Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Somebunny Love You! by Melinda Lee Rathjen is such a cute book--both in verse and in the pictures. This book would make a great gift for Easter or any other time this spring. Somebunny Loves You! is an 18-page board book measuring approximately 7 inches almost square. These thick card board pages make it so easy to the two to four year old age group the book is aimed at to turn the pages themselves. However, this adorable book is a fun one to read to little ones before bed or any time of day to remind them of how much they are loved. I don't think we can give kids too much of that. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.  

  Do you remember reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett? I do. It was an enjoyable read as a young person and I read it again while homeschooling my child a few years ago. Now Rachel Dodge has written a devotional to go along with this book.  The Secret Garden Devotional is a small hardcover book that is beautifully written and illustrated. There are 30 days worth of readings that go along with the book. (There is also a ribbon marker to keep your page so you know where you left off.) Each Day's reading includes a Bible verse, a short reading that invites the reader to see how God could be working through the book. Then there is a personal application to relate the book, the Bible and the day's reading to your own life. A prayer concludes each day's reading.  The Secret Garden Devotional is truly lovely in many ways. I like how thoughtful the readings are. Dodge clearly puts a lot of time and effort into writing a book that Christians can relate to and also t

  I have followed Sean Dietrich on Instagram for a couple of years. I wanted to read You Are My Sunshine since it came out last fall. I am glad I started my year with this couple's adventure. In You Are My Sunshine , I followed Sean and his wife, Jamie, as they went on a big adventure--riding their bike and recumbent trike on the Great Allegheny Passage and C & O Canal Towpath Trail. The book starts out with a bit of marital history so the reader knows how the couple decided to make this journey, then goes into the journey and ends with a bit of marital history to complete the story. I enjoy Sean's humor on his social media Instagram page. While this book isn't entirely humorous, there were a few places I laughed out loud. I mostly pulled for this couple to make it through this really long bike/trike ride. There were also some serious places in You Are My Sunshine where he shared stories about people they met on the trail who face life challenges and sti

  One of my favorite high school courses was English Literature. I really enjoyed the sonnets and we tried our hand at writing them. So when given the chance to read and review Secret of the Sonnets by Samantha Hastings I was glad to read it. It did not disappoint. Secret of the Sonnets is a mix of history, mystery and romance. Miranda Hatch is a scholar looking for some lost Shakesperean papers. She inquires about them and ends up meeting a Marquess, Lord Robert Hamilton. Lord Hamilton is in need of money after his father left the estate in debt upon his passing. Together the two set out to find out if the historical papers they are searching for exist. Secret of the Sonnets is a slow burn romance and primarily a character driven novel. I enjoyed the verses of sonnets at the beginning of each chapter. Hastings writes with rich description of the era. I especially enjoyed her sense of humor and the witticisms among the characters. If you enjoy history and a slow burn romance, then t

  All About Christmas by Alison Mitchell is sure to have some answers for questions from those early elementary students--ages 7 to 11. This is a large book that is roughly 9 by 10 inches in size and almost 50 pages long. There is a lot of good information in All About Christmas. It is a book that could be read straight through or one that you could use the table of contents to find the information that you most want to learn about Christmas. There is also a glossary in the book and a quiz, for those who want to test their knowledge after reading through the book. As a homeschool mom, I would also like this book to use with our studies around Christmas. There are drawings and there are also actual photos in the book that back up the information presented. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

  Do you know children who enjoy seek and find books? Seek and Find: The First Christmas is a large book aimed at children under five--but in our family, all ages enjoy this book.  Based on the Bible, this is a hardcover book with heavy boardbook pages inside that little ones can easily turn themselves. There are over 450 things to count and find within this book. It is book that could keep the little ones busy for quite awhile and is also one that the whole family could do together, depending on your family. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.