Eccentric Grandma Stella is taking in boarders. Not the kind that talk, but the kind that neigh. Horses. When seven-year-old Éclair meets the first boarder and its owner, a girl Éclair’s age who’s dressed like a gypsy, the girl says her horse can read minds and will cast a spell on Éclair. Does the horse really have magic? If so, maybe the horse could make Éclair’s secret wish come true.

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Oh how I wish I had little girls! They would have every one of these books on their shelves for us to read together at night. This delightful story was easy to read and I can't imagine any little girl not loving it. I'm far from a little girl and the story delighted me. Grandma Stella is fun, Eclair is a typical 7 year old and every page had me smiling or laughing. I admit that I'd love to know Gypsy's secret...it wasn't quite revealed in this book.



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Crop circles magically appear in Farmer Johnson’s field. A mysterious light sweeps over the night sky and awakens Farmer Johnson and Gilbert, the boy next door.

Curious, Gilbert ventures out to discover the source of the light and stumbles into a beautiful Martian girl sitting in a crop circle. Farmer Johnson also investigates the strange light, and thinking that Gilbert and Aoléon are vandals, he chases them. But they sprint to Aoléon’s saucer and escape only to be pursued by the U.S. Air Force.

Gilbert has never been attacked by swarms of giant killer robots. Never met strange aliens from other worlds. Never skyboarded across a megalopolis hidden deep inside an extinct volcano. Never trekked across a vast Martian desert. And never been eaten alive by a gigantic slor (well, almost never, unless you count Billy the fat bully at school).

And luckily, he has never ever confronted an evil ruler of Mars bent on conquering the Earth to steal its cows.

Never...until now!

This may be the adventure Gilbert always wished for.

If only he can survive.

Join Gilbert and Aoleon in this exciting middle-grade science fiction and fantasy adventure!

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Learning can be fun and this book is perfect for that. Filled with super fun illustrations and a story that keeps moving, you and your kids might just fall in love with this book series. Just don't tell them that they may be learning along the way! While the book says that it's geared towards middle-grade readers, I would put it more at an upper elementary age group. It's a bit simplistic for my middle schooler and some of the words would be too complex for the early elementary crowd. Since the book is about 94 pages long, I think that it would be perfect for those early chapter book readers. The story is fun and fast paced and before you know it, you'll be asking when the second installment comes out.



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The first of a three-book story arc about the American Revolution, The Redcoats Are Coming follows Patrick and Beth as they assist the revolutionaries by waking up the sleeping citizens of 1775 Concord before the Redcoats come. In this adventure, the cousins meet Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. They help smuggle musket balls, sound the alarm that the Redcoats are coming, and deliver a secret message to Paul Revere. Along the way they learn that most of the revolutionaries leaned on God’s direction and even pastors helped in the cause.

Imagination Station books rarely let you down and this one was no exception. Filled with history in such a way that kids can not only relate to but hold onto, this book was a delight to read. Each of the books takes you through a different historical period and this one about the revolution was not only easy to read, but held our attention to the very end. The fact that it's the first book in a three story arc is almost a bonus! It means there's more to come!



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"Twelve-year-old Andora 'Andi' Boggs and her fourteen-year-old sister Bethany move to rural Ohio to live with their eccentric twenty-something aunt after the sudden death of their parents. While dealing with her grief, Andi discovers proof of another Andora Boggs in the family tree whose existence was hidden in a Depression-era trunk in the attic. With help from her new friend and neighbor, Colin Carter, Andi is determined to find out who this first Andora was and what happened to her."

It's been quite a while since I've read any children's books, but I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to review this one. While it's written for the upper elementary age group, the story is one that drew me in. Amanda develops her characters in such a way that adults and children alike can relate to them. Even I shivered a little bit at the bad guy. He's certainly the type that we probably all know and hope to never run into.

As a mom, I can't wait to try to introduce the boys to this book. If you have children in the upper elementary range, can I just suggest that this book make it into some stockings? Your kids will love it and you'll love that they're not only reading, but reading something that's fun and safe. It will inspire the imagination and maybe even some entrepreneurism. Not sure what I mean? Pick up the book and check it out for yourself.



I received a copy of this book through the Booksneeze blogging program. All thoughts, comments and opinions are 100% mine.

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Beth and her cousin Patrick are once again sent on an adventure in the Imagination Station. This time they find themselves on a ship sailing through an area that is known for its cannibals. After being labeled as stowaways they find themselves in danger around every turn. During a storm and in the midst of a prison break the cousins are separated and become desperate to find each other again. Through this adventure the cousins learn about bravery and the importance of relationships - caring for others more than themselves, as Mr. Calvert demonstrates to them.

Unlike some children's books,  this book kept me on my toes trying to figure out what might happen next! Just when you think Beth and Patrick are safe, more trouble seems to find them. I really liked the character of Mr. Calvert who willingly sacrificed and put himself in harms way so that the cannibals could hear the gospel. He showed little concern for himself, and so much more concern for the souls of the lost.



I received a copy of this book from the Tyndale Blog Network. All thoughts, comments and opinions are 100% mine.

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Oh my gosh, I have to tell you all about this book. It has to be one of the cutest kids books I have read in ages! It just arrived in the mail today and after seeing the cover, I couldn't wait for the boys to be here. I just curled up on the couch and read it. I swear it was just like listening in on a conversation with my two boys when they were just a little bit younger. There were times, when I was reading this, that I burst out laughing because I could have sworn I'd heard this conversation coming from their bedroom.

Not only that, but the illustrations fit the story so well that it's almost like watching a movie. You just keep flipping the pages and before you know it, the story is done and you're hoping they make a sequel!

In this book, Roger (the turtle) and Padraig (the dragon) decide to go on Safari. If they can stay out all night long, in the morning, they'll get to see all of the exciting animals. Through the night, they hear a giraffe, a rhino and save a baby leopard...or do they? I'm going to let you read the story and find out what happens on their adventure.

Seriously though, if you have kids this is one of those books you're going to want on your bookshelves. Plus, with a turtle named Roger (my youngest son's name) and a dragon named Padraig, you can't go wrong.



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

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It's been a while since I've posted a book review and I don't suspect I'll be posting them more than once a month or so, but when I find a good book, I do want to share that with all of you because like I said, books are sexy.

Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor is actually book 5 in the Knights of Arrethtrae series. I didn't know that when I chose this book, but luckily for me, it reads wonderfully as a standalone book. The story is all about Quinlan and how he learns how to balance who he is with his dream to serve the Prince. Along the way, there are stumbling blocks and of course, he doubts himself and his abilities when compared to the others around him. As a person, I could relate so much to that! That's something that I deal with so often in the blogging world!

While I very much enjoyed this book, I do need to warn you that this book does have some serious religious undertones. While children might not notice, adults will. However, please don't let that stop you from picking up one of these books to try out. Even if you're not religious or even a Christian, the other messages in this book could speak to you like they did to me. In the end, Quinlan comes into his own and that's an important message. Never give up, keep on going even when you don't think you're the best at something.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and I look forward to placing it on the boys' bookshelf to see how they enjoy it.



I received a copy of Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor free from Blogging for Books. This review is 100% mine.

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