My publisher, Beyond the Bookery, has fantasy authors who are looking for readers who would be kind to review their stories. Who knows? You might become their newest fans!
The Dragon and the Owl by Alice Monday (a fantasy retelling of Miriam and Baby Moses).
When Bells Ring by Madisyn Carlin, Michelle Emmanuelli, and M.K. Minnick. They’re wintry retellings of Snow White and Rose Red, Twelve Dancing Princesses, and The Snow Queen. Perfect for the Christmas season!
I wrote another review on a picture book.
Do you have a child that says, “I’m bored,” but you don’t want him or her to spend mindless hours with a device? Heather C. Morris’ book Backyard Stew is a story that introduces kids to explore nature in a fresh way.
You can read more from my review on Story Warren.
Do you have a webcomic you’re reading right now?
I’m currently enjoying Journey Upstream, an allegory of the Christian journey, i.e. following Jesus in a fallen world. And the main characters are animals! They travel to their new home upstream, and they meet other helpful animals as well as obstacles along the way. Backstories of individual characters are told visually and are interspersed throughout the comic, and they hit the right beats in the story.
Another web comic I like is a dystopian series called Extra!, where people live as if they’re a TV show, politics and all.
I wrote a review of the board book The Puppy’s Wish. I mentioned this book on this blog before, but this time I’m sharing my personal thoughts on it. Here’s the link to them:
You may have heard the sad news, but author friend C.E. (Connie) White left this world in April after an intense fight with cancer. She is with the Author of Life now, so cancer didn’t win the battle, but let’s pause to remember her as a thought-provoking storyteller and a serious, die-hard follower of Jesus.
I want to wish all you moms a Happy Mother’s Day!
There’s also a book for kids that celebrates an attentive and resourceful mom. It’s actually the sequel to Rose Wolves, a graphic novel I reviewed on Jennifer Hallmark’s blog.
In Rose Wolves Book Two: Out of the Blue, it shows the main character going on a picnic with her mom. She introduces her mom to her old friend: a Rose Wolf, or a wolf that lives part of its life as a rose in a bush.
I wrote a book review on a collection of short stories by Emmarayn Redding, called The Madman of Elkriahl and Other Fairy Tales. When you read this collection, you will be immersed in the nostalgia that comes with reading a classic fairy tale.
This volume is friendly for both the young and young-at-heart. Click on the link below for the full review.
I wrote another book review, just in time for Christmas. Are you looking for a book that reminds kids why we celebrate the holiday? And it’s not so that we can get a bunch of presents?
Here’s The Nativity by April Renner Curtsinger and illustrated by B. Teresa Campbell. It’s the Christmas story told by the family dog to the family cat.
That’s right. I wrote another book review, only this one is on a picture book retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The book is written by Lari Don and illustrated by Célia Chauffrey.
Without further ado, here’s the link to my book review, posted on Jennifer Hallmark’s blog.
The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale by Ben Miller is fit for kids grades fourth through seventh. It’s both an original story and a retelling of five fairy tales: Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Swan Lake, and Brother and Sister.
Lana and her mother visit a supermarket that seemed to come out of nowhere. She meets a strange little man who knows a thing or two about selling stuff, and she and her mother buy a book of fairy tales. Readers will revisit the timeless Sleeping Beauty tale, only this version has twists (e.g. Sleeping Beauty’s mother takes up swimming.).
Lana returns to the supermarket, and she meets the funny little man again. Only this time, he shoves her into a candy bucket, and she finds herself in the Sleeping Beauty story.
