Blog Archives
Faith’s Freckles: A Book to Build Self-Esteem
Faith is a young girl that has freckles, fifty-five to be exact; she has counted them all. Faith hates having freckles, no one else in her school has freckles like her, and she is constantly being teased by the other girls. They tell her that she has dirt on her face and laugh. One girl, McKenzie, however, thinks Faith’s freckles are beautiful. Through McKenzie’s kindness, Faith learns to accept that her freckles are part of who she is and learns to love that part of herself.
Faith’s Freckles by authors Shermaine Perry-Knights and Baylei Hinds-Perry is an empowering picture book for children that are self-conscious about their unique looks. In this story, Faith has freckles that no one else in her school seams to have, but the message applies to all physical differences that children are often picked on about. This story shows how much it hurts children when they are teased, emphasizing that comments about others’ looks are not funny or a game.
McKenzie stands out as an example of true friendship and how children can be friends with those they see struggling. She offers positive support and listens to what her friend says rather than brushing off her feelings or invalidating them. Teaching children how to be good friends to those that are hurting is a life skill they can carry with them.
This children’s book teaches the messages of self-love and self-acceptance. Aimed at young elementary students, this is a critical time in their lives to learn self-esteem. That makes this book ideal for classrooms and libraries. It would be a wonderful gift for a child with freckles who is afraid of being teased and made fun of. It is a heartwarming picture book that teaches children social and emotional awareness and acceptance for those that look different from themselves.
Pages: 15 | ASIN : B0B9FQP4LB
The Owl and the Shepherd Boy
The Owl and the Shepherd Boy by Tuula Pere follows young Nicky, a shepherd boy who is tasked with managing the cottage and goats for one week while his father goes back down the mountain to the valley where the family lives. Unfortunately, a large storm comes thundering through, destroying the cottage and scaring his goats away. Now Nicky is left with nothing but a torn blanket and must find his way down the mountains back home.
This story teaches children the importance of responsibility and ownership of one’s life. Nicky is now of age to where he must help the family with shepherding duties, and with that comes the responsibility for the goats’ overall well-being and being able to live on one’s own even when fear is present. The author shows this with Nicky’s problem-solving and survival skills. Of course, accepting a little help from a friendly owl would aid in the journey down the mountain but allowing to be helped is also another life lesson that is taught in this story.
I enjoyed the illustrations by Catty Flores immensely. I felt the artwork was vivid and colorful, even in the parts that were dark and stormy. Nicky was venturing down the mountain, the wind was blowing his hair, and the tattered blanket came to life through the well-crafted art. The author and the illustrator had great vision when bringing this story to life.
The Owl and the Shepherd Boy is a heartwarming picture book that teaches children the value of accepting help when offered and learning to trust. It also teaches kids that it is okay to be afraid of things like the dark and that you can overcome your fears. This inspirational story is a great starting point for families and teachers when discussing concerns and what to do in a natural disaster.
Pages: 16 | ASIN : B07HYLRWN2
Saved From the Flames
Young Sunita and her family have lost all their possessions in a house fire. As well as lost their beloved dog Taro. The story opens with Sunita living with relatives nearby, where her family home has burned down while the parents and neighbors rebuild. This story spans over a few weeks as the rebuilding is happening and follows Sunita through her depression and struggle over this traumatic event. Can things be rebuilt when things seem hopeless?
Saved from the Flames by Tuula Pere is a story with a profound message of rebuilding not only from physical tragedies or traumas but also internally, emotionally, and mentally. After the fire, Sunita is clearly being affected internally by what was lost. The home wasn’t filled with gems or jewels but was a modest home filled with things that held priceless meaning to herself and her family. Add on top of that, her parents argue and blame one another instead of comforting each other and caring emotionally for Sunita. Leaving her feeling detached, abandoned, and isolated.
What the author does well in this children’s book is properly convey to young readers in a simplistic way a rather deep and sometimes emotionally overwhelming real-life trauma. I love that the author knew how to incorporate the sense of community with the neighbors helping rebuild their home by donating their time and supplies. Also, the importance of family and being there for one another through the good and especially the bad times. The author also made an amazing choice by bringing in help from teachers and doctors because sometimes those people can be intimidating to children or someone they wouldn’t even think to ask for help from. I feel the author has a great sense of what it takes to heal inside after trauma, as well as the kind of outside help that is needed as well.
Pages: 16 | ASIN : B07HYW4C3S
Heart of the Forest: Book 1 of the Cousin Friendship Series
Twelve-year-old Ilyria wants nothing more than to write an incredible fantasy novel…and outdo her perfect cousin Jerry. However, when Thanksgiving Day arrives, Ilyria finds herself sandwiched between her disapproving parents, her doting aunt, uncle, and the insufferable Jerry. Things are only made worse when both sets of parents insist the cousins should spend time together. So, heading out into the dark forest, the two teenagers soon find themselves at the beginning of a wondrous adventure, with only each other to rely on. Facing deadly obstacles and dangerous pathways in search of the mysterious force that called them forward, Jerry and Ilyria must learn more about each other and about themselves if they have any hope of survival.
Taking place partly in our world and partly in a magical realm, Heart of the Forest: Book 1 of the Cousin Friendship Series by Hermione Lee is a thrilling journey of discovery. While facing numerous threats and encountering endless wonders, Ilyria and Jerry must learn to overcome their prejudices in order to genuinely understand one another. I liked that this story is about cousins, which is relatively rare in the field. I loved that I never knew what was going to be around the next corner, and the nonstop action kept the pages turning. I was as angry as Ilyria at the parents in the story, finding them to be the most irritating family members I have encountered in literature outside of a Charles Dickens novel. However, I loved the interwoven nature of the story, where I felt that I was not only experiencing the adventures of Ilyria and Jerry but something of the author’s personal journey.
One way that the author helps readers to develop empathy and an emotional connection to their main characters is through their struggles. The teenagers encounter numerous enemies, perform multiple physically demanding escapes, and practically hike across half a continent, only stopping to eat and sleep once in the entire adventure. By the end of their journey, they have been so exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated. Recognizing this plight gives the characters an additional level of respect for their endurance.
Heart of the Forest: Book 1 of the Cousin Friendship Series is an excellent middle-grade fantasy novel, perfect for ages 10 and up. This story is about magic and wonder, overcoming prejudice, and finding the courage to let friendship enter a broken heart. It is a beautiful beginning to an up-and-coming fantasy novel series.
Pages: 210 | ASIN : B0B6L2ZX3N
Rooty the Rutabaga: A Story About Vegetables, Inclusion and Seeing the Sunny Side of Life
Rooty the rutabaga is all alone. He sits in a dark patch of the garden, away from all the other vegetables. Rooty has no friends and has never ventured out of his garden corner to discover what is making all the noise he hears on the other side of the plants. Then, one day two peppers are playing and accidentally throw their nut over into Rooty’s corner of the garden. While looking for their nut, they meet Rooty, who is initially rude and unfriendly. Not to be dissuaded, the peppers lead Rooty out into the sun and introduce him to all the rest of the vegetables. Soon he is making friends and learning how to play for the first time ever.
Children’s author Steven Megson has created an entertaining picture book with illustrator Andy Yura to teach kids about inclusion. Kids usually hear about the more common vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes, which are all friends and grow in the bright sun. However, rutabaga is a vegetable that many kids have never heard of. It has a strange name and looks really different. Megson uses this to teach children that even thorough someone is other, they are still part of the community.
The moment that stood out for me was when Rooty was rude to the peppers; they thought about leaving him alone and returning to their friends. Instead, they saw Rooty was lonely and afraid. So they took his hands and led him to meet the rest of their community. It was more than just being kind; it was seeing someone that needed help and taking a chance on them. This is a motivating story to help children learn to identify others needing help and show them ways that, even as children, they can make a difference in their world.
Rooty the Rutabaga: A Story About Vegetables, Inclusion and Seeing the Sunny Side of Life is a heartwarming picture book that children and adults can appreciate and learn from. This is an excellent children’s book for school classrooms and libraries to teach about multicultural groups and the value of kindness.
Pages: 30 | ASIN : B09RG9YW6X
1 2 3 Count with Me on Granddad’s Farm
Children’s author Valerie D. Johnson has written an engaging counting book titled 1 2 3 Count with Me on Granddad’s Farm. This heartwarming story about a family visiting the family farm is told through counting different things on the farm, starting with one farmhouse sitting on a hill. Then, as the family counts to ten, readers follow along and learn about life on a farm.
This excellent picture book has a lot to offer young readers. The first thing that stood out to me is the different levels of text, giving children of different ages the ability to read and grasp what is going on in the story. Each number is displayed in numerical form as well as spelled out. Next is a simple sentence that beginning readers can follow. After that is a longer explanation of what is happening in the story. This fantastic book can be read at all levels and still make sense. It is easy to follow the numbers and the illustrations done by Cee Biscoe read along without having to read each of the descriptive paragraphs. One example is on the page for number 6. “Six horses work on the farm. Can you find all six? count with me!” This is enough for children to understand the number and count along, but there is more information about horses, what they like to eat, and how to care for them. This layout allows the book to have greater educational use and keeps it interesting for a broader range of children.
1 2 3 Count with Me on Granddad’s Farm will encourage children to read and learn to count while learning about life on a farm creatively and actively. Counting along with the storyteller makes this an active reading children’s book rather than one they would just sit and listen to. At the end of this book, there are notes and discussion starters, as well as a dice counting page. These extra resources are invaluable to teachers and home educators to help turn this into a complete learning unit. This would make an excellent addition to a home or classroom library.
Pages: 32 | ASIN : B0B498WYW2
Dancing Deepa
Deepa is a fourth grader who loves to dance. One day the school announces there will be a talent show for anyone that wants to participate. Deepa is afraid that her style of dancing will not be received well and is afraid to show it because it is not like ballet or tap dancing. Deepa’s dance style is from India and is called Bharatanatyam. She is afraid that because she is different, people will not understand or make fun of her. So out of fear, she does not try out. On the day of the talent show, she is amazed by all the different things her classmates can do, and she regrets not sharing her style of dance with them. Her teacher realizes something is wrong, and together, they come up with a plan to share the beautiful dancing style of Bharatanatyam with the class.
Dancing Deepa, by author Suchi Sairam and illustrated by Vidya Vasudevan, is an educational and captivating picture book that is perfect for young children. Parents and teachers will love how different vocabulary words are explained and highlighted in the text. It is a motivational story about overcoming your fears of being different and sharing your culture.
This wonderful children’s book would be perfect for multicultural lessons in school and for lessons on different kinds of dance. The children in this well-written book all show acceptance and excitement when learning about Deepa’s dance style and culture. Dancing Deepa is a charming kids book that shows young readers how important it is to share their passion and culture with others.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0B2VC1GVP
My Mom has Superpowers
Lillian is a young girl that has a big secret; her Mom is a superhero. Or at least that is what she thinks. Her Mom seems to help her ace her test and help a neighbor find his lost dog without even leaving the house, and a patient at the hospital where she works gets well enough to go home! Lillian thinks this is some supernatural ability, but her Mom confides in her about her superpower. Lillian’s Mom prays. The power of prayer is what brings about the amazing things that happen around her.
My Mom has Superpowers by author Vera Harris is an inspirational picture book for kids and families to recognize the fantastic power prayer can have when people believe. This children’s book explains in simple terms that kids will be able to understand that prayer plays a vital role in self-confidence and helping those in need. It also highlights the need to serve others; Lillian’s Mom does not pray for things for herself; instead, she prays to help the people around her, which, in turn, brings her joy. Lillian’s Mom shows a true servant’s heart that Christian readers will recognize and appreciate.
This heartwarming story is illustrated by Ishika Sharma, the artwork is bright and engaging, and children will love following along page by page. Each illustration has depth and details that bring them to life, especially the praying hands; you can just envision the angels in the clouds receiving the prayers from below.
An additional resource at the end of this book is the included pages to write your own prayers on. This is the only thing I did not love about the book. Not all children that read this will have a mom, dad, or siblings, and having pages dedicated to those titles may be off-putting to some kids. Nevertheless, I love the idea of having a place to write your prayers; I just wish it had been generic.
My Mom has Superpowers is a beautifully written story about learning to pray and passing that superpower on to the next generation. This would make an excellent book for families and religious education classrooms to have to show the power of prayer in a way that kids can understand and appreciate.
Pages: 40 | ASIN : B0B5BD1WCJ
LITERARY TITAN 