• Home
  • Blogs
    • Adults
    • Young Adult
    • Youth
    • Interviews
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosures & Policies
  • Other
    • Book Challenges >
      • Yearly Reading Challenges
      • Bout of Books
      • LDS Fiction Reading Challenges
    • Resources
    • About the Logo
Singing Librarian Books
  • Home
  • Blogs
    • Adults
    • Young Adult
    • Youth
    • Interviews
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosures & Policies
  • Other
    • Book Challenges >
      • Yearly Reading Challenges
      • Bout of Books
      • LDS Fiction Reading Challenges
    • Resources
    • About the Logo
Singing Librarian Books

Youth Blog

The Cracking of Monday Egg (Egg World Allegory #1) by B.T. Higgins -- Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

11/26/2019
Picture
​Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for The Cracking of Monday Egg by B.T. Higgins, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Picture
Title: The Cracking of Monday Egg
Author: B.T. Higgins
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Release Date: November 21, 2019

An Egg World Allegory

The Maker created Monday Egg for a very important reason. Monday just doesn’t understand it yet. Being an egg with arms and legs has its advantages. Monday can run like the wind and climb trees easily, but he is an egg. What happens when he cracks?
​
The Cracking of Monday Egg is the story of a cranky crow, a sick little girl, a kind squirrel, and Monday’s struggle to deal with his own crackability.
PURCHASE LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Christianbook

About the Author

Picture
B.T. Higgins lives in the wild urban jungles of Alaska with his wife and four children. As you might expect, he is an avid fan of long naps and noise-canceling headphones. He has been a garbageman, a propane technician, a teacher, a tutor, a musician and an exotic-bird-cage scrubber, but writing stories is, by far, his favorite job.
CONNECT WITH B.T.:
​Facebook

Review

The Cracking of Monday Egg is a cute and fun story about an Egg Man who must learn how to deal with the “cracking” of his fragile shell and how after it is healed it is stronger.  It is also about discovering friendship, evil, kindness, and sacrifice.  This book on the surface is a delightful children’s story, but the author does a fantastic job of also digging deeper and connecting the story to love and healing of the creator.  There are simple lessons taught within the story that children and adults alike will be able to relate to their own lives.  This is a fabulous book that is both fun and inspiring!
 
Series: Egg World Allegory
Genre: middle grade fiction
Publisher: Emerald House Group, Inc.
Publication date: October 31, 2019
Number of pages: 206
 
A review copy of this book was provided by JustRead Publicity Tours.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card & free collection of short stories by the author!
Picture
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight November 22, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 29, 2019. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Tour Schedule

​Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
5 Comments

250 Fascinating Facts about Latter-day Saints by Rebekah Pitts -- Review

11/12/2019

About the Book

Picture
You know Latter-day Saints don’t have horns, but do you know how that rumor got started?
​

Do you know which country’s population has the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints? And did you know that President Monson didn’t like pizza? No matter how well you know your religion, you’re bound to find some surprising trivia about Latter-day Saints in this fun collection of fascinating facts!
GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author

Picture
Rebekah Pitts has lived on three continents but in only two countries. She finds her greatest joy from raising her 6 children on motherly love, large words, and random tidbits of information. Rebekah grew up studying the encyclopedia, dictionary, and, her personal favorite, the Book of Mormon pronunciation guide. Currently residing in Utah, she can drive to any one of 10 different temples in 1 hour or less. She is an award winning lyricist and the author of 250 Fascinating Facts about LDS Temples and 250 Fascinating Facts about Latter-day Saints (publication March, 2019).
FACEBOOK | WEBSITE

Review

This is such a great book with so many fun and interesting facts about a variety of people and subjects from the Latter-day Saints.  Some of these facts are more well-known and others not so much.  But all these facts are fascinating and interesting.  Although more of a resource for children or teens, this book is a great resource for those that don’t already know a lot about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 
Genre: Christianity, LDS, reference, trivia, nonfiction
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: February 1, 2019
Number of pages: 128
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Valerie’s Review Crew.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.​
0 Comments

The Drummer Boy by Calie Schmidt & illustrated by Alycia Pace -- Review

11/12/2019

About the Book

Picture
Here we have a heartwarming tale of a young, poor shepherd boy, his life in the hills, and his encounter with Mary, Joseph, and the new baby Jesus. Upon meeting the Savior, he decides to give his only possession of any value, but he learns that physical things are not always the best gifts we can give. Walk the hills with the drummer boy and you will find the best gifts are sacrifice, service, and love.
GOODREADS | AMAZON

Review

This is such a sweet story of a young drummer and his encounter with the baby Jesus.  It’s about selflessly giving, serving, and loving, a perfect book for the holiday season.  This is a wonderful book full of fun rhyming and charming and colorful illustrations.  Young readers will enjoy this pleasant book.
 
Genre: children’s, picture book
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: September 10, 2019
Number of pages: 17
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Valerie’s Review Crew.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
0 Comments

Pirates Love Pajamas by Sarah Hadsell & illustrated by Wes Wheeler -- Review

11/12/2019

About the Book

Picture
You know that pirates love to sail the seas, laughing, dancing, and doing anything they please. But here's something you may not know. All pirates love pajamas, yo ho! Told in charming rhyming verse, follow the course of a typical pirate day, from hoisting the sails, to snoring the night away. Who knows? Maybe you'll find pirates are just like you, because they like to be cozy too.
GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author

Picture
Sarah Hadsell was born and raised in Lancaster, CA. Her past adventures include being part of the film crew of an Oscar-nominated documentary, working for the senior editor of a nationally acclaimed magazine, and spending time working in the diamond industry. But of all her professional accomplishments, her full-time career as an elementary teacher has brought her the most joy.

Despite the fact that she's been writing stories since 1993, her profession as an author didn't officially begin until 2013. At that time, she partnered with a company that specialized in audio bedtime stories. During that partnership, she wrote 30 children's stories--many of which were highly publicized by the producer. Her audio stories were featured alongside other bedtime classics such as "Goodnight Moon," "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" and "Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site."

Sarah's debut in the world of traditional publication came in 2019 with her book "Pirates Love Pajamas." She thanks you for being a part of this new adventure!
WEBSITE

Review

This is an absolutely adorable and laugh out loud book.  Young readers are going to love this book about pirates, but not just any pirates.  These are pirates love anything and everything bedtime related, especially pajamas. This charming read has wonderfully fun and brightly colored pictures to enhance the experience as well.  This makes for the perfect bedtime story!
 
Genre: children’s, adventure, picture book
Publisher: Sweetwater Books a division of Cedar Fort
Publication date: September 10, 2019
Number of pages: 32
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Valerie’s Review Crew.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
0 Comments

Olive by Michelle E Wilson & illustrated by Angie Penrose -- Blog Tour Review

11/4/2019
Picture

About the Book

Picture
Meet Olive. She’s optimistic and well-intentioned . . . and a magnet for mishaps. When Olive’s day goes from bad to worse, she wonders if  her family and friends can love her in spite of her flaws.
GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author

Picture
Michelle lives in the Northwest with her family, three indoor dogs, and a totally stuck-up cat. And somehow, they all get along. She writes inspirational nonfiction and women’s fiction. Olive is her first children’s book and the most fun to write. Olive came to life in a poem Michelle wrote for her adoptive daughter as a way to express unconditional love for her. Family, faith, and fun are important to Michelle. She loves watching movies, playing Guitar Hero, and taking long walks to the fridge. You can find her at http://www.michellewilsonwrites.com

About the Illustrator

Picture
Angie is a married mom of three spicy boys. She is an artist at heart, with interests spanning from drawing to painting, crafts, and photography. She runs a successful photography business. Olive is her first illustrated book. She loves watching movies and reading books. She has a collection of crayons her children aren’t allowed to touch and loves everything Disney. Like, a crazy amount of love. You can find her at http://www.angiepenrose.com

Review

Olive is a delightful rhyming and play on words children’s story about feelings and making mistakes.  This charming story is brought to life with the sweet, bright, and beautiful pictures, and the wonderful story of a young sheep and her mishaps.  This story can be used to teach young children about their feelings and how to ask forgiveness when they make mistakes.  This book is an absolute joy to read from cover to cover.  Young children will definitely enjoy this story.
 
Genre: children’s
Publisher: Pink Umbrella Books
Publication date: August 24, 2019
Number of pages: 34
                                                 
A review copy of this book was provided by Pink Umbrella Books.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Tour Schedule

Follow along with the tour schedule HERE.
0 Comments

Smarter Than a Monster: A Survival Guide by Brandon Mull & illustrated by Mike Walton -- Review

10/30/2019
Picture

About the Book

Picture
No monster wants you to read this book. The more you know about monsters, the more you will know how to defeat them.

Little kids have big fears, which they often imagine to be scary creatures, like monsters. But this book helps explain how knowing "Monster Facts" can help kids outwit them.

Want to avoid monsters?

Fact: Monsters love dirt and grime, so when faced with two kids, the monster will choose the dirty one every time.

And if toys and clothes are all over the floor, you may get ambushed by a mess-loving monster.

Survival Tip: Take baths and keep your room clean.

Smarter Than a Monster will arm young readers with practical advice in this innovative and imaginative parenting tool that teaches common sense and positive and healthy habits.
GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author

Picture
Brandon Mull is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his four children and a dog named Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.​
GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

About the Illustrator

Mike Walton has been a professional illustrator for more than twenty years. He earned his B.A. in Illustration from art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. He’s worked in animation, comic books, web comics, trading cards, and all manner of media throughout his career. Smarter Than a Monster is his debut children’s book. He currently resides in Southern California and considers himself a nerd who loves visiting Disneyland attending the San Diego Comic Con.

Review

A fabulous bedtime story, this book is funny and absolutely adorable.  This book encourages children to do day-to-day activities such as brush their teeth, clean their room, take a bath, etc. all while keeping the scary monsters away.  The pictures in this book are marvelous.  They are bright, fun, colorful and entertaining bringing to life this delightful story. Author Brandon Mull and illustrator Mike Walton have created a fabulous book that young children will absolutely love!
 
Genre: children’s, fantasy, picture book
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publication date: October 1, 2019
Number of pages: 32
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Shadow Mountain.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. 
0 Comments

A Candle in the Window Film Review

10/23/2019
Picture

About the Film

Picture
John's family is struggling to face Christmas without his loving wife. However, six-year-old Emily is full of faith. Even though her older sisters try to gently lower her expectations, the young girl truly believes her mother will visit on Christmas Eve. In fact, she is so certain her mother will come that she puts a candle in the window to guide her mother on her journey home. Before she passed away, their mother made sure the most cherished holiday traditions would still be there—beautiful handmade dresses, new patent-leather shoes, and a lovingly crafted doll for little Emily. But on the way to a Christmas Eve celebration, the doll is lost, and Emily is heartbroken. Emily—and her grieving sisters—need their mother more than ever. Inspired by true events, A Candle in the Window is a beautiful reminder that our loved ones never leave us and prayers really do get answered—especially when you have the faith of a child.
AMAZON | DESERET BOOK

The Cast

Picture
Darin Southam 
Isabella, Ava & Sophia Jarque – play the daughters

The film A Candle in the Window is based of a true story written by Michele Ashman Bell.

Review

The faith of a young child is extremely powerful and miracles are just a prayer away.
 
This move is a reminder that some of our family and loved ones may be on the other side of the veil, but they are watching over and protecting us and are closer than we think.
 
This movie is a reminder that the faith of a child is powerful and that our family on the other side of the veil are closer than we realize, always there watching over and protecting us.
 
Genre: holiday, family
 
A review copy of this film was provided by Covenant Communications.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
​

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
2 Comments

The Knight in Battered Armor by Brianna Tibbetts & illustrated by Liz Stockton -- Reviewer Tour

4/29/2019
Picture

About the Book

Picture
Lord Tempesto is a snake in every sense. As a human, he is slimy, deceitful, and manipulative, but when he’s denied what he wants, he transforms into a gigantic, powerful snake. He wants nothing more than to rule the kingdom for himself, and he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Princess Melina dreams of marrying a knight in shining armor so she can rule her father’s kingdom someday. But when monster Lord Tempesto captures her and threatens to destroy her beloved kingdom if she doesn’t marry him, she has no choice but to submit to the hideous monster’s demands.

James, the son of a knight, hears about Princess Melina’s plight and sets out on the long journey to rescue her. But his own skills aren’t enough to win the fight against such a ruthless monster with strong, sinewy arms, and it takes teamwork between the captive and her rescuer to save the kingdom from the monster for good.

The Knight in Battered Armor shows children of all ages the importance of doing what is right no matter what and not being afraid to protect what is most important.
GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author

Picture
Raised on a steady diet of rich fiction, novelist Brianna Tibbetts has been writing exciting, speculative worlds as long as she can remember. Currently based in the Pacific Northwest, she reads voraciously and writes extensively. In everything from short stories to series, Brianna demonstrates her passion for lively stories infused with faith. In addition to writing, her other superpowers include being ginger and yarn crafting. When she isn’t spending time in her own creations, she loves indulging in the fictional worlds of others.  
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

Review

The Knight in Battered Armor by Brianna Tibbetts and illustrated by Liz Stockton is a fun and fairytale-like story that young readers will thoroughly enjoy.  The pictures are simple, but bright and colorful, bringing to life the story of a knight on a quest to save a princess.  This story teaches children about always doing what is right now matter what in an entertaining and fun format.  This is an excellent books for parents to use as a teaching tool too.  Young readers will be sure to enjoy the turn of every page in this delightful story.
 
Genre: children’s, historical, fairytale
Publisher: Redemption Press
Publication date: March 19, 2019
Number of pages: 58
 
A review copy of this book was provided by JustRead Publicity Tours.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. 
0 Comments

Be by L.A. James & If Only by L. A. James -- Spotlight + Giveaway

2/26/2019

About the Book

Picture
A unique, Christian, read aloud book designed to enable parents and grandparents to easily share Biblical wisdom with the children in their lives.

Don't read it once and put it on the shelf. Take the book further. Each purchase comes with the ability to download free resources, which will enable you to impress God's word into the minds and hearts of the children you love.
Amazon

About the Book

Picture
At some point in time, we all have the thought, “if only” float through our mind. In a story format, teach the children you love how to combat these thoughts.

If Only is a unique, Christian, read aloud book designed to enable parents and grandparents to easily share Biblical truth with the children in their lives.

Don't read it once and put it on the shelf. Take the book further. Each purchase comes with the ability to download free resources, which will enable you to impress God's word into the minds and hearts of the children you love.
AMAZOM

About the Author

Picture
L.A. James graduated, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Illinois with a B.A. in English. She has written for diverse businesses and non-profit organizations, published in various print media, and taught English to domestic and foreign students. In the end, she has looped back to what she has always wanted to do - write her own books.

You can visit L.A. James at www.jameswritinganddesign.com

Author Interview

Check out the author interview HERE.
0 Comments

Kelly's Search for Family (The Searchers Series #2) by Bertha Schwartz -- Circulating Blog Tour + Giveaway

1/25/2019
Picture

About the Book

Picture
Title: Kelly's Search for Family (Searchers #2)
Author: Bertha Schwartz
Publisher: Ambassador International
Release Date: December 1, 2018
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction

It's 1880 and Kelly lives alone with her Papa, a lighthouse-keeper in Massachusetts. She longs to know more about her Mama, and Papa has finally promised to tell her the truth on her fourteenth birthday. Before Kelly can learn much though, dangerous men the notorious Blackburn Brothers arrive unannounced and take Papa away. Kelly is left alone and responsible for the lighthouse.
​
Granny, a former slave and family friend, learns of Kelly's plight and decides to help find the answers to her questions. Mysterious letters, snow storms, and violence threaten Kelly's safe haven as new friends help unearth old secrets in Kelly's lighthouse home. How can she bring her papa back? Who is her true family?
PURCHASE LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Ambassador

Books in the Series

Picture
Picture
Picture

About the Author

Bertha Schwartz is a Swiss Amish transplant to the beautiful farmland of Nappanee, Indiana. She loves spending time with family and friends, including fifty-two nieces and nephews. Her hobbies include scrapbooking, sewing, and reading. Raised near the lovely Swiss city of Berne, Indiana, Swiss is her mother-language. Languages and different dialects are a special interest of hers.

Excerpt

​KELLY CRAWLED BACK INTO BED and pulled the covers tightly around her shoulders. She was almost afraid to move, afraid the dan­gerous men would come back and hear her moving around.
 
As lightning lit up the room, Kelly noticed the baby quilt, and she hugged it tightly to herself as the thunder crashed again. It was a fierce storm. As long as Kelly could remember, whenever there was a bad storm, she and Papa would wait it out together in the living room.
 
But now Papa was outside in the storm with those awful men, and Kelly was afraid to leave her bed. She prayed for Papa’s safety. Kelly’s thoughts went back to the evening before. Papa had finally told her about Mama, but now as Kelly hugged the quilt closer to herself, she wished Papa had never told her. Now she felt so alone.
 
Papa had told her repeatedly she would never be alone because she had Jesus by her side. Kelly closed her eyes to pray, but no words came. Only tears.

Giveaway

Picture
1) winner will receive:
  • a set of all 3 books in The Searchers series (US only)
​
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 9, 2019 and lasts through 11:59pm February 4, 2019. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
​Enter the giveaway HERE.

Tour Schedule

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops - and remember to visit the tour each week for more posts.
0 Comments
Previous
Forward

     ​Bringing you your next favorite clean read...

    Need a good book to read?  Check here...  Anything from scifi, historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, romance, adventure...

    How to comment on the blog due to weird theme issues: 
    -Name
    -Email
    -Website
    -Comments
    -Notify me of new comments to this post by email
    Need to search the site?  Use the search engine below...

    Learn more about how I rate the books I read HERE.

    Follow the youth reader blog via email.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    April 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

Follow the blogs via email here:

adult reader blog
teen reader blog
youth reader blog

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner


Author interviews
slb tours landing page
CFSRS

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner


Search the site here:

follow or connect with me on:
​
​AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB