Sleep Tight Anna Banana Review

Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! by Dominique Roques
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute book that encourages children to read but, not to read late at night. Anna Banana stays up late reading because she cannot put her book down because it is so good. All of her stuffed animals surround her on her bed. They are tired and want Anna to turn her light off, but no she still reads on. Each of her stuffed animals tries to leave to sleep elsewhere but she stops them all. At long last she is tired and turns out the light, but there is a surprise in store for Anna Banana. I'm not going to tell you what it is; you'll have to pick up this book to find out. In the end this book teaches a great lesson and I recommend it to parents, teachers, and children who like a book that teaches lessons through humor.

View all my reviews

Where Courage Calls Review

Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As usual Janette Oke has written a heartfelt novel based on Christian principles. I really enjoyed the story line of the book. I have to admit that I read it hoping to find out what was going to happen on the Hallmark Channel series. Please do not do this, you will be sadly disappointed. The TV series is VERY loosely based on the book. Granted the main characters are the same, Elizabeth (Beth) Thatcher travels to Coal Valley to teach the children of a group of widows whose husbands died in a coal mine collapse. There is a RCMP Mounty named Jack Thornton, but in the book there is a second possible love interest, Edward, the man her mother has always wanted Beth to marry.

Another big difference between the book and the TV series is that the book is more modern, they are driving cars everywhere, and Jack’s trusty steed is an automobile rather than a horse. Beth Travels to Coal Valley by train and then by car, not by stagecoach. With no stagecoach there is no hold-up of the stagecoach, instead a sneaky porter at the train station steels all Beth's items.
The similarities between book and TV show are that Beth is beloved by her students. She has a strong character who puts God first in her choices. She comes from a wealthy family who tries to protect her, while loving her dearly. Beth's sister comes to visit, but she is very disappointed by the lack of amenities, mainly electricity, indoor plumbing or even having an indoor privy.

After I got over the differences between the book and the TV series, I actually kept thinking maybe I had the book the TV series was made after was not Where Courage Calls, but alas it is, I came to like the book. I had to look at them as two different stories. If you go into reading the book without expectations of it being exactly like the Hallmark series then you will love it like I did. I liked that the story brought you back to the Thatcher family and that Beth is following in her Aunt Beth's footsteps in going west to teach students.

I recommend that you read the book if you are a Janette Oke fan like I am you won’t be disappointed.


View all my reviews

Chris P. Bacon My Life so Far is a must read

Chris P. Bacon: My Life So Far... by Chris P. Bacon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I cannot recommend this book enough. I loved that it is about a pig that has special needs. It is okay to have body parts that do not work. I am studying to become a special education teacher and I find this book both endearing and educational. Chris finds his forever home with a veterinarian and many different animal friends. He always tries to be positive and not let his wheels get him down. The best thing about his new life is He "gets to meet people and animals who are different...just like," him. What a great way to encourage children to celebrate their differences and be proud of whom they are. At the end of the story there are actual pictures of Chris P. Bacon with his human and animal family, my favorite part of the book. My recommendation; Read this book!

View all my reviews

Dog Number 1, Dog Number 10 Review

Dog Number 1, Dog Number 10 by Ami Rubinger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute counting and rhyming book that uses dogs and cats to teach numbers. Each of the 10 dogs are introduced with a saying that rhymes with their number. The number in numeral form is taped on each dog to aid in the rhyme. I really like this book because I am an animal lover and the rhymes are really cute. I recommend this book to parents and teachers alike. Even if you are not an animal lover you will enjoy this book as it teaches your child how to count first by ones with dog pictures and then by twos with cat pictures.

View all my reviews

Kobee Manatee Review

Kobee Manatee Heading Home to Florida by Robert Scott Thayer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a cute book but the reading is too hard for the 4-8 year-old age range. If the book is read aloud to the child, then the parent or teacher can explain the concepts and more difficult words. I do not recommend reading this book on an e-reader; you need to be able to show the pictures along with the words which I was unable to do on my e-reader. I read this book to the kindergarten/first grade special education class I work in and they could not follow the story line and the facts at the same time. If I read the story then went back and read the interesting facts they understood them separately. I really liked the interesting facts and think they could be made into a great science lesson for older students. I found the facts informative and fun but for younger students the wording needs simplification. I recommend this book to children who are 7 or older unless it’s read aloud.

View all my reviews

Little Monkey Calms Down, Review

Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I work in a kindergarten and first grade special education classroom and read this book to my students on several occasions. The students enjoyed the book and it helped to calm them down. This book shows that it is Okay to cry but then you calm down. It shows its readers how to breathe deep and allow yourself to relax. On my first read I was not sure if I liked the book but after seeing the children's reactions to the book I am giving it 4 stars. This is a good book for teaching self-calming techniques.

View all my reviews

Don't Call Me Christina Kringle Review

Don't Call Me Christina Kringle by Chris Grabenstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a super cute book. I had never heard of Brownies before and found them enchanting. Who knew that there were little people who it was everything to them to finish someone else’s work. Christina finds Brownies in her grandfather’s shoe shop just when the shop is about to close for good. Where can grandpa come up with the money owed to keep his shop when he can't even fix one pair of shoes properly any longer?
Christina hates Christmas due to her father’s death on Christmas Eve. She is angry that she never got her last present from her father because he was killed before he could present it to her. She hates the colors, decorations and music of the Holiday. Grandpa loves the holiday and is proud at what his son, Christina's father, did for others on Christmas Eve. He would give out toys to the needy, children who would otherwise not receive a gift. Everyone loves him and his good deeds, except Christina, she is angry that it is what kept him from her.
Christina wonders into grandpa's work room one afternoon to find two Brownies working on grandpa's shoe repair orders. She hides them in her backpack and carries them around during the day so no one will find them. At night they repair grandpa’s shoes. Will their work be enough? What if they previous owner finds them, will they leave Christina? What if she makes the biggest mistake of all with a Brownie and gives them the gift of clothing? Will Christina ever love Christmas again? Read this cute story and find out. I highly recommend this book to all age levels those who can read and those who need to be read to.


View all my reviews