LDSPBP: Mark Nielsen

I believe in Jesus Too by Mark S. Nielsen

A book that celebrates the diversity of the world wide church, I believe in Jesus too, shows how children all over the world participate in living the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The book highlights the different ways children travel to church, what their church buildings look like, different languages children pray in, different ways families do FHE, and the different places in which children are baptized. The text is smooth and easy to read and highlights different cultures with traditional names and details that are often iconic of each country highlighted.

The illustrations are highly detailed realistic paintings with beautiful and vivid colors. The illustrator also does a wonderful job at giving each child distinct features and unique expressions so each appears to have their own personality.

I really like how this book isn’t focused on teaching a specific doctrinal principal. Instead it shows how children all over the world participate in the daily activities of the gospel. I also like the fact that it has so many countries and nationalities featured. Books are a wonderful way to show children all the richness and diversity of the world and this book does a particularly good job at showing a large number of different places, customs, and people. 

Visit Mark Nielsen's Website

Summer Book Trek! Hurrah!

LDS Publisher is hosting another reading challege focused on LDS Authors! Here is you chance to catch up on all those LDS titles you have been wanting to read. I am way excited that this feature came back. There are tons of awesome prizes and there are tons of ways to earn points. The challenge runs through the month of August.

I am planning to read:
The Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandergriff
Freshman for President by Ally Condi
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Before I say Goodbye by Rachel Ann Nunes
Castles on the Sand by E.M Tippetts
Paige by Annette Lyon

Wish me luck! Hope to see other bloggers join in the fun. Just click on the picture to sign up. It should have a link.

LDSPBP: Teresa Bateman

Teresa Bateman's love of stories came from her mother who incouraged all her children to read. When she was young she used to tell stories to her sister, who shared a room with her. That tradition only carried on to her nieces and nephews. Her love of stories led to to pursue a career as a librarian.

Leprechaun Gold

 Donald O Dell, a lonely handyman, happens upon a trapped Leprechaun. He rescues the poor creature and is offered a pot of gold. Yet, gold is not what Donald O’ Dell wants, and so he refused the Leprechaun’s offer. The Leprechaun, offended by this tries all kinds of shenanigans to get Donald to accept his gold. Until finally, one day the Leprechaun manages to lead Donald to what he really wants.

I felt like this picture book was a bit text heavy, but the story was a satisfying and clever read. 

Fiona’s Luck

Another Irish theme tale about a woman named Fiona, who outwits the Leprechaun King. Ireland used to be a place full of luck for everyone until the Leprechauns became jealous of how much luck the humans were using. So they collected it all up and as a result everyone suffered. The crops refused to grow, cow didn’t give milk, and hens wouldn’t lay eggs anymore. Fiona uses her wits to trick the Leprechauns into sharing their luck again.

I liked how this story arc felt like an old piece of folklore--magical creatures, a witty heroine, and a clever twist at the end.   A very satisfying read.

April Foolishness

The first day of April brings the grandchildren to grandma and grandpas farm. Grandpa won’t fall for his grandchildren’s tricks. He goes about making his breakfast certain that their reports of animals escaping and causing mayhem are false. Will he be tricked into an April fool?

This is a charming story and so much fun for April Fool’s Day! I loved the brief text, and funny illustrations and a twist that made me laugh at the end.  

The Frog with the Big Mouth

This story is about a proud little frog who goes out to greet the other animals in the rain forest and tell them about his mighty feat of eating the biggest fly in the whole world. He should be more careful because he runs into a forest creature that is more interested in eating him then hearing him talk.

This little story quickly became my daughter’s favorite. The illustrations successfully convey the lush rain forest setting, and the cheerful and enthusiastic frog that shines through in the text, which is full of alliterative phrases, and easy to read rhymes which makes this book fun to read out loud.     

Fluffy by Teresa Bateman

Fluffy the poodle is out for a pleasant cruise on his yhat and is captured by pirates. What is a dog to do but bluff his way out of the situation. Fluffy, despite his soft name and appearance must prove his mettle and his gruff or the pirates will force him to walk the plank.

I loved the delightful lyrical verse in this funny pictures book that showcases the cleverness and bravery of one very resourceful pup. Fluffy truly becomes the scourge of the sea of at least of the pirate captain.

Farm Flu

In an unfortunate twist of fate mom is out of town just when the barnyard animals start to show signs of sickness. The cow lets out a huge “Ka-choo.” So our main character decides to do just as his mom would do. He pulls the cow into the house and into nice warm bed. She seems to be doing well after getting some tissues and a nice pot of alfalfa tea. Then more “Ka-choos” spread around the farm. Pretty soon the chickens, pigs, turkeys, donkey, and sheep have all been infected too!

Soon the entire house is full of animals needing care and attention. Soon our caring protagonist begins to get the hint that the animals are taking advantage. His mom has taught him how to take care of that too.

I love the pictures that attend this hilarious picture book text. They are the right blend of lighthearted and funny.

The Princesses Have a Ball

The story is familiar twelve wee princesses up late up into the night. Each morning their shoes are in a terrible state. A suspicious father hires investigators too discover just what his daughters are doing staying up so late. With tricks a plenty the princesses keep the investigators off their tail until the shoemaker discovers just what they have been up to—basketball.

This clever retelling of the twelve dancing princesses has a unique and clever twist that will leave you cheering.  

Full Bibliography:

The Ring of Truth: An Original Irish Tale, illustrated by Omar Rayyan, Holiday House, 1997.

Leprechaun Gold, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger, Holiday House, 1998.

Harp o' Gold: An Original Tale, Holiday House, 2001.

A Plump and Perky Turkey, Winslow, 2001.

Farm Flu, Albert Whitman, 2001.

Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who?: The Stories behind Some of America's Patriotic Symbols, Holiday House, 2001.

The Merbaby, Holiday House, 2001.

Hunting the Daddyosaurus, Albert Whitman, 2002.

The Princesses Have a Ball, Albert Whitman, 2002.

April Foolishness, Albert Whitman, 2004.

The Bully Blockers Club, Albert Whitman, 2004.

Hamster Camp: How Harry Got Fit, Albert Whitman, 2005.

Fluffy, Scourge of the Sea, Charlesbridge, 2005.

Keeper of Soles, Holiday House, 2005.

Will You Be My Valenswine?, Albert Whitman, 2005.

Traveling Tom and the Leprechaun, Holiday House , 2007 

 The Eye of the Unicorn, Holiday House, 2007

Gus the Pilgrim Turkey, Albert Whitman & Company, 2008

Damon, Pythias and the Test of Friendship,  Albert Whitman & Company , 2009

 Paul Bunion vs Hal Halson: The Giant Lumberjack Challenge, Albert Whitman & Company 2011

The Christmas Pups, Albert Whitman & Company, 2011

Three very most favorite picture books of summer season

The Everything Book by Denise Fleming

 No ordinary picture book this book has over 60 pages packed full of pictures and text. The majority of the book contains illustrated nursery rhymes, most of which I wasn’t familiar with. There were also illustrations of baby eating, baby playing with pots and pans, shapes, the alphabet, the seasons, a couple of counting pages, and other activities that makes this a fun and interesting book to go through. Sera loved this one and would sit through the entire thing!  Sometimes we shortened some of the rhymes depending on her mood. I am going to be sad to return this one to the library. We may have to keep this in mind for a Christmas, Easter, or birthday present in the future.

Who’s in the Forest? by Phyllis Gershator

We loved this little peakabook board book. First off the art design of the book is so great. It has a scrapbook type theme throughout the entire book, and so the book feels very layered. Very much like the details that pop out at you on a nature stroll. Random birds can be found in the trees on all the pages. I loved pointing out the hiding animals and insects out to Sera. The pages have a circle cut out of them so you get a spoiler for what is on the next page but not the full reveal, which makes the book interesting and surprising. The text is short and easy to read out loud, and encourages the reader to ask  what new creature will appear on the next page. This is another one we are going to miss when it goes back to the library. We will probably check it out again and put it on the list for Christmas, Birthday, or Easter gifts for Sera.

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood

Thank goodness for the library or I don’t think I ever would have found this cute little book that was published the year before I was born! This is my favorite picture book of the year. This one was so delightful that I could read it over and over and still be amused by it. The narrator’s voice is so strong and the accompanying art is so hilarious. Neither Sera nor I could get enough of this cute little board book.

 

Daisy by Josi Kilpack

Daisy by Josi Kilpack

Daisy never had an easy time raising her children as she did most of it herself. She first got pregnant as a teen with a boyfriend who refused to marry her. Relying on her family she worked her way through high school and found herself a good job and life. Ten years later she finds herself pregnant again and unmarried, though this time her boyfriend decided to at least try marriage. Several years later the marriage fails and Daisy find herself as a single mom once again. Now that her older daughter is expecting a child and her younger daughter is in the last year of high school Daisy is very ready to move into a new phase of her life without children.  Both she and her husband Paul are counting down the days until they get the house and their time schedules all to themselves.

Then Daisy starts to get signs that she is pregnant, and offends her daughter so badly that she decides to go live with her dad. She realizes that perhaps her view on life needs adjustment, as she goes through the struggle of accepting her new pregnancy she learns to embrace the opportunity to be a mother again.

At first I was worried that it was going to be awkward to read four books that were interrelated over many of the same events and time period, but I think this series manages to make the characters with diverse enough lives and situations that they manage to keep the story interesting.  Daisy the second novel released in the Newport Ladies book club tells the story of a main character, who is very different from Olivia in the first book.  

It was interesting to read about how Daisy reacted to the events in the book group as she did have a unique take on all of the conversations in book group.  Being in a stage where she thought it was weird she was having pregnancy signs when she was certain she wasn’t pregnant lent a lot of new tension to scenes I was already familiar with. It was also nice to get to know a few more details about others in the book group. Daisy interacts with Paige on a more regular basis, for example, although she knows little about the struggles others are going through.

 I really loved the balance the Kilpack was able to strike in the book. The main character was not a Mormon but her friend Paige was. This lead them to have a few interesting conversations about god and Mormonism, but not in a context that was missionary in tone. Their conversations were really natural and were meaningful without being info dumpy.  I also loved the balance the author was able to achieve in the ending.  This book does not have a very happy romantic ending, but it was still an uplifting read. I loved that about this book.  The ending was not fairy tale perfect but at the end of it I felt really proud of the way the main character had navigated the most recent crises in her life. I felt like she was moving on to better and happier places. Daisy had come to understand the most important priorities in her life and was willing to accept the changes (good and bad) that her new mindset would bring.       

 To find out more about this series visit the Newport Ladies Book Club website

The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

"Crispin, Lord Cavratt, thoroughly and scandalously kisses a serving woman in the garden of a country inn, he assumes the encounter will be of no consequence. But he could be more mistaken--the maid is not only a lady of birth, she's the niece of a very large, exceptionally angry gentleman, who claims Crispin has compromised his niece beyond redemption. The dismayed young lord has no choice but to marry Miss Catherine Thorndale, who lacks both money and refinement and assumes all men are as vicious as her guardian uncle.
Trapped between an unwanted marriage and a hasty annulment, which would leave his reputation tainted and Catherine's utterly ruined, Crispin begins guiding his wife's transformation from a socially petrified country girl to a lady of society. Their unfolding relationship reveals encouraging surprises for both of them, and privately each of them wonders if theirs may become a true marriage of the heart. But their hopes are dashed when forces conspire to split asunder what fate has granted. As a battle of wits escalates into a life-threatening confrontation, will it be possible for Crispin and Catherine to live happily ever after?" (jacket summary)

After enjoying Friends and Foes so much I decided to pick up another Sarah M. Eden novel. This novel has tie in characters with the previous novel that I read and it was fun to find out more about the characters in this book. Crispin ends up marrying Catherine, but plans to annul the marriage as soon as he can, but finds that the legal issues behind such an action to be more complex than he anticipated. Not being able to bring himself to drag Catherine through a very public and embarrassing trial against her uncle in order to obtain an annulment Crispin decides to hold off until he figures things out. Especially since he has started to enjoy his wife company and wants to learn more about her.

Catherine is at first just grateful to be away from the abuses of her crazy and controlling uncle and finds herself fortunate that Crispin is so kind to her despite the circumstances. Knowing that Crispin is looking for ways to annul their marriage, she must try to find arrangements suitable for a woman with a ruined reputation, which is what she will face one the entire marriage is over. Catherine finds herself depressed about the prospect of annulling the marriage as she grows more attached to Crispin. She fears that he does not feel the same and wonders if it would be better to live life ruined rather than unloved. Then her uncle come back in town, encouraging an annulment to the marriage he forced her into in the first place. This causes great confusion until they discover that Catherine was left a sizable inheritance by a relative.  With such a prize at stake her uncles actions become more desperate and dangerous.  

I really liked this book, but found myself really wanting to know what exactly Catherine’s uncle was after. He kept insisting that he was after more than just the money and I wondered exactly what he meant by that. I wanted to know more of his motivations but that plot line isn’t ever really followed up. Other than that I really liked the rest of the book and the interactions between the characters. I enjoyed Friends and Foes more but this was still an excellent story and a good read.

Visit Sarah M. Eden's Website

Friends and Foes by Sarah M. Eden

Friends and Foes by Sarah M. Eden
"After five years of tracking and capturing spies on English soil, Philip Jonquil, Earl of Lampton, is in pursuit of his last quarry. But at a traveler’s inn, he encounters an unexpected and far more maddening foe: Sorrel Kendrick, a young lady who is strikingly pretty, shockingly outspoken, and entirely unimpressed with him. Indeed, Sorrel cannot believe the nerve of this gentleman, who rudely accuses her of theft and insults her feminine dignity. Doubly annoyed when they both end up at a party hosted by mutual friends, Philip and Sorrel privately declare war on one another. But Philip’s tactics, which range from flirting to indifference, soon backfire as he finds himself reluctantly enjoying Sorrel’s company; and, much to her dismay, Sorrel finds Philip’s odd manner to be increasingly endearing. In the midst of this waning war and growing attraction, Philip catches wind of the French spy he’s been tracking, and Sorrel inadvertently stumbles upon a crucial piece of the puzzle, making her indispensable to the mission. But can two proud hearts negotiate a ceasefire when cooperation matters most?" (dust jacket summary) 

 I am very happy to report that I really loved this novel. I adored the witty and funny dialogue between the characters, and found that I really empathized with both Sorrel and Philip. The novel for the most part takes place at an estate in the countryside in Suffolk, as Philip is invited there for an extended stay over Christmas. This is convenient since the French spy he is looking for tends to do his business in that area.

He quickly makes enemies with Sorrel, as he dreadfully offends her while teasing her that the cane she carries about is not very feminine. It is then revealed that the cane is more than just a fashion choice, but a necessity on account of her lame leg. Horrified to have made such a mistake Philip tries to apologize only to find himself entangled in a war of words.

I thought Eden did really well with showing how the characters came to like one another despite the fact they started their relationship out bickering with one another. I totally wanted the book to keep going after I finished reading it. I loved how Philip’s watched over his big family and the courage Sorrell had when facing her challenges with her lame leg. I would totally recommend this book to those that like a good regency or historical romance. 

Visit Sarah's M. Eden's Website

Daughters of Jared by H.B. Moore

Daughters of Jared by H.B. Moore

"Naiva, daughter of the dethroned King Jared II, lives in the shadow of her privileged elder sister, Asherah. But when Asherah develops a secret plot to return their father to the throne, Naiva’s resentment turns to fear. Thwarting the scheme becomes more complicated when Naiva discovers that Akish, the first man who has shown interest in her, is an integral part of the plan.

Asherah traps Akish in a ploy to make him marry her, breaking Naiva’s heart and leaving her feeling more alone than ever. Somehow Naiva must find the strength to stand against the encroaching evil in the kingdom and a sister who will stop at nothing to become queen. When Akish’s wickedness escalates and threatens to destroy the bonds of sisterhood, Naiva must decide between protecting her sister and honoring her new belief in the true God—a forbidden belief that could cost her life."

The Daughters of Jared is H.B. Moore's newest historical fiction. After writing a series of books that followed the chronicle of Abinadi, Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, and Ammon, she turns to a another time period in the Book of Mormon. The book of Ether outlines the dramatic rise and fall of kingdoms and the wickedness of those who sought for power. H.B. Moore weaves a story from the life of Asherah.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that is was told from the point of view of Naiva, Asherah's fictional little sister. While Moore has shown herself adept at weaving tales from the point of those who make wrong decisions in their lives. It was nice to read the story of someone who while not a saint or even a believer in the gosple, hadn't set out to live a life of wickedness. In fact, I found Naiva's integrity and strength of character refreshing. When Akish decides to marry her elder sister, though he admits he is really in love with Navia. I really love the fact that Navia refuses to look at him as a romantic interest any longer, and builds her own life.

Once Asherah and Akish are married the consequences of Asherah's foolishness become more and more apparent. As times wears on Akish becomes more cruel and power hungry. Navia must decide whether providing her sister and her children with protection is more important than escaping to make a new life as a believer with  Akish's brother, Levi.

This is my favorite of H.B. Moore's books that I have read, and I really loved how she has improved at adding little historical details, which always added such a cultural ambiance and vivid details to her novels, in more nuanced and natural ways. I really felt like her skill in this arena has improved and made the reading of the novel more immsersive and smooth.

Visit H.B. Moore's Website

   

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

"Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god." (summary from author website)

So, this was the best used book sale score ever! I found a basically new hardcover copy for two dollars and pulled every last quarter and dime out of my wallet to purchase it. I was so excited because I had really wanted to get into this series for awhile after I finished the last book in the Percy Jackson series. I heard the Lost Hero was a spin-off of the Percy Jackson series and wasn’t exactly sure how much the whole Percy Jackson crew would show up in the book.

What I loved the most was that this was a completely new set up for a new series, but that it felt like a natural continuation of the Percy Jackson series. So, when Jason gets to camp he finds that Percy is gone and has to make his own way in the camp. In fact, even cooler is that we discover that the gods have been hiding a huge secret from camp-half blood. The fact that their greek demi-gods have Roman counterparts in California. In order to keep down fighting between the two camps the gods hid them from each other, but now Juno wants to united the camps so that they can fulfill the Prophecy of Seven.

This book had everything that made the Percy Jackson series great, but also gave it a new twist, new awesome characters with interesting backgounds, and more great mythology. I totally loved this book and can’t wait to read more of this series.  

Rick Riordan's Website

Cheap (or free) books on an extra long weekend.

So, I have found that I love free or cheap book deal posts! Here are several of the free or awesomely cheap books I have recently checked out or plan on checking out this weekend. The picture of the books lead to amazon links. (of which I am an affiliate just so you know) Most of these deals are set to last through memorial day weekend. After that most of them go back to their original prices so watch for that.
Currently at $0.99 as a promotion for the upcoming release for the sequel. I snatched this one up when I realized it was an YA urban fantasy a la Percy Jackson. Helen finds out she is a demi-god and cursed by the fates to replay the cycles the caused the Trojan War. I loved this book! I haven't stopped reading it since I downloaded it a week ago. Seriously, I'm on my second time through. Totally going to pick up the sequel. Best part it has the first three chapters of the next book at the back. Only .99 cents people! Snatch it while you can if you like retellings of Greek myths.


Bah Humbug by Heather Horrocks
This one caught my eye as I was browsing and it was free. So I decided what the heck? It is a cute little Christmas romance story and read it. The beginning is really funny and I enjoyed reading something short, but the book does end unnaturally fast. Unfortunately, the characterization feels a bit rushed in the whiplash ending. Still a clean romantic comedy for the holidays.

The Princess and the Horse by Mette Ivie Harrison
You can see my review of this book here.
Bid for Love by Rachel Ann Nunes
I read this book so long ago I almost don't remember anything about it. Still I am a fan of Nunes and so will pick this up this weekend when it goes free.

The Captain of Her Heart by Anita Stansfield
This book is also slated to go free this weekend! I also read this one a long time ago and I remember not liking it much. Alas, what can I say? It is a romance novel set during Revolutionary War ear. Don't expect much history though, it is very focused on the romance plot. Still if you are an Anita Stansfield fan or just like a good, basically clean romance this is worth checking out for free.

Witch Song by Amber Argyle
Also slated to go free this weekend also in preparation for the release of the sequel Witch Born. You can read my review of the book here.

C is For China by Robyn Chance

I haven't read this one but I am collecting free picture books in the kindle store in preparation for that long awaited day when I finally own an e-reader capable of showing them. So, I can astound and astonish my brood of squirming children at opportune times.