Book Review of Berkley, A Nose Tale by David Hillman

 

Berkley is a Basset Hound who has an unusually big nose. His oversized honker often gets him in trouble wherever he goes. He’s fond of garbage cans, skunks and honey – the last causing him a great deal of pain when a hoard of angry bees chases him off. But his favorite of all is sniffing Jeremy’s stinky socks. Berkley’s sniffer finally comes in handy one day when Jeremy’s friend Becky needs an important favor. Berkley saves the day!

This is an adorable story. Somehow, it reminded me slightly of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but maybe that was just me spinning the story in my mind. In any event, Berkley, A Nose Tale works well. It’s cute, funny and teaches children a charming lesson.

The illustrations are fantastic. They’re colorful, expressive and detailed. Combined with the storyline, I’d have to say that this book is definitely worth the download. Kudos to Mr. Hillman. I’ll be recommending this book to friends and family!

5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

#BookReview of #ChildrensBook Mr. Hoopeyloops Meets Rex by Andi Cann

Mr. Hoopeyloops meets Rex, A Very Clumsy Boy by Andi Cann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rex is an accident prone little boy with good intentions. When he hears that Mr. Hoopeyloops needs an assistant, Rex decides he wants the job. Will the arrangement work out for everyone? Read along to find out…

This is a cute story about overcoming adversity, finding confidence and making friends. The illustrations are colorful and attractive. The story is a positive one.

The one thing I’d say is that this book is a little heavy on text, which might make it difficult to hold the attention of younger children. The intended age level, according to the book info, is 1 – 11, which in my opinion is a big age span. I plan to read this to a library group, so I’ll find out if toddlers appreciate the illustrations enough to follow along. However, I feel that older children should enjoy the story and have no trouble with the vocabulary included in the text. I think the book is worth the download.

4 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, https://ebookreviewgal.com

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Truly Magical! James and The Dragon by Theresa Snyder is an Excellent Myth and Magic Middle Grade Book!

James & the Dragon by Theresa Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Farloft is a solitary dragon who lives a quiet life on his mountain top retreat, where he likes to observe the lives of the villagers below. James is a hard-working orphan who does his best to take care of himself. One day, when James nearly drowns, Farloft rescues and then adopts him.

What a charming story this is. James and The Dragon has something for just about every young reader – action, adventure, team building, problem-solving and, best of all, friendship. Laval the Wizard, is perfect in the antagonist role, where he causes plenty of problems for Farloft and James to work through.

For middle grade readers (and adults who enjoy reading this genre) James and The Dragon is a wonderful way to introduce them to a kid-friendly series of myth and magic. The vocabulary is perfect for the intended age group. Book 1 is an excellent start to what I’m sure is a truly magical series!

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton https://diymomblog.blogspot.com

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Bedtime Stories for Kids by Uncle Amon is Another Excellent Book Deal!

Bedtime Stories for Kids: 5 Cute Short Stories to Read Aloud at Bedtime by Uncle Amon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars






Bedtime Stories for Kids is a collection of five terrific tales for kids. Included are:

• Teddy Bear
• Pablo’s Dream Job
• Katie Caterpillar
• Oliver, The Sweet Dreams Owl
• Julie’s New Home

What more can I possibly say about Uncle Amon’s books that I haven’t already said in my previous reviews? I love these books. They’re perfect for beginning readers and enjoyable for toddlers to have read to them.

As usual, Uncle Amon includes a valuable gift inside this book. There’s a link to download the book “3 Books for Children” right at the start of this book. This makes Bedtime Stories for Kids a super value.

Each story is engaging and entertaining. The illustrations at the beginning of each story are cute and colorful. I can’t say enough positive things about Uncle Amon’s book series. Readers can certainly get a lot of entertainment from one download!

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton

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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman DIY Mom's Book Review and Thoughts

Since I’ve recently discovered a fondness for the Harry Potter book series, I’ve made it a goal to search out other fantasy books. I’m not sure I’d call Neil Gaiman a true fantasy author per se, since his books really do seem to run the gamut as far as genre, but his books are definitely… let’s say.. out there. 

I’ve had The Graveyard Book in my Audible library for years. Yes, years, from when I still had an Audible account. I could just never seem to listen to the entire book (or any book) all the way to the end – through no fault of the book at all. I just don’t seem to be able to stay connected when listening to a book. My mind begins to wander and before I know it, I’ve missed several chapters of a book. 

From the little I was able to store in my ADD brain, The Graveyard Book was pretty interesting. So interesting that I decided to go out and purchase it at Half Price Books, only because I couldn’t find it at any of my local libraries. How dare they. So I plunked down 8.99 for a ten year old, less than perfect book because I was that determined to read it. For those interested to know my feelings on Half Price Books, I’m not impressed with their habit of paying consumers pennies on the dollar for their used books, but then selling said books at a premium.

So, back to The Graveyard Book. It’s a story about a baby who narrowly escapes being slaughtered by a mysterious man named Jack. His parents and older sister aren’t so lucky. The baby manages to climb quietly out of his crib and toddle his way to the local graveyard, where Mr. and Mrs. Owens, two of the graveyard's inhabitants, discover him. They decide to “adopt” the boy and name him Nobody, Bod for short. Silas is tasked with Bod’s guardianship because he can come and go from the graveyard, since he’s neither dead nor alive (can you guess what Silas is?). Bod grows up in the graveyard and becomes friends with the dead, is given Freedom of the Cemetery, learns how to Fade, pals around with a witch, and has a brief but unsuccessful stint at school.

Illustrations by Dave McKeon

The Graveyard Book was interesting enough to keep me reading. It’s not long and contains some spooky looking loose sketches that I found fit the book nicely. I had my doubts about the slaughtering-the-family business at the beginning. This is a children’s book after all and I wondered if that might be a bit intense for some youngsters. It certainly isn’t told in a graphic manner and doesn’t go on for too long, but the entire book is fairly dark in subject matter. Just something for parents to be aware of I suppose.

Gaiman gives a nod to Rudyard Kipling at the end of the book and many readers might recognize The Graveyard Book's similarities to Kipling’s Jungle Book. Retellings are always popular and Gaiman has definitely taken the idea and uniquely spun it.

Source: Amazon.com

Gaiman seems to be one of those writers who bounce around when it comes to genres. After reading The Graveyard Book I decided to begin reading American Gods, which is definitely NOT a children’s book. I couldn’t get past the second chapter. I knew early on that the book just wasn’t for me.

I would, however, recommend reading The Graveyard Book and can give it a solid five stars. It’s short and entertaining enough to keep kids and adults interested.

The Dark is Rising Children’s Fantasy Book Series by Susan Cooper - Mixed Feelings and Reviews

Since becoming immersed in the wonderful world of Harry Potter I’ve found myself searching for similar books to read. Someone mentioned Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series on a Harry Potter Goodreads thread so I decided to try them. I found that I had mixed feelings about the series and wanted to share them with readers.

Naturally, I began with Book One, Over Sea, Under Stone, which is the tale of Simon, Jane and Barney Drew, three siblings on holiday in historic Cornwall with their parents and mysterious Great Uncle Merry. The children discover an ancient map they eventually come to believe leads to a long lost grail, which is said to be one of the keys to fighting the powers of the Dark. The children embark on a perilous journey to save humanity from evil.

I had so much trouble getting into this book that I stopped after seventy-five or so pages. It was slow moving and uninteresting to the point that I thought I was done completely with the series. When I posted my disappointment with the book on Instagram, I was told by a fellow Bookstagrammer that she too had had trouble with Book One, but she advised that I not give up on the series. She suggested I begin again with Book Two, The Dark is Rising, which she assured me was far better. I did and she was right.

The Dark is Rising (which I couldn’t quite understand why Book Two is the namesake of the entire series…In my mind this would have been better suited for the title of Book One) centers around young Will Stanton, who on his eleventh birthday becomes aware that he is the last of the Old Ones – immortal protectors of Good against Dark. With the help and guidance of the original Old One, Merriman Lyon, Will must collect all six of the Circle of Signs – Wood, Bronze, Iron, Fire, Water and Stone – which must be joined together to help him fight the powers of the Dark.

Book Two was incredibly entertaining and compelling – far better than Book One and I’m happy that I listened to the advice of my fellow book lover. I enjoyed the characters, plot and non-stop action in this one. The relationship between Will and Merriman was wonderful. I was so encouraged to keep reading that I went on to Book Three.

Book Three, Greenwitch, brings the characters from Book One and Book Two together. It’s much shorter than the first two installments and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Book Two. Here’s the thing with these books, and I’ve noticed this popping up in reviews – adults seem to enjoy this series, but children aren’t nearly as impressed. Susan Cooper began writing the series in the 1960s and the dialogue and subject matter is definitely dated. I wondered if this could be part of the reason today’s children are finding the series slow and boring (as indicated by some of the “kid” reviews I’ve read). I can only speculate on this of course. 

Ultimately, I would definitely recommend reading the second book in the series – The Dark is Rising. It's the book that the movie The Seeker was based upon. I feel this particular book is written in a way that it can stand alone and you don’t necessarily have to read any of the others. But, of course, if you do enjoy this one as much as I did then reading the other books in the series is a definite option.

Have you read this series? What did you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Book Review of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

I was excited at the prospect of seeing the A Wrinkle in Time movie so I decided to read the book beforehand. I’d never read the book as a child so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. 

I grabbed a copy of the book from our local Half Price Books store (which was NOT half price by the way) and began reading immediately. 

Did I think the book was the "beloved children's classic" so many readers claim it is? Let's see...

Brief Synopsis

An oddly dressed stranger blows into the Murry home one "dark and stormy night”. The stranger mentions a “tesseract”, which clearly upsets Mrs. Murry and daughter Meg needs to know what a tesseract is and why it upsets her mother so much. Meg and her five-year-old brother Charles Wallace decide to use the tesseract as a way to find their long lost scientist father. Before leaving, they meet and invite Meg’s schoolmate Calvin and the three embark on an adventure through space and time.

My Review

At about 80 pages in it became clear to me that this book is a total DUD. I have no idea what the author was trying to do here. It ends up being a book that can’t seem to decide what it wants to be.

Before I go further into my reasons for hating this book, I’ll preface things by saying that I LOVE children’s books. I read and review them all the time. I read to children’s groups whenever possible, so I know what works and what doesn’t. But with this one, I couldn’t help thinking…How did this book become a classic? How did it get so many glowing reviews? How has it been made into a movie? Is Oprah really that influential?

The plot is ridiculous and thin. The characters are so poorly developed; I couldn’t care less what happened to them. The book is far too short for the characters to have any real substance or genuine interaction among them. There was just a lot of zipping here and zipping there.

Right from the start the “it was a dark and stormy night” opening line set the tone for the rest of the book for me. The author’s writing is bland, non-descriptive and flat – describing Charles Wallace’s maniacal giggle as being “a giggle that was the most sinister sound Meg had ever heard” is just lazy writing. That means nothing to me as a reader.

The book was written in 1962, but Calvin’s character used terms that were better suited for a 1930s B movie star – addressing Charles Wallace as “old boy” and exclaiming “Golly day…I’ve been in such a swivet” sounds ridiculous. What high school boy (even in 1962) says that?

With regards to Charles Wallace, the idea of a five year old who acted more like an adult than a toddler was, to me, just creepy. And I didn’t find Meg to be the least bit likable or relatable.

This book is supposed to be geared toward 10 – 14 year olds, but I saw far too many words that just would not be understood by many children in this age group. The thinly veiled religious references did not help either – they served absolutely no purpose aside from perhaps injecting the author’s religious views into the book.

A Wrinkle in Time was rejected by 26 publishing houses before finally being accepted. The author herself mentions this fact in her (boring) interview at the end of the book. She also mentions that her mother put her in contact with a publisher friend, who decided to publish the book…finally. Enough said.

1 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Book Review of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It's time for another book review! I've chosen The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. If you haven't yet read it, I'd highly recommend doing so. If you've seen the movie, I urge you to read the book. There's so much more here than was included in the movie. Well worth the read!

Eleven-year-old Liesel Meminger is a foster child who has recently arrived in a small town outside Munich, Germany during WWII. Liesel has been sent to live with Hans and Rosa Huberman, presumably for the small stipend they’ll receive. Liesel is still suffering from the loss of her little brother and the difficult and somewhat mysterious separation from her mother. She takes an immediate like to Hans, who is kind and thoughtful, but takes much longer to warm up to the abrasive Rosa.

Liesel makes friends with next-door neighbor Rudy and establishes herself as a self-proclaimed book thief. Becoming unlikely friends with the Mayor’s wife Ilsa affords Liesel the opportunity to read the books in the Mayor’s massive library. Along the way, Liesel is witness to the atrocities of war, heartbreaking events, love, loss and other life-changing events.

I saw the movie The Book Thief several years ago and loved it. When I decided it was time to read the book I was absolutely captivated. Although the book is 550 pages long, I read it in just two days – it was THAT good.

The book is different in several ways, ways in which I won’t go into in my review. Suffice it to say that I’m glad I saw the movie first and then read the book. I think I might have been disappointed with the movie version if it had happened in opposite order. This just goes to show how well the author has written this important piece of fictionalized history. The time period, location, mood, characters, etc. come to life as the story unfolds.

I was surprised at some of the other reviews, stating that the book was just plain depressing. I’m not at all sure how a book that deals with the systematic extinction of a race of people can be written about in an uplifting, happy way. Yet, the book is so much more than a story about a German girl who is living in Nazi Germany during WWII. There are many lovely, tender elements to be found in The Book Thief. The additional anniversary edition footnotes written by the author (at the end of the book) provide wonderful insight.

I think it’s extremely important that all generations read books like The Book Thief. This is part of history and, as poet and philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it." This is a book that is emotionally draining, but very much worth the read!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Angel on Assignment by Wanda Carter Roush is a Sweet and Encouraging Faith-Based Book for Children!

Angel on Assignment is an award-winning, faith-based children’s book, written by Christian mother and author Wanda Carter Roush. The author shares how the story idea came to her while caring for her youngest daughter, who has severe epilepsy. Wanda’s hope is that this book will “stir an awareness that angels are among us”.

What a sweet and endearing book this is. It’s short – just 21 pages with the “Let’s Make an Angel” section, but it’s packed with positive, encouraging words for children. The illustrations are colorful, expressive and adorable – sure to capture the attention of even very young children.

I loved the message in this book. Angels are sent from Heaven to look after us. They appear several times in the Bible and this book is a wonderful kid-friendly way to explain this. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Book Crash, the publisher and the author for providing a complimentary copy!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

Neil McFarlane Releases Another Hilarious Collection of Children's Bedtime Stories - The Revolting Brains

Children's book author Neil McFarlane has just released a new bedtime stories collection. This one is called "The Revolting Brains" and if it's anything like his other books it'll be hilarious.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Treat your child to another week of Bedtime Stories!

Bite-sized read-aloud bedtime tales for parent and child.

Contents:

1. Pathetic Sick Sniffy Pants
3. The Mango Mouse
2. How to Sledgehammer a Lollipop
4. Turvy Topsy Land
5. The ... Way of the Pizza!
6. The Case of the Missing Woods
7. The Revolting Brains

A follow-up to the highly praised A Month of Bedtime Stories, this collection contains a further seven tales in the series. Each story takes about ten minutes to read and places your child at the centre of each adventure with heavy doses of wacky humour which can be enjoyed by parent and child alike. 

Revolting Brains is available on Amazon.com for just 2.99, so grab your copy now!

Free Kids Book Journal Page to Print and Save

I'm all about getting kids to read. (*See my bookmarks printable here) Here's another FREE printable for you to use to encourage your children to read books and write about them. 

Print this page out, have the kiddos fill in the info and store the sheets in a special binder. Children can use regular store-bought binders, that they've decorated with all sorts of cool craft supplies. What a great activity for the whole family to enjoy!

Instructions:

Click the photo to enlarge in a new window. Save to your computer and then print from there. Super simple! 

*This collage sheet is for your own personal use. Please do not sell or redistribute it in any manner.

The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande by Richard Clark is an Action-Packed Book for Kids!

BOOK REVIEW:

Rudy McCafferty is a fifth-grader who is just trying to get through life and school with as few problems as possible. He tries to stay out of the way of a few local bullies and his mother’s obnoxious boyfriend. To do this, Rudy spends his free time digging in the caves below the new Loma Grande mall. His dream is to become an archaeologist one day like his idol C.J. Drake. Little does Rudy know he’ll soon get the chance to meet the famous Drake AND get a shot at finding an important piece of archaeological treasure.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande. There is so much for middle graders (and adults) to like. The author has captured the voice of a ten-year-old boy extremely well. It’s not a long book, but there’s plenty of action, adventure and suspense to keep kids reading along. Rudy McCafferty’s character is genuinely likable and relatable. I highly recommend this book! 

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY JUST .99 ON AMAZON.COM

How to Write and Publish a Children's Book Using Microsoft PowerPoint - Video Share

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know how much I LOVE children's books and sharing the books I've read. There was a time that publishing children's books was a print-only ordeal. It was super expensive and labor intensive. Not anymore! Anyone can write and publish a children's book with the help of the Kindle Kids' Book Creator. That's how I published all of my children's books.

I've found an AMAZING video that explains the full process from start to finish in a way that I know I never could have done. I knew I had to share the video here with readers. So, if you've been sitting on the fence about writing and publishing your first children's book you can literally do this today. Thanks so much to J. Bruce Jones for sharing his expertise in his fantastic video!

Bear with Bear by Hagit R. Oron is a Uniquely Unconventional Book for Children!

I LOVE unusual and unique books for kids and Bear with Bear certainly fits that category. It's honestly unlike any other children's book I've read before. I knew I had to share it with readers!

DIY MOM BOOK REVIEW

The book blurb describes this as an unconventional children’s book. In the author’s words, "if you are looking for a conventional book you should continue your search, but if you're on a lookout for an original, non-traditional work then take a look inside." Well, I'm glad I took a look inside, because Bear with Bear is certainly unlike any other children's book I've ever read before. 

Bear with Bear begins with a note from the author to the reader, explaining that this is an unusual story about a child who wishes to have an unusual pet. The telling of the story is also unusual – the interactive format allows children to click on images to read the “story behind the story”. The little flags in the lower right hand corners of the pages allow readers to see if certain elements of the story are based on truth. The backstories are also located at the end of the book. What a fun way to present a children’s tale! Readers can also read the book in the conventional way – it’s totally up to the child.

Bear is a curious youngster who enjoys playing with “creepy” things. Bear tries to befriend any number of would-be pets, but his sister Penelope is easily scared and his mother tends to discourage Bear’s pet choices. Bear gets into all sorts of predicaments in his search for the perfect creepy pet.

I loved this book. I found it to be a unique and clever way to present a story to children. The vocabulary is age-appropriate. The illustrations are sweet and colorful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author’s personal stories as well. This is like getting two books for the price of one. Highly recommended!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

The Holocaust Story for Children is an Important One - "Why is Great-Grandma So Sad?" by Susan Heagy is a Five-Star Book for Children

The Holocaust is without a doubt one of the most tragic and heartbreaking events in recent history. Yet, far too many people still don’t fully understand the truly devastating toll it took on Jewish people as a whole. Why is Great-Grandma So Sad? brings the Holocaust to the forefront and makes it personal. Learning about this horrific event and telling others is incredibly important and Susan Heagy has done a wonderful job doing just that.

Ms. Heagy has taken some of the personal accounts of Holocaust survivors to weave an intensely personal and powerful story of Sarah, her mother Rebecca and her beloved Great-Grandma Hannah. Sarah wants to know why Hannah is so sad and Rebecca decides it’s time to tell Sarah the Holocaust story. As gently as possible, and in terms a child will understand, Rebecca describes how Hannah was just seven when Hitler first began his reign of terror. She goes on to explain how Jews were persecuted, mistreated and heartlessly executed. The back of the book is devoted to several Holocaust survivors, their biographies and their stories.

Why is Great-Grandma So Sad? is an excellent story to be told to children and to be read by anyone. It’s a story about understanding and sharing our pasts, no matter how painful. It’s crucial to us all that we never forget this dark period in history. Kudos to Susan Heagy for doing such an excellent job by telling this important story and for doing it so magnificently!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

eBook Review Gal received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via BookCrash in exchange for an honest review.

PURCHASE THIS BOOK ON AMAZON.COM

The Kids' Quest Study Bible by Zondervan is An Excellent Resource for Teaching Children About the Bible

If you're looking for a book that will get kids excited about studying the Bible, the Kids' Quest Study Bible is a valuable resource!

Book Features Include:

• Over 500 questions and answers for kids

• Book introductions help explain what each book of the Bible is about

• A dictionary and subject guide help kids find what they’re looking for

• Fresh, colorful design makes the Bible fun to look at and use

• The complete NIrV translation, the steppingstone to the NIV!

Purchase on Amazon

DIY Mom Book Review:

This is the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) edition of the Bible. The Kids’ Quest Study Bible has been reprinted since 2005. This is a review of the 2016 edition.

When I saw that this book was available to read and review I was excited. I’m all about encouraging children to read, learn and strengthen their faith. There’s tons of information included in addition to your standard Bible passages. Children can browse through 500 answers to questions they might have about biblical scripture.

The answers are detailed explanations, located at the bottom of the page. They never talk down to children, yet are explained in terms that children can easily understand. There are also cute illustrations that go along with each boxed answer. Each answer has a coinciding Bible verse to research further.

The dictionary is thorough and comprehensive, which makes this an excellent resource for children to look up unfamiliar words. The topical index creates a quick way to easily find what you’re looking for.

This would make an excellent gift for children of all ages. The “Presented To” page at the beginning of the book makes it a lovely keepsake. Kids’ Quest Study Bible is definitely a book that children can grow up with. Parents and grandparents can use Kids’ Quest as a family time/bonding tool to read to even the smallest child. Sunday School and VBS teachers can certainly use this for lesson-planning purposes. This should also appeal to older children, who should have no problem reading this on their own.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Wonderful Book To Teach Your Kids The Story of Creation - 7 Days of Awesome: A Creation Tale by Shawn Byous

If you're looking for a fun and engaging way to teach kids about Creation, then "7 Days of Awesome" by Shawn Byous is the perfect book to do just that!

I chose this book because the cover caught my attention. It’s colorful and filled with eye-catching illustrations. I’m sure children will gravitate to “7 Days of Awesome” because of this too.

© 2016 Shawn Byous

This book is a kid-friendly retelling of the Biblical story of Creation. In rhyming prose, the author  cleverly explains how God created the Universe in just six days. The story depicts a redheaded professor-looking character who uses a variety of props to explain Creation to two children – a boy and a girl. He takes them on quite an adventure that includes riding on wild animals, flying in an airplane, floating in a submarine and many other activities .

© 2016 Shawn Byous

The Biblical message is subtle and told in a fun way, which certainly makes this book suitable for Sunday School and VBS lessons. The wording is written on a child’s vocabulary level, but it is not at all oversimplified. Young children should enjoy having this book read to them and older children should enjoy reading it to themselves. The book is a nice picture book size and the glossy pages are excellent for highlighting the illustrations. I highly recommend “7 Days of Awesome” to parents, grandparents, teachers and children of any age!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.