River of Time Trilogy

I love to read!  It's my favorite past time.  I don't get to do much of that during the school year, but I've done a lot of it this summer.  I've read a bunch of good books. I seem drawn to Young Adult Fiction this summer. 

This trilogy, River of Time, hooked me with the first book!  And dang it all, I'm just about ready to commit to not reading trilogies, because I go crazy wondering what is going to happen in the next book.  Luckily, the third book, Torrent, comes out in September of this year!  (I won't really stop reading trilogies, just wait for them to all be out!)

The books are about teenage sisters who accidentally find a way to travel through time.  They travel back to 14th Century Italy.  They come during a time of violent war and find themselves fighting for their lives.  They both learn a lot about themselves there. They also learn about love!

The books are action packed and keep you anticipating every move that Gabi will make.  Whether she is fighting for her life or fighting for the man of her dreams. The characters are rich and full of depth.  I'm especially fond of Luca.  Which is slightly funny as he is not the main love interest.  However, I just like his character immensely.

It's a beautifully portrayed piece of historical fiction.  I am attached to the characters and find them entertaining.  I love the girls, because they are strong women and I think that is important to portray to young girls. 

Overall, this is a great summer read.  I would recommend them to any teenage girl! If you have read it, I would love you to comment and hear what you thought!

The Hour Glass Door and The Golden Spiral

My sister-in-law gave these to me last weekend to read. I had never heard of them, but she said she had really enjoyed them. I started to read the first one Saturday night. I was up until 2:30, so that I could finish it!

Started this one on Sunday night and stayed up most the night. Finished it off on Monday morning. I couldn't put them down!

Synopsis:

Abby is enjoying her senior year of high school. She has a cute boyfriend, great friends, and the possibility of a college education. But everything in her world changes when Dante Alexander, a foreign exchange student from Italy, walks into the auditorium during play rehearsal.

Abby is drawn to Dante and, before she knows it, their lives are intertwined. But Dante isn't who Abby thinks he is, and she is drawn into a mystery reaching all the way back into sixteenth-century Florence.

Everything she's worked so hard for, everything she thought she wanted, is threatened by the dangerous truth of Dante's past. Only Abby can make things right, but is she strong enough to open THE HOURGLASS DOOR?

Fans of the Twilight series will appreciate this trilogy. Also if you liked The Mortal Instruments, or Harry Potter saga's, this is a book for you. It's geared toward young adults, but is definitely a great read for anyone! I thought it was a lot more age appropriate than Twilight. I appreciated the fact that it was extremely clean. No swearing and the physical part of the romance is kept in pretty strict bounds. It was just a fun and clean read!

My only complaint, I have to wait an entire year to find out what happens!! The third book doesn't come out until next summer!! If your interested, Amazon has a great price on both of the books. You can check them out here.

The Mortal Instruments

A few day's ago, I posted about this series. I had just finished the first book and was super stoked with it. Let me just say up front, that the books are all FANTASTIC! I thoroughly enjoyed the series. I was so sad to see it end, but it's good it did, because it has been consuming my life the past week.

I put a little note, that as always read a book if your questioning the content of the book, when looking to let your kids read it. I thought this was a great book, but I don't think it's aimed at below 16-year-old readers. I don't. The characters in the book are between 15 to 20 years old. They talk a little bit about sex, but only in passing. There is a couple of make out sessions. But it's pretty clean. They do address homosexuality a bit, but it's not a major part of the story. There is some language, but it's pretty mild. There is a MAJOR and slightly disturbing story line throughout the books, but it gets fixed in the end. You'll know what I am talking about after you finish the first book. I was glad to know that, because it made me a lot less uncomfortable through out the book.
I may have just given something away, but I felt much better after someone let me know that little secret.

The characters in the book are funny, quirky and each one has so many diffrent dimensions to them. Magnus is one of my favorites. He cracks me up. His eccentric clothes and the funny things he say's.

All in all, I loved it. It's a great story. Jace, who is one of the main characters and love interest in the book is my new fictional favorite. Like I said before, Edward, who??

Santa Clause Stories

I love Christmas books. I love stories about baby Jesus and about His birth, but I also love a good Santa Clause story. Check out 3 of our favorites. Click on the word book to be taken to a direct link to each book. I know it's to late in the season to get them for this year, but they are definitely, must haves!

This book is hysterical and makes me laugh out loud. The little boy cracks me up. I especially love the illustrations. The one of him in his pajama's is so funny.

Armed with the facts, young Alfie sets out to prove to the world that Santa Claus does not exist but no one pays attention, especially his sister Noelle, whose only request of the man in red is a nicer big brother.Cantankerous child Alfie F. Snorklepuss, who tells everyone who will listen that Santa Claus doesn't exist, gets a much-needed attitude adjustment from the man in red who takes him on an eye-opening journey to the North Pole.

We just got this book from the book order! I love it! We bought the companion book last year and they are both just really fun stories that the kids enjoy.

Knowing that he will need some help pulling his sleigh around the world on Christmas Eve, Santa begins to meet with an array of animals to find just the perfect group to assist him with his very important, high-flying task.

I bought this book last year and my kids loved it. It's so funny. When Santa attempts to hire additional employees to help with the very busy season ahead, he finds it difficult to find the suitable workers he needs as the mermaids make the gifts wet, the fairies leave glitter on everything, and the wizards accidentally transform him into a frog. We used it for a present exchange last year. Every time we said the word toys the kids had to pass their present to the right. Super fun!

I Heart Junie B Jones

Junie B. Jones is my daughters latest favorite book. I must say this series makes me laugh and I look forward to reading it with Bay every night before bed. The Author is Barbara Park and she is such a creative writer and brings this little girl Junie B. to life. I think I really like it because I have a daughter in the second grade and the things Junie B. says....she says. It is about a little girl that is going through elementary school facing everything that we all face. From school lunches, bullying, and boys to friends, gossiping, and.....well.....boys. I love that we can laugh with Junie and understand exactly what she is going through. The way Barbara writes it is PERFECT, she uses language that a young elementary girl would use, she uses topics that the reader will relate to as well. I am hoping that we will always be Junie B. Jones fans! Precious moments I want to hold onto forever.

What are some series you enjoy reading with your kids?

The Hundred Dresses

The Hundred Dresses is a great book! I think its a book that every little child should read it. Every child at one time or another has been teased other children. If you have ever witnessed it, suffered it, or been a part of it in any way, you will remember how painful it is.

This is a beautifully written story. It deals wonderfully with the dilemmas of childhood both from the teased and the tormentors points of few. It teaches the importance of kindness and compassion for others. It teaches of forgiveness and it teaches that it's important to stand up for what's right even when no one else will.

In the story you meet Wanda, a quite little girl with no friends. Every day she wears the same faded dress to school, which wouldn't be a problem, but she tells the girls in her class that she has a hundred dresses at home. Beautiful dresses made of silk and velvet. The poor girl is tormented and teased and eventually her family moves away to the city.

Another little girl in the story, Maddie stood by and watched Wanda be teased and she feels quite sick about it. The story is told from Maddies point of view. She feels like a coward for not standing up for Wanda. Even after Wanda moves away, Maddie cannot forget, that she was part of the reason Wanda's family moved away.

This is an easy read. It's only 96 pages. I originally read this, because I wanted to do something with it for Young Women's and we may still do something based around this book. It is such a great story of values and morals and is well worth sharing with your child.

Book Review-The Orphan Of Ellis Island

My son Logan and I just finished this book and it was a great read. We read it everynight before bed and it was very captivating and entertaining. If you like time travel books you will love this.

It is about an Orphan named Dominic. He lives in New York and goes from foster family to foster family and has no idea who his parents are. His school takes a field trip to Ellis Island and he is left behind. He then somehow ends up in Italy a couple of centuries behind. He makes friends with some kids and then is forced to board the ship to come to America.

It is a great book and Logan loved hearing it and he loved that it was in Italy. I lived there while growing up and he asked me a lot of questions about things in the book. I highly suggest this book for boys.

The BFG Book Review

First of all I just have to say how much I love Roald Dahl. He is such an amazing author and it was so hard to choose just one book to review that he has written. From Charlie and The Chocolate Factory to James and the Giant Peach. He is one of those authors that carry from generation to generation.

My son who is in fifth grade has read two of his stories this year. At the beginning of the year we read The BFG together and I laughed so hard through the whole book. In school they have a breakfast book club and he just finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I must say that The BFG was way more entertaining to me. I hope some day they do a movie.

The BFG was hard at first to get into because of the poor English that is used. But hello, what giant would speak correct English anyway? The title is short for Big Friendly Giant-and man is he friendly. He captures a little girl named Sophie and he tells her all about the Giants and he tells her that if the giants see her then they will eat her. She stays in his pocket to be safe.

Sophie is an orphan and the BFG takes her and tells her that it is his job to deliver pleasant dreams to little orphans. Sophie ends up getting the Queen on her side and together Sophie, The BFG, and the Queen end up defeating the mean giants.

This is a book that I looked forward to reading each night with my son. It was humorous and very good for any child's imagination. I definitely recommend it.

Am I The Only One

Ok, I have a confession to make! I simply CANNOT get into the Twilight series. I finally finished book one in time to watch the movie.....and I really liked the movie but not as much as the book. They left out some of my favorite parts and added parts that weren't even in the book, which then confused me even more.

I have been trying and trying to read book two but I just can't get into it. First of all I am so not into sci fi type stuff. If it is far out I just can't do it. I just have a few things to say about Twilight and I know it will probably make diehard Twilight fans upset. I think Edward is bad for Bella. Hello! He will eat her if she isn't careful. He is cold, he is sneaky and he sneaks into her bedroom and watches her sleep!! HELLO red flags. :) I say this in all good fun but it is kinda creepy isn't it?

A lot of you are probably asking yourselves, "Well, Mandee. If you don't like it, why are you reading it for heavens sake. Put the book down and start a new book". Well, I can't do that. Haven't you noticed that every group of ladies will bring up the book at least one time during a girls night out? It is the talk at church groups, playgroups, PTO meetings, school functions (even my 6 year old is convinced she is Alice-thank heavens she isn't Bella :) ). If I don't read this series, I will have to sit like a muntint with nothing to say. I can't be the only person in the room that hasn't read this bizzare series. When I say I am only on book two eyes seriously bulge out of their shocked faces and they say "YOU ARE???YOU HAVEN"T READ THE WHOLE SERIES???" See my problem????

Thank heavens my friends still love me and still invite me to midnight movie primeires and book releases. I am always up for a girls night out as long as they will go with me to movies like Die Hard and Taken!

Any advice on Twilight? Do the books get more interesting?

World Wide Ward Cookbook & I Can't Believe It's Not Food Storage Book Review

I love Crystal's sight, Everday Food Storage. I have visited it a lot in the last year. Well, Crystal came out with a book, I Can't Believe It's Not Food Storage. I knew this was one of those books that I had to have! My sweet hubby bought it for me for my birthday! It's like having access to the website, but in book form. She walks you through step by step on how to build up your 3 month supply and then move onto your 1 year supply. She also has places where you can write in your amounts to fit your family, so it's all kept right there in the book. I love her recipes and am way excited to be able to try them out. Gotta get off my diet first. I made chocolate pancakes for my kids on Saturday and I used my powdered eggs. Such a proud moment!!

For my birthday, I bought myself the Worldwide Ward Cookbook. First of all, it's the prettiest cookbook ever. I don't know if I will actually be able to use it in my kitchen because I would be afraid to spill something on it. It is full of great recipes. I love the beautiful pictures and I love how she has included the stories to some of the recipes. I actually teared up a time or two as I read the touching stories. And it's such a small world. I saw atleast a dozen recipes that we make on a regular basis. I have a fabulous peanut butter popcorn recipe that I make up and to my suprise it was in the book! I have never found anyone outside my own family who had ever had this. Maybe I need to get out more.

If your interested it looks like they are going to make a Worldwide Ward Cookbook 2!! If you would like to submit a recipe, click here for all the details!

Both are great books and I am so excited to use them. I'm making a bean dip recipe out of the Ward cookbook tomorrow for a family party. I'll post it later this week!

The Cow That Laid an Egg ~ A book review

This is such a DARLING story! It had me laughing! The illustrations are so funny and perfect for the story.

In this book you will meet Marjorie, a cow, who's just a tab big insecure. She does nothing extraordinary until the morning she lays an egg with black spots! The chickens are just darling and I love the sense of concern and family you get from this book. CUTE to read at Easter time, but really appropriate anytime you need a good laugh!

I got my copy through Scholastic on the book order, but here is the link to Amazon.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

This is one of my very favorite books from my childhood and I heard great news that it is being turned into a movie. That will be fun!!!
For those of you who have by chance not heard of this book, this review is for you. This is about a Grandpa telling a story to his Grandchildren about a town called ChewandSwallow. In this town, all the food for the town came from the sky. On each day of the week it is something else. The townspeople just go outside with their eating ware and get food. Well, chaos begins in this town and the food gets all messed up and the people are eventually ran out of the town by food!
It is great and is indeed creative and imaginitative. Thank heavens my kids love this book so I am able to read it to them quite often.
It can be found at the library and every bookstore. I got my copy for 99 cents through the book order. I strongly reccomend this book.

2 of My Favorite Books

I hope that every mom has had a chance to read Love You, Forever. It's one of the sweetest books ever. I got this for a shower gift, when I was pregnant with my oldest. I read it before I even had him and I cried and cried. It's such a touching story about the love of a mother and how being a mother, never ends. It goes on and on. Each of my boys have one of these books for their keepsake box, because it conveys the way that I fell about my boys. I will love them forever!!!!!

Right after I had, my little girl I was standing in line at Dessert Book and just happened to pick up this book. I had tears streaming down my face in the line and I carried the book up to the counter and paid for it. I absolutely had to have it. This is a sweet story about a mother and her daughter. It starts out as her daughter is a baby and transitions into childhood, adulthood and eventually motherhood. It's absolutely a beautiful story and one that will surely have you reaching for the tissue's. This book is not really for the kids, but it's one all you mothers will cherish. Someday, your children will appreciate the beautiful illustrations and the meanings behind the words. One of my all time favorites.

Both of these books would make great mothers day presents. But be sure to include a box of tissue in the package, because both are proven to make mothers cry!!

I'm A Super Hero

This is a story about one of the greatest people I have ever known. This little boy, Daxton Wilde, is a second cousin of mine but he was like a nephew. He was diagnosed about 8 years ago,when he was only FOUR YEARS OLD, with brain cancer and passed away only a few months after being diagnosed. He had a very rare form of the disease. When the tumor was found it was the size of a pear at the base of his brain. Eventually it wrapped itself around his spinal cord. They think he was probably born with it. But while he was going through the ordeal him and his mom (who is the greatest cousin ever) wrote this wonderful book to help children that are affected by this awful disease.

This book portrays cancer as a "bad guy" and the Good guy is "Captain Chemo", and the SuperHero is Daxton. It tells of his experience through his eyes to help other children through their fear. He illustrated it himself and his mother helped him write it.
He was such a sweet little boy and I still think about him often. He had such a special spirit about him his whole life and it is still felt.

If you are interested in this book I know it is on Amazon. It is a great book and I woke up in the middle of the night a couple of nights ago for no reason and thought I needed to post about this book. I don't know why but maybe someone needed to hear about it. Here is the link for this book.

Talking to Children About Emotions

Erin and Deneal over at Laugh Learn Love has a theme every month on which they try to share ideas on how to teach our children. This month their theme is emotions! I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite books that I have, that we like to read when we are talking about emotions.I love this book. It's illustrations do a wonderful job on portraying the diffrent emotions. They are bright and fun to look at. This book covers silly, scared, happy, sad, angry, excited, and proud. The author, Janan Cain offers several suggestions in the back of the book, that you can do with your children.

1. Ask your children what circumstances make him or her feel happy, sad, jealous, etc.
2. Discuss how to deal with emotions.
3. Talk about what you can do to change the circumstances leading to a feeling your child doesn't like.
4. Practice noticing and naming feelings throughout the day.

My favorite part of the book is the last page, where it says; Feelings come and feelings go. I never know what they'll be. Silly or angry, happy or sad-They're all a part of me.

I think it's important to teach children that it's okay to be angry or sad. It's okay to get excited and to be happy, but how to portray these feelings in an appropriate way.

We also love this book. What Are You So Grumpy About? It makes me giggle. Sometimes we just have a rotten day, and we have to let kids know that sometimes that is going to happen. Another book we love is Alexander and The Horrible, No Good, Bad Day! Life happens, but kids need to know how to get over their grumpiness and how to be happy. KIDS ARE MEANT TO BE HAPPY!! Nothing beats the sound of a giggling child!

BayLees Book Choice of the Week

I love book orders!!! BayLees books came back yesterday and we were so excited to read them. This book had us giggling. It is called "Pinkalicious" Written by Victoria & Elizabeth Kann. This book is perfect for any little girl that loves the color pink. A little girls mom made her pink cupcakes, she ate so many she turned pink and caught "Pinkititis". There was only one cure to make her go back to "normal" and it did not sound good to her, but you need to read it to find out what the cure is. It is a darling book and BayLee asked me to "blog" about it today. (Do you think she notices I blog???)

Logans Book Choice

My son Logan loves these books!!!! All summer we had "reading time" set for 20 minutes a day. Well, about a week into this I realized 20 minutes went by way too fast so I very sneakingly set the timer for 30 minutes instead. About a week later Logan said to me "Mom, would it be ok if we read longer than 20 minutes? It isn't enough time for me to get into the story" Of course I said,"Sure Logan! I would love to, I am having the same problem." So, by the end of the summer we wouldn't even set the timer and it was getting pretty close to an hour.

My son suffers from ADHD and so I am so glad that these books keep his attention. It is so hard to get him to focus on anything (yes, he is even on meds!).
I finally found out why he likes this book though. There are what he calls "troublemakers" in this series and I think he can really relate to them. :)

He thinks that it is really cool that the Author is LDS (Latter-Day Saint) and from Utah.
So if you like fantasy (all you Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Ring type people) you are sure to love this series.

Love David Shannon

David Shannon is my favorite childrens author. I love his stories and illustrations. I guess I also love him for sentimental reasons. The first book my son read on his own was "No, David!" and my daughters first book was "Good Boy, Fergus". When Logan was about three I was busy on the phone and hadn't heard him for a little while and with him that wasn't ever a good sign, so I decided I better look for him. Well, he wasn't anywhere in the house so I went out side to find him running up the street BARE NAKED yelling "COME BACK HERE DAVID"!!!! I was mortified but at the same time impressed that he would remember that part of "No, David". But it has always made me laugh since. That will be a great story to tell his wife someday!!! BayLee really likes "Alice the Fairy" and "Pirates Don't Change Diapers". I hope to complete my David Shannon collection some day!!!

Enemy Pie

It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became Enemy Number One. Luckily, Dad has a surefire way to get rid of enemies-Enemy Pie. But one of the secret ingredients is spending an entire day with the enemy!

In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipe for turning a best enemy into a best friend. With charming illustrations that bring to life the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in friendship.

What a great book!! J.D. absolutely loved it and I did too. It's one of those books that I now have to buy. It teaches a great lesson! The story is cute and the illustration is fun and bright. What a great read. I promise your kids will love it!!!