A fun, thought-provoking 365-question guided journal and keepsake that sparks daily interaction with your child to create a memory book capturing your child's life, personality, and faith journey.

This interactive prompted journal allows a parent to create a keepsake of three years of their child's life. By answering each of the 365 questions together on the same date each year, readers will get a unique and precious picture into their child's feelings, development, and personality. Some of the questions focus on spirituality and the child's heart, while some are meant to capture their creativity, spirit, and sense of humor. All questions spark conversations and memories that span well beyond the pages of this book. ​

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The Daily Question for You and Your Child is a great spiritual journal that will strengthen the bond between parent and child. This three year journal is set up so that for each day of the year a parent or guardian can record a child’s response to the given question and then repeat and compare over the next two years.  It’s a fun way to see a child grow and develop over a three year period. The journal’s simple, but excellent questions are ones that both children and a parent or guardian will enjoy discussing and recording.  This is a fun and simplified way of journaling for children.
 
Genre: parenting, diary, journal, children’s, nonfiction
Publisher: Waterbrook
Publication date: August 28, 2018
Number of pages: 384
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Waterbrook Creatives Launch Team.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. 

Series: Sophie Washington
Genre:  Children’s, Fiction
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: June 2018
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Sixth grader Sophie Washington, her family and friends are in for an adventure-filled week of boa constrictors, monkeys and mayhem after they sign up to take part in a church mission trip to Costa Rica.

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Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s books series, geared toward readers ages 8 to 12, and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She has received awards for literary excellence and worked as a journalist and freelance magazine writer.

The Sophie Washington book series recounts the adventures of a precocious African American preteen from Houston, TX and her diverse group of friends. Each funny and heartwarming story teaches lessons about friendship, responsibility, truthfulness and perseverance. Books in the series include Queen of the Bee, The Snitch, Things You Didn’t Know About Sophie, The Gamer, Hurricane, and Mission Costa Rica.

Tonya lives in Houston, TX. When she’s not writing, the author enjoys reading, biking, swimming, travel and spending time with her husband and three children.

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​Chapter 1
​
Welcome to the Jungle

The sky is sunglasses-required bright. It is hotter than a coal-fired pizza oven. Sweat drips into my eyebrows, and my t-shirt sticks to my back like gum to the underside of a desk. Ignoring the baking temperature, Carlos, our guide, is the one of the cheeriest people I’ve ever met. It’s like a smile is tattooed on his mouth as we bump along the narrow, winding road at about ten miles per hour.
“Ev-er-y-body, stop!”
Carlos abruptly puts on the brakes and yells, still grinning, to get our attention. My dad jerks our golf cart to a halt right behind him.
It’s Day One of our trip to Costa Rica, and Dad, Mom, my little brother Cole and my friends Chloe, Valentina, and I are taking a tour of the golf course near our hotel.
Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!
The exotic sounds of howler monkeys and sights of red, yellow and blue parrots, lime green iguanas, and tropical plants mingle with the common golfing fairways and tees.
“Whoa! Check that out over there!” Cole points out a thick, gray and forest green-colored hose sliding on the turf.
“What do we have here?” asks Carlos.
“Get back, kids!” Mom exclaims. “It’s a snake!”

A five-foot-long serpent glides near Carlos’ feet, and instead of moving away our crazy guide eases toward the creature.
I freeze. Everyone else steps back.
“Not to worry, the snake is not poisonous,” Carlos reassures us. “It’s a boa constrictor.” Then he reaches down to pick it up and wraps the snake around his neck as we all stare with our mouths agape.
Smack!
Mosquitoes buzz toward my open lips and I whack at my mouth to stop them. I can’t keep my eyes off the serpent. And it looks like he’s checking me out too.
“Would you like to pet it, young lady?” Carlos inquires. “We see this snake on the path nearly every day; he won’t hurt you.”
“A boa constrictor’s bite won’t hurt you, but it can squeeze you to death,” warns my father, holding his arms out to keep me from getting too close.
“I bet Sophie is part Slytherin, just like Harry Potter,” says Cole, comparing me to the snake-loving members of the club from the Harry Potter book series while he observes the snake and me watch each other.
“Be quiet, Cole, and all you children stay back,” scolds my mother.
I blink and the spell the snake cast on me is broken. I am able to move again.
“I can’t believe we’re this close to a boa constrictor,” Valentina says as she snaps a picture of the snake-clad Carlos with her cell phone. “No one will believe this is real.”
“Yeah, looking at that creepy thing makes my skin crawl.” Chloe smooths a black curl off her forehead and peers to get a better look. “Take one of me standing with the snake in the background, Valentina,” she asks, striking a pose.
I roll my eyes. Leave it to my two friends to be snapping selfies when we might be in danger. Though we are all on the cheerleading squad, Chloe Thompson and Valentina Martinez would probably be considered the most “high maintenance” in our group. Both love to shop and spend lots of time talking about hair and makeup. They are both very pretty too. Chloe is tall and thin with dark curls and caramel skin, and Valentina, who was born in Mexico, has long black hair and can do back flips across the school gym.
Chloe and I have been best friends since we were small. We’ve been in most classes together at Xavier Academy, the private school we attend, until last year when she was placed in some special classes because she has dyslexia. The learning disorder makes her see letters backward so Chloe needs more time to do her reading assignments than other people. Some kids used to make fun of her about it until they found out that Chloe has a temper, and since she’s one of the tallest girls in our grade you don’t want to mess with her.
I used to think Valentina was just a bubblehead until she and her family had to leave their home during a hurricane earlier this year. They camped out with us in my father’s dental office for a few days because parts of our neighborhood were flooding and we couldn’t stay in our house either. During our time in the office, Valentina and I became friends and she convinced me to try out for the cheerleading team.
“Can I see the pictures?” Cole bumps me out of the way and shoves in closer. “I left my camera at the hotel.”
“Ouch!” I stumble back off the path and into a huge pile of fire ants.
At least fifty angry bugs crawl up my leg and start biting.
“Aaaaah!” I shriek.
Mom rushes over and swats the ants off with her sun hat.
“Everybody back on the golf carts!” she commands.
“Is your daughter okay?” A lady from one of the two other carts touring with us walks over to offer help.
“Yes, thankfully, she’s not allergic to fire ant venom,” Mom answers. “It looks like she’ll have to suffer through pain from a bite or two the next couple of days.”
“A bite or two? There must be at least twenty bumps on my leg!” I exclaim. “And it’s all your fault, Cole!”

1. Tonya Duncan Ellis took a family vacation to Costa Rica in 2012.
2. On her first day in the country the author stepped in a fire ant pile and had an allergic reaction.
3. Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica was originally planned to be the third book in the Sophie Washington series, but the author kept getting inspired to write about other topics and it became book number six.
4. The many animals mentioned in Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica are no exaggeration. The country hosts more than five percent of the world’s biodiversity, though it’s landmass takes up only .03 percent of the planet.

5. Most of Sophie Washington: Mission Costa: Rica was written from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. during a three-month time span.
6. Tonya Duncan Ellis still fondly remembers the delicious meat, rice, bean, and salad dishes she ate while in Costa Rica.
7. Howler monkeys are the loudest animals in the world, and their calls can be heard as far as three miles away.

​Enter the giveaway HERE.
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July 9-cherylbbookblog
July 10-
July 11-Paulette’s Papers
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July 14-A Baker’s Perspective
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July 19-Locks, Hooks and Books
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As engaging as a tail wag

Celebrating the simple things in life as seen through the eyes of our old time favourite furry friends, “As Good as Gold” is a volume of poetry revealing the talent and humour we always knew our dogs possessed.

Dogs are full of questions, yet they are famed sellers of innocence especially when it comes to explaining their mishaps and often foolish effervescence through ponderings such as “Why IS a Cat Not Like a Dog”, “As Brown as Chocolate”, “Silver Stars and Puppy Tail” or, best yet, “Dog or Book?”
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A book with an enormous heart for readers of all ages, it includes 35 poems and haiku accompanied by expressive portraits of our canine friends.

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Patricia Furstenberg came to writing through reading. She always carries a notebook and a pen, although at times she jots down her ideas on the back of till slips or types them on her phone.

Patricia enjoys writing for children because she can take abstract, grown-up concepts and package them in humorous, child-friendly ideas while adding sensitivity and lots of love. What fuels her is an exhilarating need to write and… coffee: “How many cups have had this morning?” “None.” “Plus?” “Five cups.”
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Between her books you can find the beloved Joyful Trouble, The Cheetah and the Dog, Puppy, 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles.
She is a Huffington Post contributor and pens the Sunday Column for MyPuppyclub.net as well as dabbing in freelancing. After completing her Medical Degree in Romania she moved to South Africa where she now lives with her husband, children and their dogs.

As Good as Gold: a dog’s life in poems by author Patricia Furstenberg is a cute and sweet poetry book written from the point of view of a loving and faithful furry friend friend, a dog.  This poetry book goes through the ponderings of the dog with 35 different short, fun, and entertaining poems, separated by different categories, including questions, colors, musings, and haiku.  The well-written poems with vivid imagery are enjoyable, entertaining, and uplifting.  This brilliant poetry book is one that dog-lover parents and their children will not want to miss.
 
Genre: children’s, poetry
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: May 23, 2018
Number of pages: 101
 
An ARC review copy of this book was provided by the author.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: Children’s, LDS, Religious
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
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Learn all about the prophets and heroes in the Book of Mormon! This colorful picture book uses a simple question-and-answer format to help children discover who built a boat, who saved the king’s sheep, and who climbed up on a wall to tell the people to repent. An easy-to-read introduction to scripture stories that’s fun for the whole family!

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In Guess Who’s in the Book of Mormon by Molly Carter and illustrated by Katie Payne, author and illustrator have come together to create an inspiring and beautiful book that young children will thoroughly love.  Filled with familiar characters from the Book of Mormon stories, as well as fun and brightly colored pictures, this book is the perfect teaching tool for children; this book is also perfect for the use during a primary lesson or a Family Home Evening.
 
Genre: children’s, LDS, religious
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: May 1, 2018
Number of pages: 29
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via SLB Tours.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

​Enter the giveaway HERE.

​May 14-Singing Librarian Books
May 15-Life Is What It’s Called
May 16-Heidi Reads…

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Check out the author interview HERE.

The Wizard’s Workshop is dotted with handwritten notes and jokes from a previous owner along with silly annotations for each experiment such as: TROLL SNOT OR GOBLIN GOO Many people still prefer troll snot over Goblin Goo, however it is no longer legal to collect snot form trolls, and therefore Goblin Goo should be used instead. Please note that anyone found picking a troll’s nose or collecting troll snot will face a board of inquiries lead by the head troll, Mr. Iva P. Brain. (GOBLIN GOO experiment pg. 40)

ZOMBIE FIRE This potion was invented by Professor Willy Rott in 1879. Willy Rott was a well-known scientist, but after making this potion several times, he is now a well-known zombie. (He was not a very fast runner). (ZOMBIE FIRE experiment pg. 36)

EXPLODING FOG FLUID This potion was made famous by Mr. Darren Deeds who made a sport of putting Exploding Fog Fluid into the drinks of giants and then drawing mustaches on their faces once they were asleep. Although this can be a fun past time, please note that it is dangerous. As Mr. Darren Deeds can attest to, it is not very fun when a giant refuses to drink the potion and decides to sit on you instead. (EXPLODING FOG FLUID experiment pg. 52)
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NOTE: If you want to give the stones additional power then you must perform the spell under the light of a full moon, standing next to a large tree (preferably a sycamore tree), facing east, while wearing mismatched socks. (MAGICAL STONES pg. 87)

Author Jennifer K. Clark and illustrator Katie Payne have come together and created a colorful and fun science activity book for children.  Payne’s bright and colorful illustrations go along fabulously with Clark’s exciting and enjoyable science activities.  Parents and children working together will find that the instructions for each experiment are both easy to read and follow.  This is a book that parents will definitely want to use to help their children explore the world of science.
 
Genre: children’s, science activity book
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: April 10, 2018
Number of pages: 88
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via SLB Tours.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. 

​Enter the giveaway HERE.

​April 30-Edits and Reviews by Leslie
May 1-Blossoms and Blessings
May 2-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
May 3-Life Is What It’s Called | Why Not? Because I Said So!
May 4-Singing Librarian Books
May 5-Reading for the Stars and Moon

Send your favorite graduates off on their next adventure! Full of quirky illustrations and fun, rhyming text, this book is a great way to recognize all they’ve accomplished and show them that you’re confident they’ll succeed in the future. Whether they’re heading out into the world or staying close to home, help them mark this important milestone with this inspirational and encouraging gift.

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Jason Pruett has a BFA in industrial design from Brigham Young University and an MFA in illustration from the Academy of Art University. He has created art for games and animation. Jason currently illustrates picture books, such as A Is for Abinadi, and the children’s comic book Jimmy Brass, 2nd Grade Detective. He lives in the Salt Lake area with his wife.
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Author Residence: Salt Lake City, UT

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Written in the style of Doctor Seuss, So You Want to See the World? by Jason Pruett is a book filled with colorful and enticing pictures, as well as fun and exciting text.  This is a charming book that young readers, as well as adults, will thoroughly enjoy.  This book is about going on adventures and having fun.  This is the perfect gift for any child or even teen or adult as life changes and they grow up and go on new adventures.
 
Genre: children’s, adventure
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: March 13, 2018
Number of pages: 32
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

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April 23-Reading Is One of My Passions
Aprl 24-My Book a Day
April 25-Life is What Its Called
April 26-
April 27-Book Worm Lisa
April 28-
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April 30-
May 1-
May 2-Singing Librarian Books
May 3-Literary Time Out
May 4-Little Red Reads

What does it mean to be quiet as a church mouse? This charming picture book shares the story of how one little boy learned to sit still while his imagination kept running free. With these fun and colorful illustrations, follow along as a boy and a mouse discover how reverence shows our love and respect for our Savior.

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Stephen Bevan imagined his church mouse at age 5. All those wild Sundays of imaginings are distilled in this book. He and his little church mouse lived in Montgomery County Maryland, until Heavenly Father took them both to Western Australia for many amazing adventures “down under.” Now those two trouble makers reside in beautiful Cache Valley, Utah. On Friday nights they are telling stories and hammock camping with the scouts but each Sunday morning they are both trying to sit reverently in church with Stephen’s own wonderful and imaginative children. Learn more about Stephen at www.bevanstories.com, while you are there see what other adventures he and his mouse have to share.
Current Residence: Cache Valley, Utah

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It’s not always an easy task to sit still for just over an hour for Sacrament Meeting.  But there are positive and influential ways that children can be taught.  This book is perfect for teaching children how and why to sit still through Sacrament Meeting.  The bright and colorful pages, along with the short and easy text are perfect for young children as they are learning about sitting still, as well as learning to read.  This is a fun and great teaching tool for parents.
 
Genre: children’s, religious, LDS
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: November 14, 2017
Age Range: 4-8 years
Grade Level: Preschool-3
Number of pages: 30
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

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​April 30-Singing Librarian Books | Shannon Symonds
May 1-
May 2-My Love for Reading Keeps Growing
May 3-
May 4-Headoverbooks
May 5-
May 6-
May 7-Lisa Is A Bookworm
May 8-Literary Time Out | A Bliss Complete
May 9-My Book A Day
May 10-
May 11-

Find out more about the book HERE or purchase a copy HERE.

Author Marty Reeder wrote a fun book and Tanner Lex Jones wrote a cool soundtrack to accompany the book.  Here is what Tanner has to say about the book and what inspired the soundtrack:

- Marty Reeder wrote a great book (that got published!)
- The characters and story inspired an album worth of new songs (We’re trying to figure out what to call this- Companion album? Soundtrack? Is a book soundtrack even a thing?)
- I’m currently working with Chris Wright (and other great musicians) on recording and producing (stay tuned for tunes!).

Sample song from the soundrack--This Boy.

​Order your copy from Tanner Lex Jones today!

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Check out my review for Marty Reeder's book HERE.

Tanner Lex Jones has created a soundtrack of How to Become a Pirate Hunter based off author Marty Reeder’s novel.  This soundtrack is so much fun to listen to.  And it accompanies the novel perfectly.  The songs are enjoyable and exciting to listen to, especially in the background as readers devour Reeder’s book.  Jones is a fun and talented artist that middle graders and adults alike will thoroughly enjoy.  Don’t miss this fun and delightful book and soundtrack combo!!
 
Genre: children’s, middle grade, young adult, adventure, pirates
Publisher: Tanner Lex Jones
Publication date: March 10, 2017
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Tanner Lex Jones.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.​

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​Check out the author interview HERE.

How to Become a Pirate Hunter by Marty Reeder is a fun pirate adventure novel that middle graders will thoroughly enjoy.  It’s about a young boy that feels like he isn’t good at anything.  But then he’s thrown into a situation where his skills are exactly what is needed and he must come to terms with that.  This story is about going on an adventure and coming to know oneself.  Middle grade readers will not want to miss this enjoyable pirate voyage that will bring their imagination’s to life!
 
Genre: children’s, middle grade, young adult, adventure, pirates
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: March 1, 2017
Number of pages: 208
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Robert Gillespie’s story The Adventures of Popcorn and Jellybean is a story about the outdoors adventure of two friends.  At first glance, the book appears to be a fun and colorful picture book for young children.  But on further examination, is split up into mini-chapters with lots of text and few pictures.  Although the story does have a few colorful pictures and the story is fun and entertaining, it better fits the understanding of an older child that is further along in grade school and understanding reading.  This story goes through some of Mother Nature’s creations and creatures which is fun for children to learn about.
 
Genre: childrens, environment, nature
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc.
Publication date: July 24, 2017
Number of pages: 57
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the iRead Book Tours.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Check out the tour schedule HERE.