From its exquisite watercolor illustrations by Natalia Peña, awash with sprightly surroundings, and its sublime prose, this short gem undulates, shifting between an intelligent plot and unique lessons. Zoe, the main character, is a charming and spirited young girl that the author uses to depict every other child's eye-view of things and the emotional turmoil they experience upon failing all too many times. The presence of her parents, who encourage her and cheer her on, serves to show that children need emotional support as they try out new things and achieve their dreams.
The Stonehart family embarks on a trip to Nova Scotia during the winter break. Beyond the excitement of visiting, they learn some sobering facts about Nova Scotia's history. The Harbour Explosion was a formidable beast, killing thousands and injuring even more. Further, an unshakable sadness felt by little Tori sends her and Ronni back to the explosion scene, where they must help a helpless stranger.
Woznicki certainly has her finger on the pulse of sweet, sentimental stories that carry a positive message about making a difference in the lives of others. Marty takes a chance, and changes things, maybe forever, for Lenny. Instead of reacting to Lenny the way everyone else does, Marty takes it upon himself to take a different tact, and it creates a friendship that may never have existed if this little monkey hadn't taken a chance.
This kickoff to an exciting new series promises to be full of adventure, following the Stonehart kids as they travel to exciting events in time, using their knowledge, what’s packed in their backpacks, and each other’s skill sets to solve any challenges they face along the way. The sibling rivalry, comradery, and teamwork lend to a perfect family read.
“Bop-It and No More Covid” by Jessica J. Wohlgemuth allows a much easier path to educating kids about this pandemic, and does it in a spirited, hopeful, lovely way with the addition of brilliant pictures that kids will be entertained by.
“If My Oak Tree Could Speak” by Rachel Greening is a story that is so fun! I liked how it made me think! The story is all about looking at things differently. How would an Oak Tree sound if it could talk? When my mom read it, she had different voices, and I loved listening to how she thought each one sounded. Then I started looking at what would happen if other things could talk.
"Silent Sally Speaks" addresses Selective Mutism, a severe anxiety disorder that literally renders a person unable to speak. The book describes the journey of Sally, a girl around six-year-old, as she begins to overcome the anxiety that is causing her communication challenges.