Andi Unexpected

TITLE:  Andi Unexpected
AUTHOR:  Amanda Fowler
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER:  Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT:  2013

I have a special book review for you today.  My son received this book Andi Unexpected by Amanda Fowler to read and review.  He read it super fast and really enjoyed it.  Here is his review which he dictated to me:

Andi's parents died in a plane crash, and she went to live at her aunt's house.  Her aunt Amelie was excited for Andi and her older sister Bethany to come because she was lonely.  Andi wants to move up to the attic because her sister is annoying.  Andi and her new friend Colin find a trunk in a trap door.  They find out it belonged to a relative named Andora which is Andi's full name.  The trunk is a mystery for them to find out about the other Andora. 

I thought it was cool that Andi and Colin were trying to solve the mystery of the trunk.  It's not a scary book, just a normal book.  It is a chapter book without pictures.  I liked this book and want to read more of this series.  I think it is a good book.  Personally, I think people who like mysteries or good books will like to read this.  It is for boys or girls. 

The book was sent to us from the publisher for our honest review.

David Battles Goliath

TITLE:  David Battles Goliath
AUTHOR:
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT:  2013

About the book:
David Battles Goliath is a retelling of the favorite Old Testament Bible story about a young shepherd boy named David with a great amount of faith. Using art from the bestselling The Beginner's Bible, this story is available in the popular and affordable 8x8 softcover format. David hears about the challenge made by the Philistine giant Goliath and believes he must do something to help. Knowing that God will always be at his side, the shepherd boy tells the king he wants to fight Goliath. Will David's slingshot, stones, and faith in God's love for him be enough to save the Israelite army?

My thoughts:
David and Goliath is one of the more popular Bible stories for children.  This is a well-done book with colorful illustrations of this loved story of God helping David defeat Goliath.  The text is an appropriate length to keep the interest of young listeners.  It is also good for those learning to read on their own because it isn't too complicated. 

Check out this new book as well as the one I reviewed here yesterday called A Queen Named Esther.  There are several in this series and they'd make a nice addition to your home or church library.

I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.

A Queen Named Esther

TITLE:  A Queen Named Esther
AUTHOR:  
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER:  Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT:  2013

About the book:A Queen Named Esther is a retelling of the favorite Old Testament Bible story about a beautiful Hebrew woman named Esther. Using art from the bestselling The Beginner's Bible, this story is available in the popular and affordable 8x8 softcover format. When the king of Persia is looking for a queen, Esther's cousin Mordecai encourages her to step forward. And when the king sees her beauty, he chooses her to be the new queen. But God has a bigger job for Esther than just being queen. The safety of God's people rests in the hands of the new queen. Can she find the courage to help save the Hebrews from Haman's evil plan?

My thoughts:
This would make a great addition to your home or church library.  For myself, Esther is not one of the stories I remember well from my childhood Sunday School classes.  This book will help children be familiar with this wonderful story of God's plan and protection of His people.  

The illustrations are colorful and characters are cartoon figures.  The book is not too long so it will hold the attention of young listeners.  I liked the way the text was worded in a way children could understand something bad was happening, but it wasn't presented in a way that would be scary to young readers.  

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book for my honest review.  

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing

TITLE:  Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
AUTHOR: Sallly Lloyd-Jones
ILLUSTRATOR:  Jago
PUBLISHER:  Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT:  2012

About the book:
Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing, an innovative devotional by bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones (The Jesus Storybook Bible), presents 101 insightful, biblical thoughts that build a reader's personal day-by-day relationship with Jesus and create a deeper understanding of faith. Through the text and beautiful art by Jago, discover God seeks to know us with an amazing and grace-filled love.

My thoughts:The illustrations in this devotional book are very pretty and a younger child would enjoy sitting and looking at them.  For older children I feel this would be a good book to read together with a parent and discuss the point the author is trying to get across.  I felt some of the thoughts might be a little complicated for some children to understand if they are just reading on their own. I think adults could get some positive encouragement for their life out of these devotional thoughts as well.  I know I did as I was reading.  

The devotionals are very short, less than a page of text each.  They make the reader stop and ponder God's love and concern for their lives.  They are not meant to be lengthy, rather just short thoughts to help the reader know a little more about Jesus.

This would make a nice gift for a family member or addition to your own family library.  

Peace on Earth

TITLE: Peace on Earth A Christmas Collection
AUTHOR:  Mary Engelbreit
ILLUSTRATOR: Mary Engelbreit
PUBLISHER:  Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2013

About the book:  
I surely wish with all my heart, This day of Jesus' birth, That peace and love and happiness Soon cover all the earth. Mary Engelbreit rings in the holiday with a Christmas collection that includes many of her favorite carols, the story of Jesus' birth, and beloved poems that touch the heart and celebrate the miracle of the season.

My thoughts:
If you enjoy the beautiful illustrations of Mary Engelbreit, you will want to check out this book to add to your collection this Christmas season.  This hardback is full of bright colored holiday scene illustrations.  This book has favorite Christmas songs and poems of the author as well as the text from the book of Luke of the birth of Jesus.  I like the size of the book, the layout of the pictures with the text, and how it is a variety of Christmas memories.

This book would make a nice gift or add it to your own collection of Christmas books for your coffee table.  
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

The One and Only Ivan

TITLE: The One and Only Ivan
AUTHOR:  Katherine Applegate
ILLUSTRATOR:  Patricia Castelao
PUBLISHER:  HarperCollins
COPYRIGHT:  2012

About the book:

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

My thoughts:
My son and I read this book together and both enjoyed it.  It is a sweet story of a gorilla who has lived in a mall for many years.  It is written from the gorilla's perspective which made it interesting to imagine his thoughts.  It is divided into short segments, all differing in length, and seem more like journal entries I thought. This is a story of friendship between animals, helping each other, and keeping your word.   

This is on the Texas Bluebonnet List.  

Pirates on the Farm

TITLE:  Pirates on the Farm
AUTHOR:  Denette Fretz
ILLUSTRATOR:  Gene Barretta
PUBLISHER:  Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT:  2013

What should the family do when a group of pirates decides to move in next door?  Each family member has a different reaction to these new neighbors who know nothing about farming and don't act socially appropriate.  Many in the community reject them.  Will the new neighbors ever be accepted?

This is a great book to explore the differences between people and what we can do to be friendly to others, even those who act a little differently than we do.  I think there is a good lesson here and young children will enjoy the pirate characters.  I liked that various pirate vocabulary words were listed and defined in the back of the book.

I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.