Children's Book Review~Wild About Creation Sticker & Activity Book

Zonderkidz has published a great new sticker and activity book, designed by Judy Langley. The Beginner's Bible Wild About Creation Sticker and Activity Book is 16 pages long and includes over 50 reusable stickers!

Notice how glossy, bright and colorful the cover is?  Well, the entire book is just as colorful. Each page has a different activity, using the classic art and simply written content found in The Beginner's Bible. Among the activities to do inside are tracing, matching, coloring, word search and more.  The stickers can be used throughout the book.

Geared toward 4-8 year olds, I could see younger kids enjoying this activity book too. The picture above is of my grandson Daniel, who is turning four in a few weeks.  He was so excited to dive into Wild About Creation! Covering the basic story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, it gives a good basic introduction to this Bible Story without getting too deep into content. 

I am impressed with The Beginner's Bible Wild About Creation Sticker and Activity Book, and think it would make a great little gift or stocking stuffer at less than $4. You can purchase this book at Zondervan, Amazon, and other retailers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review and Author Giveaway~A Heart's Home

About the Book: Emmie’s hope for a life with Isaac is overshadowed by a tragic loss at Fort Phil Kearny. Isaac Liddle is keen to marry Emmie, and she knows she shouldn’t hide her pregnancy from him any longer. But before she can tell him her secret, a widower friend asks the impossible of Emmie: Will she honor her promise to his dead wife by marrying him to care for the orphaned baby?
With the Sioux Wars threatening outside the fort, Emmie’s solemn vow threatens her happiness from within. Will she honor a promise sure to break her heart—and Isaac’s? Or is there another way to find a home for her heart?

What I Thought: A Heart's Home is Book Six in author Colleen Coble's Journey of the Heart series. This is the last book in the series, and was definitely my favorite one. These books are quick reads at around 100 pages each. I received one book each month to review, so I have spent six months with this series, and feel like I know the characters well. 

In A Heart's Home, Emmie reveals her pregnancy, to Isaac, and he still wants to marry her. She has feelings for him, but does not show them to him. Emmie makes a promise to her friend that she never imagines she would have to fulfill.  Tragedy occurs just as Emmie and Isaac come together, and Emmie is faced with an impossible decision-honor her promise or follow her heart?

I enjoyed A Heart's Home very much, and was sad that the series was over.  I thought Colleen Coble did an excellent job wrapping up all the story lines in the book.  

Learn more about A Heart's Home and purchase your own copy at Thomas Nelson Publishing. 

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

A hidden pregnancy, a promise sure to break hearts, and a tragic loss at Fort Phil Kearny: Don't miss the gripping conclusion in book six, A Heart's Home, of Colleen Coble's A Journey of the Heart series. With the Sioux Wars threatening outside the fort, Emmie’s solemn vow threatens her happiness from within. Will she honor a promise sure to break her heart—and Isaac’s? Or is there another way to find a home for her heart?

Colleen is celebrating the final book release of her A Journey of the Heart series by giving away the entire series and the chance to host Colleen virtually at your book club, local library, or women's group to talk about the series.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• Books 1–6 of A Journey of the Heart series
• A chat with Colleen via Skype or Google Hangout
• A custom book-club kit PDF, featuring Colleen's favorite recipes and group discussion questions

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 31st. Winner will be announced September 1st on Colleen's website.

Book Review~Freedom's Child

About the Book: Freedom Oliver has plenty of secrets.  She lives in a small Oregon town and keeps mostly to herself.  Her few friends and neighbors know she works at the local biker bar; they know she gets arrested for public drunkenness almost every night; they know she’s brash, funny, and fearless. 

What they don’t know is that Freedom Oliver is a fake name.  They don’t know that she was arrested for killing her husband, a cop, twenty years ago.  They don’t know she put her two kids up for adoption.  They don’t know that she’s now in witness protection, regretting ever making a deal with the Feds, and missing her children with a heartache so strong it makes her ill.

Then, she learns that her daughter has gone missing, possibly kidnapped.  Determined to find out what happened, Freedom slips free of her handlers, gets on a motorcycle, and heads for Kentucky, where her daughter was raised.  As she ventures out on her own, no longer protected by the government, her troubled past comes roaring back at her: her husband’s vengeful, sadistic family; her brief, terrifying stint in prison; and the family she chose to adopt her kids who are keeping dangerous secrets.

Written with a ferocious wit and a breakneck pace, Freedom’s Child is a thrilling, emotional portrait of a woman who risks everything to make amends for a past that haunts her still.

What I Thought: Freedom's Child, by Jax Miller, was a fast-paced story, full of twists and turns.  The topics of the religious cult and Witness Protection program were what intrigued me at first.  My heart ached for Freedom, who is dealing with so much from her past, and drowning herself in alcohol. There was more cussing than I care for, and there are some tough subjects to deal with.  Aside from that, I enjoyed the story and felt it held my interest right through to the end.  

I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for  my honest review.

Children's Book Review~Ellie Goes Back to School

About the book:
The Amazing Adventures of Ellie The Elephant – Ellie Goes Back To School by Marci and Elle Fair
ISBN: 9780996363501
Publisher: Pacochel Press
Date of publish: August 2015
Pages: 31
S.R.P.: $8.99

Ellie Goes Back to School is the third book in The Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant by Marci and Elle Fair. In this story, Ellie the Elephant has moved to a new neighborhood and is nervous about her first day of school.  Her friend Pudgy the Penguin has been to the school before, but is still nervous about the first day. They end up having lots of fun, learn new things, and make new friends.

I really adore Ellie Goes Back to School and the other two books in the series.  They have bright, eye-catching illustrations and real-life pictures that catch children's attention. Each book has a situation that children could encounter, and makes them feel more comfortable about it. My grandson is about to go to preschool for the first time, so this book was perfect for us to read together! Daniel loves reading about Ellie and her friends, and it always inspires him to get out his stuffed friends and act out stories with them!

Great job to authors Marci Fair and Ellie Fair (Ellie is only eleven years old!) on a wonderful addition to their series!  Be sure to check out the website at www.EllieAdventures.com

 

About the author:
Marci Fair is a business owner and a mother of four who has worked in real estate for over twenty years. She and her husband own several real estate businesses, some which are ranked in the US.

In addition to her professional career, Marci is the founder of Kares 4 Kids, a nonprofit organization that has served more than 20,000 children in need since 2005. She is also the author of the award-winning book TILT: 7 Solutions to Be a Guilt-Free Working Mom, liberating other women with her hard-won wisdom—“Balance is impossible; memories are better.”

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review~A Simple Prayer by Amy Clipston

About the Book: Linda Zook is a 32-year-old unmarried Amish woman who has convinced herself that she will never marry.  A tragic buggy accident when she was four years old left her an orphan with a leg injury. She had been raised by her Uncle Reuben, who was not kind to her, and now she cares for him. Linda works two jobs-part-time at the Lancaster Grand Hotel, and part-time at Heart of Paradise Bed and Breakfast. Will Linda ever feel worthy enough for love?

The Bed and Breakfast has a new guest-Aaron Ebersol, 32, who left the community at age 15 and has lived in the Englisch world ever since.  Over the years, he had written his family many letters, and received no contact back from his family.  He is in town for the first time in all these years because he heard his mother had a stroke.  He is very apprehensive of seeing his family again and how they will treat him. Will Aaron's family accept him?

My Thoughts: A Simple Prayer, by author Amy Clipston, is the fourth book in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series.  I have read all of the books in the series so far, and enjoyed them all. I feel like they each could be read alone, but the reader would get more enjoyment reading them as a series.

In A Simple Prayer, the life of Linda is just heartbreaking.  She has been through so much, and doesn't seem to give herself much worth.  She is used to the verbal abuse of her uncle, and is resolved to a life caring for him and working. When Aaron shows interest in her, she comes alive.  She is a strong support to Aaron as he deals with seeing his family after all these years.

This book has strong themes of forgiveness, family, and following God's path for your life, even when it doesn't turn out the way you imagine!

*Disclosure: I received this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.

Product Review~Kandle Flex Reading Light by Ozeri

Kindles and other e-readers are very popular these days. I love my Kindle-still love my regular books, but there are definitely great features I appreciate on the Kindle. Late at night, if my husband goes to bed before me, I can't read in bed because the light would wake him up. Ozeri has solved my problem by introducing Kandle (Kindle + Candle).

The Kandle Flex has a new patent pending WideLip (TM) design that attaches to the Kindle (TM), Sony Reader, and other e-readers without blocking the screen at all. It has a fully adjustable flexible neck that you can customize to position the lamp head. It is powered by three surface mounted lifetime LEDs, so light can be distributed evenly without eyestrain or glare. The power button features two different lighting options-soft light or ultra bright. When you order your Kandle, you will also receive an extra set of batteries and a protective pouch.

Above is a picture of the Kandle on my Kindle Fire.  It figs snugly, so I don't worry about it falling off.  It also fits on my Kindle's case. The flexible neck is great-you can bend it in any direction you need. The light is perfect for me to read without disturbing my husband. The two light choices -soft or ultra bright are nice too. When I'm done using the Kandle, I fold it up and keep it in its nice pouch. I have used my Kandle frequently and have had no problems with it.  I think the name is super cute too! 

You can purchase your own Kandle Flex on Amazon.ca . It is exclusively warranted by Ozeri to the original purchaser.

*Disclosure: I received this product free from Ozeri in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.