Reading, Writing & Pondering

  I have been looking forward to Robin Jones Gunn new book, Tea with Elephants so I was excited to have an advanced copy. I got it in the mail and started reading right away! I read and treasured every bit of this book. Fern and Lily have been friends ever since they met in Costa Rica while doing volunteer work. Together, as young girls, they dreamed of traveling the world and the good that they could do. Then life happened. Lily got married young and had two children. Fern took an internship that led to a job in publishing and has been working ever since. Then several years later, Fern's father and mother-in-law gave Fern and Lily tickets to Africa to go on safari. This is the story of their trip--as well as the challenges in their lives that they left behind. I read Tea with Elephants quickly as I could not put it down. I enjoyed The Sister Chicks series. This series is along those lines as the start of the Suitcase Sisters novels begins. I enjoyed the camaraderie of Lily and Fe...

  You'll Always Have a Friend: What to Do When the Lonelies Come by Emily Ley is a lovely book about friendship aimed at children ages four to eight. This book measures about 9 by 13 1/2 inches and is 32 pages long. It is a good size to read aloud as a family and for kids to read alone. You'll Always Have a Frien d has good rhythm and the rhyming verse is encouraging and uplifting to children--and the adults listening. I think the illustrations by Romina Galotta are lovely and compliment the text nicely. I especially love how they are inclusive and show people of all colors and of varying abilities. I also like how this book encourages children to like themselves and to be themselves so people like them for who they are. Oh, that we would all have that encouragement and inspiration.  I have enjoyed this author's adult books in the past. This is the first children's book that I have read by her and I think it clearly reflects her lovely heart and spirit. I would love to...