African Rhinos by Kristin L. Nelson

Another great animal book for kids. I love this series of books cause even I learn so much. It is put in very simple terms and the questions get kids to think about other things as well.

Ms. Nelson does such a great job putting all the important information in a way that kids can follow it. It's not overwhelming and such a great teaching tool.

I definitely enjoy things like these books and would love to eventually add them to my personal collection.

Kristin L. Nelson/ New Author/ Children's Non-fiction/ 32 pages/ Animals/ 4 out of 5

FTC: Book acquired from my son's school library.

Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson

Goldy Bear wakes up on the ground and isn't sure how she got there. That is just the beginning of the book. Goldy must figure out who attacked her, why they were trying to sabotage her catered lunch, and what to do now that her ex-husband is out of jail? It only gets worse once he is found dead. All signs point to her but Goldy only found the dead body. She is frustrated and wants to solve the crime but knows it will be difficult. If only there was more time in a day.

Ms. Davidson creates situations that truly could happen. I wondered who could have really killed John Richard Korman, Goldy's ex-husband. The recipes also are interesting and am curious to try a couple of them. I liked how at least in the hard cover they were all in the back of the book instead of interspersed in between chapters or in the middle of chapters. There is a range of characters in the book as well as some old familiar ones.

Goldy is a stubborn woman but that's what makes her so endearing. Yeah she seems to get beat up in every story which does get old after awhile. Yet she never lets it get her down. Her husband Tom is such a sweetie. He is so good for her and they complement each other very well. Archie, her son, seems to struggle with his dad's death the most. I saw that as understandable and just hoped the kid would work through his grief as quick as he possibly could for a story. I'll have to see how it plays out in the next story.

This story was full of twists and friends Goldy hadn't seen in a long time. Marla was there to help her out. The twist at the end of the story really got me. There was no way I could have seen it coming. Ms. Davidson does it again and I cannot wait to read more in this series!

Diane Mott Davidson/ Cozy Mystery/ Food/Murder/Family/320 pages/ 4.5 out of 5

It'll be awhile before I read my own books. I may make a library run tomorrow to read one more book this month. We'll see.

The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest

Short stories certainly have a place in our society. These particular stories and poems in this anthology focused on The Green Man of lore.

“-the Green Man- the spirit who stands for Nature in its most wiled and untamed form, a man with leaves for hair, who dwells deep within the mythic forest.”

That explains it better than I ever could and that gives you a brief taste of what is to come. The variety of authors, some that I knew of some that I didn't made the book come even more alive. My favorites were Going Wodwo (poem) by Neil Gaiman, Grand Central Park by Delia Sherman, Hunter's Moon by Patricia A. McKillip, A World Painted by Birds by Katherin Vaz, Grounded by Nina Kirki Hoffman, Overlooking by Carol Emshwiller, Joshua Tree by Emma Bull, The Pagodas of Ciboure by M. Shayne Bell, and The Green Word by Jeffrey Ford. There was only one in the book that just didn't seem to fit and that was Fee, Fie, Foe, et Cetera by Gregory Maguire only because it was a re-telling of Jack and the Bean Stalk and I didn't see how it truly fit into the nature category even with the bean stalk.

I loved this book and will definitely be one I am going to keep. The variety was great and it was nice to read a good clean young adult book for a change. The editors did a fantastic job and I might even seek out more of their work! They also did a fantastic job with their illustrator. I was blown away by all the gorgeous pictures!

Off to work on more packing! We are moving but hoping to finish one more book this month! Then not sure when I'll post again!

Diving Dolphins by Laura Hamilton Waxman

A great non-fiction book for kids. It keeps the facts simple for kids to learn about the mammals. It was fun cause my oldest could read a few of the sentences with me.

Ms. Waxman did a fantastic job of putting the facts down so simple yet effectively. It followed an easy flow to the story and had fun activities to get the reader involved.

I was impressed with this book from beginning to end. There isn't a whole lot I can say but definitely want to check out more by this author.

Laura Hamilton Waxman/Children's Non-Fiction/ 32 pages/ Animals/4 out of 5

Got some cleaning to do but hopefully pick up another book today!

The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater that Grandma Knit by Debbie Macomber and Mary Lou Carney

Cameron Girard is always excited for the birthday gift from his grandma Susan. But this time when he opens the box and finds a multi-striped sweater, he just doesn't get it. He knows she spent a lot of time knitting it. He tries to get rid of it at first but eventually when his grandma comes to visit he wears it for her. But can he keep it a secret what he really thinks of it?

Ms. Macomber writes a fantastic children's book writing with Ms. Carney. The story is so captivating cause Cameron is so determined to get rid of the sweater. It's creative and a little repetitive which makes it a great book for kids. My son soon started saying the repeated phrase along with me!

Cameron is a precocious kid who just wants to get rid of what he thinks is a horrible sweater. His friends will laugh at him if he wears it. His parents try to get him to understand that it took a lot of time for Grandma to knit it.

This is a story that I have had my eye on since I heard about it. It was all that I expected and more! It's a story that will be enjoyed by all ages whether the reader is a knitter or not. I laughed really hard and couldn't wait to see how it would turn out! I hope there is more to come in Children's books by these authors!

Debbie Macomber/ Mary Lou Carney/New author/ Children's Fiction/ Family/ 32 pages/ 5 out of 5

Not sure what is up next. I do have a book that Kiddo needs to read from his library so may read that tomorrow. Other than that, no clue! Lots going on this week! :)

FTC: A loaned book from my library.

Escape to Sanctuary by M.J. Conner

Emily Foster must leave New York before she is sold into slavery. She gets a chance at being a mail order bride and takes it. She has six months to decide if she wants to stay married and she is just hoping that God will provide. Adam Jacobs has been wounded deeply. His fiancée walked out on him. He is truly mad at the world. When he finds out his best friend Lewis got him a mail order bride, he is furious but not much can be done.

M.J Conner is a fantastic author. I was pleased with how well the story flowed though the ending was a bit sudden. I felt that it could have been expanded a little bit more to see how things all worked out instead of only hinting at it. I loved seeing the faith of the characters grow. It truly inspired me to do better about my faith.

Emily was a girl who not shy at all. She knew how to speak her mind and she did her best to be polite. Though she was human still making sure to keep her comments in private. Adam Jacobs was a man who was stubborn. He let it get in the way a few times. Even to the point of almost ignoring what was God's plan for his life.

Some of it was predictable at points but it was a good comfort read after all. It's a genre I am very familiar with. I am excited to read the other things this author has written. It had a bit of an abrupt ending but for the most part everything was addressed. The characters were human and had their faults. The main ones finally came to the conclusion that it all had to be laid at the feet of Jesus.

M.J. Conner/ New Author/ Christian Historical Romance/ Healing/ 176 pages/ 4 out of 5

I posted this early since I work tomorrow and have a lot of things going on! I hope to read The Truly Terrible Horrible Sweater That Grandma Knit by Debbie Macomber next!

FTC: This is a book from my personal collection.

My April Stats

I had the best month in a long time due to a Chunkster that took me over a month to read. lol

My Reads:
1.Ireland by Frank Delaney 03-23-10 through 04-24-10 A+ (Very memorable book!)
2.Horatio's Birthday by Eleanor Lowenton Clymer 04-15-10 A+
3.Hi Cat by Ezra Jack Keats 04-22-10 A+
4.The Fashion Hound Murders by Elaine Viets 04-25-10 through 04-26-10 A
6.Henry's Night by D. B. Johnson and Linda Michelen 04-29-10 A+

I didn't finish one in time.

My stats:
Total Books I Read: 5
New Authors: 3
Fiction: 5
Non-Fiction:0
Chunkster: 1
Mystery: 1
Romance:0
From the Stacks: 2
Books for Review:0
Books I Bought:0
Total Pages Read: 1,086

Off to read another Children's book. :)