lizard might breathe fire, and of course the kid who bought him would still think he was worth every cent.
Mina Sešek’s illustrations are a major part of the picture book’s personality. Hector’s bulging eyes, curled tail, purplish-and-green markings, and increasingly sooty face make him expressive even before the text tells us what he’s feeling. The images also carry plenty of visual humor, from the pet-shop sign warning customers to “BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK” to the burned curtain, smoking seesaw, and school-lunch chaos. The soft, hand-drawn look and generous use of pinks, greens, oranges, and muted pastels give the book a friendly visual warmth that keeps Hector’s fire-breathing from ever feeling threatening. I especially like how the later treehouse scenes open up the setting and give the story a cozy, almost storybook-hideaway feeling.
The ending gives Hector’s fiery problem an unexpectedly sweet solution when he meets a girl lizard and immediately settles down. From there, the book closes on an affectionate joke: Hector may be calm now, but he’s still occasionally useful for roasting marshmallows. It’s a charming finish that fits the book’s lighthearted tone and brings the story back to the bond between the boy and his very strange pet. The Trouble with Hector is an energetic and funny picture book with a memorable creature at its center, a warm sense of friendship, and illustrations that give kids plenty to notice beyond the words.
Pages: 32 | ASIN : B0GSSLG3HF
The Little Book of Emmy
The Little Book of Emmy by Ahavia Scheindlin and Lon Levin follows a tiny blind dog from the dusty streets of Celaya to a safe and loving home. Emmy’s journey includes danger, rescue, friendship, grief, and a second chance at companionship. The story covers a surprising amount of emotional ground while keeping its focus on the dogs and the ways they care for one another.
Emmy is an appealing main character because her blindness is presented as part of how she experiences the world. Her nose guides her, her courage keeps her moving, and her gentle confidence eventually helps the energetic Juanito settle into family life. April, the older golden retriever who first helps Emmy navigate her new home, brings tenderness to the middle of the book. Her death introduces loss in clear, simple language and gives families an opening to talk about why saying goodbye to an animal can hurt so much.
Lon Levin’s illustrations give the picture book much of its emotional pull. Warm golds, browns, and creams create a softly painted look, while expressive close-ups make Emmy’s fear, comfort, and sadness easy to read. The scenes in the pound feel shadowy and confined, and the pictures grow brighter as Emmy finds safety and friendship. Juanito’s caramel-colored fur and lively movements also contrast nicely with Emmy’s quieter presence. Several pages use generous white space and small groups of images, which lets young readers pause over important moments.
This is a compassionate rescue story with a strong sense of place and an unusual willingness to explore both love and grief. Dramatic sound effects such as “RUMBLE, CLANG, SCREEEEECH” add energy for reading aloud, while the repeated acts of kindness keep the story grounded. Younger children may appreciate having an adult beside them during the sadder passages. By the final sunset image, Emmy and Juanito’s shared silhouette feels earned, and the book leaves readers with a warm picture of companionship, resilience, and home.
Directive Detectives: The Freedom Trail Directive
Directive Detectives: The Freedom Trail Directive, by G. Savo, is a middle-grade mystery adventure built around a clever idea: four friends discover a forgotten room inside the Boston Public Library and find an unfinished “Directive” left behind by an earlier group of young detectives. Maddy, Evelyn, Darnel, and Jin soon realize the clues point toward real locations along Boston’s Freedom Trail, turning an ordinary Friday into a citywide puzzle. The setup works especially well because the mystery grows out of Maddy’s natural curiosity. She notices buildings, patterns, and details other people pass without a second thought, so the hidden room feels like exactly the kind of discovery she would make. From there, the book quickly establishes its blend of children’s mystery, historical fiction, and educational adventure, with the Directive challenging the kids to see Boston as a connected story.
What gives this historical mystery for kids its personality is the group itself. Each friend approaches problems differently: Maddy notices connections, Evelyn looks for patterns, Darnel understands history through people and their choices, and Jin would rather test an idea than spend forever discussing it. Their teasing feels comfortable and familiar, and those differences become useful as the clues grow more complicated. The mystery takes them through Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House, Old South Meeting House, the Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Copp’s Hill, Bunker Hill, and the USS Constitution. Along the way, historical information usually arrives because the characters need it to solve something. That keeps much of the history attached to a question, a discovery, or one of Darnel’s enthusiastic explanations instead of leaving it disconnected from the adventure. The book’s central idea is spelled out early by the original Directive Detectives: the Directives were created to help students explore places, their history, and the people who shaped them.
The strongest element of the book is the way the puzzle gradually changes shape. At first, the kids think they’re solving a sequence of location clues. As they move through Boston, they realize the real puzzle is about connections between people, places, ideas, communication, and what communities build together. Paul Revere becomes much more than the familiar rider from a history lesson. His work, relationships, metalworking, messaging, and connections to several sites create a thread through the larger story. The original Directive Detectives also become increasingly important as Maddy and her friends encounter traces of their adult lives and discover that their old adventure continued to matter decades later. That gives this middle-grade adventure an unexpectedly warm emotional center. Curiosity may start the story, but friendship, collaboration, and the idea of leaving something worthwhile for the next group are what give it weight.
By the time the four friends return to the Boston Public Library, the ending feels less like the completion of a scavenger hunt and more like the beginning of a bigger way of looking at the world. They’ve learned that history lives in ordinary streets, buildings, decisions, conversations, and people, and that a place becomes more interesting once you start asking why it’s there and who came before you. The final discovery of “Directive 002,” with its wonderfully simple clue pointing toward Salem, also makes this feel like the opening installment of a engaging middle-grade mystery series. The Freedom Trail Directive should appeal especially to young readers who enjoy historical mysteries, puzzle adventures, and educational middle-grade fiction. It’s a book about four curious kids following clues, but underneath that adventure is an inviting message: your own city may be full of stories, and finding them can start simply by paying attention.
Pages: 179 | ASIN : B0H5R87F3W
Lucy Lemondrop Dreams She’s a Mermaid
Lucy Lemondrop Dreams She’s a Mermaid by Shannon D. Christensen is a playful children’s story in verse about a little girl whose dream carries her deep into an underwater world. Lucy imagines herself with a sparkling mermaid tail, swimming freely through the ocean and meeting all kinds of sea life along the way. Her adventure includes turtles, whales, dolphins, jellyfish, seals, an octopus, a manatee, and many other creatures, giving the story a steady sense of discovery. The short rhyming passages make the book easy to read aloud, and Lucy’s cheerful curiosity keeps the mood light and inviting.
Much of the picture book works like a tour through Lucy’s dream, with each new sea creature bringing another small activity or moment of friendship. She plays tag with a sea turtle, listens to stories from oysters and clams, races with dolphins, relaxes near jellyfish, and even ventures into dark caves. There’s a nice childlike logic to the adventure because Lucy accepts every strange or magical encounter as part of the fun. The story also gives young readers plenty of chances to recognize familiar ocean animals while being introduced to others they may not know as well.
Nearly every section of Lucy’s adventure is paired with a bright, full-color image showing her with the animal or setting described on the facing page. Lucy is consistently shown with blonde hair, large green eyes, a green outfit, and a shimmering green mermaid tail, which gives the book a strong visual identity from beginning to end. The underwater scenes use glowing blues and greens, soft light, bubbles, coral, and friendly-looking sea creatures to make Lucy’s dream feel warm and magical. Even scenes involving animals such as a shark, barracuda, or moray eel remain gentle and approachable, which suits the book’s young audience.
The ending brings the story back to Lucy herself in a sweet way. After all of her underwater adventures, she remembers that she’s asleep, wakes on the sand with two legs instead of a tail, and returns to her family. That ending makes the whole book feel like the kind of vivid dream a child might happily tell someone about the next morning. Lucy Lemondrop Dreams She’s a Mermaid is a colorful, imaginative bedtime story built around rhyme, ocean animals, and the pleasure of pretending. It’s especially well suited to children who love mermaids, sea creatures, and stories where imagination can turn an ordinary sleep into a long underwater adventure.
Pages: 80 | ASIN : B0H3NXXHKT
Wild Horse Adoption
Congaree centers around a young wild Mustang as he moves from the open range through the frightening world of capture to a life of trust and adoption. What is the most rewarding aspect of writing a series for young readers?
The most rewarding part of writing the series has been the connection the books have created with both young readers and adult wild horse lovers. From the very beginning, my goal has been wild horse education. I wanted to do more than simply tell Congaree’s story—I wanted each book to open the door to learning more about Mustangs and what it takes to help a formerly wild horse transition into what we call “People’s World.”
I’ve also loved showing readers that every Mustang’s story begins in a very different place. Each Herd Management Area is vastly different, and the characteristics of those landscapes can influence the horses that come from them. That has made it fun to highlight the unique environments in each book while also teaching readers about Mustang adoption, the programs available to new adopters, and the resources that can help make the transition from “Nature’s World” into “People’s World” successful.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful parts has been sharing the books with the people who played such an important role in changing the lives of the horses featured in the series—Congaree, Happy, and Sapphire. Their stories are a reminder that when we take the time to understand these remarkable horses, we can build a bridge between their world and ours.
Why was it important not to rush Congaree’s adjustment to his new life?
It was especially important to me to show that this transition cannot be rushed. When Congaree first arrived, he was dealing with a massive change in environment. He had gone from the world he knew on the range to an entirely new one, and he needed time to process that change before we could expect him to begin building trust.
Part of the work we do at Nature’s View involves what we call a shift from TyranT to AlphA. My partner, Bruce Anderson, is a seasoned trainer and clinician who developed a system of Natural Humanship that applies to both horses and people. His work is built around what he calls the 4 Missing Pieces: building mental tools, understanding and reading your inner positive and negative poles, rewiring your muscle memory, and learning to let a situation tell you what, when, and how to react. The goal is to create a shift in the way you respond to pressure—to find a way of dealing with pressure that is healing rather than harmful. Congaree needed the time and space to allow that shift to begin taking place and to bring himself back to what we call “ground zero” before he was even ready to start building a foundation of trust.
That process took about a month. Once Congaree was ready, Bruce could begin introducing him to this new world. Congaree gradually learned that he was strong enough to handle more and more pressure. Bruce wasn’t simply desensitizing him to different things. Instead, he was giving Congaree the tools to handle whatever might happen, which ultimately made him a stronger and more confident partner.
That lesson was important to include in the book because it applies far beyond Congaree. You can’t rush the process of internal change and healing. Every horse is different, every person is different, and every relationship is different. Trust, confidence and a mindset shift have to be built at the pace the individual needs.
What surprised you most while learning about Mustang management, training, or adoption?
Living on the East Coast gave me a very different perspective on the wild horse adoption process. There are so many horses available, yet getting the right horses into the hands of appropriate adopters isn’t always easy. Instead of treating Mustangs like throwaway horses, available for a mere $25, I think we need to foster the understanding that they are desirable and capable of so much more than many people realize.
Each year, I would wait for shipments of horses to come into our area of South Carolina, only to watch the Mustangs with striking colors or particularly desirable conformation get adopted almost immediately at the adoption events. Because I live so far from the major holding facilities in the West—and even from facilities as far east as Indiana—those annual shipments were really my only opportunity to see and adopt a Mustang in person. What struck me was the disconnect between the enormous number of horses in holding facilities in the western states and the demand from potential adopters on the East Coast. The year that Bruce and I found Congaree, the available horses arriving for the adoption event in Columbia dwindled to three within an hour.
Unfortunately, there is a different side to that story. It really surprised me in the beginning that so many adopted Mustangs end up back in the system or at auction. The challenges of handling a formerly wild horse can overwhelm new adopters. I began to realize that the issue wasn’t simply getting Mustangs into homes—it was making sure adopters had the knowledge, resources, and support they needed to be successful once they got them home.
There can sometimes be a perception within the equestrian community that Mustangs aren’t capable of competing at the same level as other breeds. But with the appropriate foundational training, a Mustang can do many of the same things any other horse can do. I have been really encouraged to see more programs developing to give East Coast adopters access to larger, more versatile Mustangs and to make the adoption process more accessible. Also, having access to programs like ours and experienced Mustang trainers like Bruce in our area can give someone a different perspective on the process and the potential end goals. The more people have the opportunity to meet these horses, understand them, and experience what they are capable of, the more I think perceptions will change. People like Marsha Hartford Sapp, with Dressage Horse of the Year, Cobra, as well as Ann Hanlin and Elisa Wallace, with their numerous successful Mustang event horses, are demonstrating that Mustangs can excel in the English disciplines as well. They aren’t limited to one type of work or one style of riding. Given the right foundation, training, partnership, and opportunity, these horses can surprise you with what they are capable of. I personally experienced a team of Mustangs carry Lisanne Fear and her team across the country on the American Discovery Trail in 2022 during the Mustang Discovery Ride. Having the opportunity to ride her horse Pistachio while filming the documentary 5000 Miles 5000 Mustangs was the catalyst for my own personal Mustang journey.
For me, that’s one of the most exciting parts of Mustang advocacy—helping people see the horse that’s in front of them rather than simply seeing the word Mustang. Once you understand where these horses come from and give them the tools and time they need to succeed, the possibilities are remarkable.
What conversations do you hope families have after reading Congaree together?
I hope that families will use Congaree: The Little Black Mustang from Arapaho Creek and the other books in the Adopted by a Mustang series as an opportunity to start important conversations together. As a child, I remember reading a book about adoption with my own family, and one message stayed with me: my brother and I had been chosen by our parents. That simple idea had a profound impact on my life and shaped the way I understood love, belonging, and family.
As I began telling the stories of adopted Mustangs, I recognized a meaningful parallel between wild horse adoption and the experiences of children in adoptive or foster families. While every story is unique, themes of trust, transition, patience, acceptance, and finding a place to belong are universal.
I hope these books encourage conversations about compassion, understanding, and the many different ways families are formed. I also hope they help children and adults alike see that adjustment takes time, relationships are built through patience and trust, and that being chosen—and choosing to care for one another—can be a powerful thing.
If these stories can help even one family begin a meaningful conversation, create a deeper understanding, or make someone feel seen, then I believe they have made a difference.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
From the Red Desert Complex in Wyoming to a holding facility, the Mustangs from the Arapaho Creek herd were learning a new way of life, but the little black horse would travel even further before he found his forever home.
Congaree: The Little Black Mustang From Arapaho Creek is the first book in the series, Adopted by a Mustang. An Activity Book is also available for this title.
100% of the proceeds from the sale of the books, coloring books and activity pages in the series provide for the care of the Mustangs and rescue horses in the Wellness Through Mustangs® program.
The Science of Positive Psychology
Positives follows three children as they discover how practicing gratitude can transform their outlook, improve their emotions, and help them build meaningful new friendships. What inspired you to create this story for young readers?
Our troubled world. We’re having so many problems, and there’s so much tension and anxiety and people bickering and division going on in our world right now. I saw this, and I found myself very concerned about the next generation. Initially, I felt really hopeless and depressed. I thought, “What can I do?” I can’t change the political landscape, but I’ve been teaching a class on positive psychology for the last 16 years. Surely, I have something to offer. So I chose to write a children’s book that infuses positive psychology into the lives of these young people right at the time that they’re really going to need it. So, on the surface, the book seems to be about helping to improve happiness, but the real driving force behind it is helping them to become more optimistic and resilient.
Another strong motivator for the book is how happiness spreads. The science of positive psychology has proven that when one person becomes happier, it has the same spread as a virus. If you want to look it up, it’s Nicholas Christakis, and he has a book called Connected. So when one person becomes happier, it spreads to a thousand people per person! So if we get these books into even one classroom, it has the potential to help 30,000 people! So I’m hoping at a time in our history when we really, really need it, that this very small little book can help to make a big difference in our troubled world.
Dan begins the story feeling discouraged, while Annie and Zeke help him discover a new perspective. What did you want young readers to understand about changing difficult emotions?
I’ve been a therapist for nearly 20 years now, and I found that some people view difficult emotions like the weather. They believe the best they can do is get out their little umbrella and hope that it passes quickly. By teaching these positive psychology techniques, I’ve helped my students and my clients for years to realize that with a little bit of effort, they can improve their mood. It is incredibly empowering when you realize that there’s something that you can do to help yourself feel better. I felt like it was very important to instill this into our young people. Hopefully they take this skill home and teach it to their families. The next thing you know, happiness and optimism and resiliency are spreading throughout the country.
Annie shares a practice she learned from her grandfather. How did family wisdom and intergenerational connections influence the message of the book?
Well, I have to admit: in my personal family we’re a little short on intergenerational wisdom. So I’ll talk about my adopted family of positive psychology. In my class, Happiness 101, I often refer to Aunt Sonja, Aunt Barbara, and Uncle Dan. These are actually the giants of positive psychology: Sonja Lyubomirsky, Barbara Fredrickson, and Dan Gilbert. And in Positives, when Annie refers to Grandpa Marty, she’s alluding to Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology. There’s a ton of intergenerational wisdom there!
One of the things that I absolutely love about positive psychology is how it is supported by science. In fact, I think the scientific rigor for us to support what we’re saying is even more stringent. We want to prove the positive psychology interventions actually work. So, yeah, there’s tons and tons of research out there. If you want to read some books, I would highly recommend Martin Seligman’s book Flourish and, of course, Sonja Lybomirsky’s book, The How of Happiness, Barbara Frederickson’s Positivity, and Dan Gilbert’s book called Stumbling on Happiness.
What message do you hope young readers take away when they see Dan, Zeke, and Annie work through their feelings together?
My real hope for young readers is that they know they can improve their happiness – and that it is even better when you have other people to help support you. I want them to understand that they do not have to just be subject to whatever mood they are in – that they always have a choice!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Amazon
Positives is a heartwarming children’s book that teaches kids the proven “Three Good Things” exercise from positive psychology. Through a fun and relatable story, children learn how noticing good things in their lives can lift their mood, build resilience, and strengthen friendships.
Follow Dan, Zeke, and Annie—three kids who each struggle with their own challenges—as they discover the power of sharing “positives” together. With the help of Annie’s imaginary emotional support cat, Mr. Face, they learn that even small moments of gratitude can make a big difference.
This engaging story is based on the science of Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, and is designed to help children:
Feel happier and more hopeful
Build emotional resilience
Strengthen social connections
Practice gratitude in a fun, simple way
Positives is perfect for bedtime reading, classroom activities, or starting a new family tradition.
Give your child the tools to feel happier—one positive at a time.
Izzy Can’t Talk But He Can Make Friends
Izzy Can’t Talk But He Can Make Friends! is a warm children’s book about autism, friendship, and communication. The story follows Izzy, a nonspeaking autistic boy who feels nervous around his new neighbor, Jimmy. As the boys spend time together, Izzy learns that friendship can grow through shared interests, laughter, patience, and simply enjoying another person’s company. The book presents Izzy’s speech device, service dog, safe space, routines, and stimming as natural parts of his everyday life.
The story works especially well as a social-emotional learning book for children because the friendship develops through believable little moments. Jimmy accidentally sits in Izzy’s special spot, visits his treehouse, watches Izzy’s favorite cartoon, and discovers that they both love chicken nuggets. Aunt Bee helps Jimmy understand Izzy without speaking for every feeling he has, while Jimmy shows a willingness to listen, apologize, and adjust. That gives young readers a practical picture of empathy and inclusive friendship.
The bright cartoon illustrations make this inclusive children’s book lively and easy to follow. Izzy’s emotions are shown clearly through his face, body language, and changes in color and lighting, including a striking scene where he appears frozen inside a blue block when meeting Jimmy. The pictures also add playful details, such as superhero costumes, toy dinosaurs, Uncle Gus getting stuck in the treehouse window, and Lucky the service dog joining the action. These visual touches keep the book energetic while helping children understand experiences that Izzy doesn’t express through spoken words.
As an autism awareness picture book and friendship story for kids, the book has a clear, encouraging message: communication can take many forms, and connection doesn’t depend on speech. Its straightforward explanations make it useful for families, classrooms, and conversations about neurodiversity, while the humor and familiar childhood activities keep the story approachable. Izzy and Jimmy’s friendship feels satisfying because it grows from curiosity, shared joy, and time spent together.
Pages: 34 | ISBN : 978-1962636087
