She Believed Book Review

Title: She Believed

Author: Jean Fischer

Genre: Children, Nonfiction, Inspirational, Biography, Christian.

Plot: Girls today need strong feminine role models to look up to and this collection of twelve stories provides girls with twelve historic women to admire and look up to.

Written in short concise entries, girls are introduced to Gladys Aylward, Clara Barton, Catherine Booth, Amy Carmichael, Fanny Crosby, Florence Nightingale, Edith Schaeffer, Mary Slessor, Corrie Ten Boom, Mother Teresa, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.

Each entry is beautifully illustrated and accompanied by a Bible verse that helps to anchor the story in the Word of God for readers.

Likes/Dislikes: I really enjoyed this little book. The stories are short, concise and to the point without being overly long. I read it to my three girls who are 6, 3 and 18 months. The baby lost interest when she wasn't allowed to eat the book or rip out the pages but the older two listened to the stories and seemed interested. I feel like it is missing the story of Joan of Arc though which was a story I always grew up with as a girl and which mine would adore because swords are popular in my house right now. All in all, I liked it.

Rating: PG-all ages

Date Reviewed: February 27th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Toddler Survival Guide Book Review

Title: The Toddler Survival Guide

Author: Mike and Heather Spohr

Genre: Nonfiction, Humor, Parenting, Toddlers, Survival Guide.

Plot: Statistically speaking, you are more likely to meet a ravenous sleep-deprived toddler than you are to meet an undead zombie but both creatures can be terrifying and very dangerous. It is best to proceed with caution and keep your handy guide near you at all times.

In a hilarious parody of all survival guides but especially zombie survival guides, The Toddler Survival Guide is the parenting book every parent needs. Parenting can be truly fulfilling but bone-crushingly hard at the same time and a healthy dose of humor is the secret to weathering all the toddler-themed storms.

Likes/Dislikes: This book is hilarious! It makes the best kind of Father's Day gift for new modern dads which is awesome. No guarantees if they will actually have the time to read it before baby eats it though.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Reviewed: January 15th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.

The Natural Baby Sleep Solution Book Review

Title: The Natural Baby Sleep Solution

Author: Polly Moore

Genre: Nonfiction, Parenting, Self-Help, Babies, Sleep.

Plot: Trying to get a fussy baby down to sleep when sleep is what everyone needs is super hard - harder than it should be. Everyone will give you lots of well-meaning but ultimately useless advice and the most frequent piece is to let baby cry it out. This option is not always feasible or acceptable to every parent.

So how do we get baby to sleep deeply and soundly every night? Polly Moore has a solution based on the body's natural sleep cycle. With space to journal about baby's sleep habits and a trouble-shooting guide, this is the only sleep manual you will need for ages two weeks to one year.

Likes/Dislikes: I have never liked the cry-it-out method of sleep training and rejected it after a very long day with my firstborn when she was a toddler. Since then, I have opted to work with my children and find a solution that is more natural. This book fits that goal beautifully and I highly recommend it.

Rating: PG-12 and up for reading level.

Date Reviewed: January 15th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Paper Bag Princess 40th Edition Book Review

Title: The Paper Bag Princess

Author: Robert Munsch

Genre: Fiction, Children, Classic, Illustrated, Fairy tale, Princess, Dragons.

Plot: Princess Elizabeth is spunky, clever and madly in love with the handsome and pretty Prince Ronald. But there's a tiny wrench in her wedding plans: a local dragon. This dragon further throws things into chaos by attacking and burning down the castle, including all of the fine clothes in Elizabeth's wardrobe and then the dragon carries off Prince Ronald as his captive snack for later.

Undaunted by these events and the lack of decent clothes, Elizabeth determines to rescue her handsome prince. So she dons a paper bag and sets off on her mission, armed only with her wits and patience.

Likes/Dislikes: For 40 years, readers young and old have adored this simple and beautiful story. Elizabeth is a princess but she doesn't let that get in her way as she firmly establishes herself as the hero in her story. She is resourceful (see: the paper bag) and clever with a large store of patience at her youthful disposal. On top of that, she knows how to tell when someone is throwing her shade and how to put them back in their place. Her confidence has inspired girls everywhere and will continue to do so with this beautiful special edition of the classic book.

I read this a couple of times as a kid and always remembered it as the story with the girl wearing the paper bag. It wasn't until I was older that more of the story's subtle undertones clicked for me. Now I'm on the hunt for a copy for my girls so they can grow up with this book nestled in their subconscious. They can defeat dragons wearing only a paper bag and walk off into the sunset if they so choose.

Rating: G-all ages. Highly recommended.

Date Reviewed: January 11th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Chocolate The Consuming Passion Book Review

Title: Chocolate: The Consuming Passion

Author: Sandra Boynton

Genre: Nonfiction, Chocolate, Food, Humor,

Plot: We all love chocolate (if you don't, why are you reading this book?) and there is nothing better than chocolate. We can have chocolate straight up, hot or cold, dark or milk, cover almost anything in chocolate and still be down for more chocolate later on.

This adorable little book covers all things chocolate (please don't eat the book, it isn't covered in chocolate), as well as giving a few fascinating chocolate facts and handy charts that explain how white chocolate is not real chocolate.

Likes/Dislikes: My kids love Sandra Boynton's board books so obviously I had to read her chocolate book when I spotted it at the library. My kids looked through it too and asked for chocolate. I strongly recommend buying some chocolate to nibble while reading this book, it will help satisfy the cravings.

Rating: PG-all ages (though not for young readers who will eat the book)

Date Reviewed: Dec 17th, 2019

How To Be A Happier Parent Book Review

Title: How To Be A Happier Parent


Author: K. J. Dell`Antonia

Genre: Nonfiction, Parenting, How-To, Toddlers, Teens,

Plot: Parenting is hard. It is a thankless job with a life-or-death element to it which keeps things interesting and is riddled with moments of bliss, fury, sorrow and disgusting mystery substances. Many parents cope till the college years by diving into a hobby, taking up recreational drinking or just waiting till that next kid-free vacation. But what if there was a way to be a happier parent that didn't involve smuggled chocolate, expensive counseling or even a whole lot of effort on our part?

Enter K. J. Dell'Antonia's amazing book, How To Be A Happier Parent. Drawing from years of experience writing parenting articles, interviews with over a thousand parents, loads of research and data, and her own experience parenting four rowdy kids in New England, Dell'Antonia targets ten problem spots in the family and gives grounded advice and tips for how to deal with these areas, make them more efficient and less of a struggle and thus, make you a happier parent.

Happiness is in reach for parents everywhere now. You just need a quick solo trip to the bookstore, a library or one day shipping to unlock the mysteries.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved this book! The cover was gorgeous, the writing style was very even paced without getting bogged by random facts or droning on and on about something useless, and the solutions for each problem area are real and actually something I can implement in my family. I especially enjoyed the chapters on chores, discipline and siblings. I have three girls and they are already driving me crazy with their sibling disputes. This book reassured me that these disputes are natural and (mostly) harmless. My kids are still at the age where they need to be constantly monitored but I'm looking forward to letting them handle their own arguments in the future. This book, while geared toward parents of older children and teens more than toddlers, gave me permission to parent the way I've been parenting and to "do me," as Dell'Antonia instructed.  Every parent needs to own and read this book!

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for reading level and content (it's a parenting book for parents)

Date Review Written: April 6th, 2019

God Bless Our Christmas Book Review

Title: God Bless Our Christmas


Author: Hannah C. Hall

Genre: Christian, Children, Christmas, Series, Animals, Board Book

Plot: Christmas comes only once a year. With all the anticipation, sometimes we can get a little too wrapped up in waiting for it and then enjoying to remember what it is supposed to be about. So here is a little book to help with that.

From the polar bear family to a fluffy little owl, each family gives thanks for their own special Christmas day as well as the greatest gift of all. From gift wrapping with care to snow angels and hot cocoa with friends and baking delicious cookies with grandma, Christmas is a magical time for everyone.

Likes/Dislikes: This is an adorable book and my kids loved it! My only complaints are that on the very first page, a line is written in red ink and then highlighted in white to make it look special but it just makes it hard to read, and the whole story takes place on Christmas day rather than having a couple of pages leading up to it. But all in all, adorable and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Rating: G-all ages

Date Review Written: January 8th, 2019