Category: book review

November 1, 2017

Enchanted by the Highlander Book Review

In Enchanted by the Highlander, love has a very different ending in mind for two individuals who are so very different.

About Enchanted by the Highlander

Gillian MacLeod is shy and quiet, the least likely of all her sisters to seek out excitement and adventure. But on a moonlit night at a masquerade ball, Gillian steals a kiss from a mysterious stranger, knowing she’ll never see him again.

John Erly, disowned by his noble English father, started a new life in Scotland. Most people are suspicious of the foreign mercenary and he does everything is his power to avoid romantic entanglements. But he can’t forget the bewitching beauty who kissed him in the dark, and stole his heart, even though he has no idea who she might be.

A year later, John is given the duty of escorting Gillian to her wedding and immediately recognizes her as the temptress he’s dreamed of for months. There’s not much he can do when she’s promised to another man, but fate intervenes and this time, passion—and adventure—can’t be denied. Honor demands he stay away from the MacLeod’s enchanting daughter, but love has a very different ending in mind.

My Thoughts

Enchanted by the Highlander is a sweet romance novel that was fun to read. In this novel, we have Gillian who is thought of as shy and quiet, someone who always has to have someone else make a decision for her. But the truth of the matter is, she is full of ideas and thoughts but no one stops to listen to her. Many times she tries to voice her opinion but her family ignores her. They talk right over her without realizing she has a bright, kind and brave heart that is aching to be released.

Enter John, a disgraced English noble (which is why I found the title odd as he isn’t quite a Highlander). He escapes to the highlands with a Scottish noble after saving his life. He meets Gillian but doesn’t really see her for who she is, he only sees the beautiful but painfully quiet girl on the outside.

A chance and brave encounter, leave Gillian longing for more and John not quite sure who his mystery lady is! After being separated for over a year, these two must decide whether they can break apart from the roles their family have placed on their heads and embrace a future together or to deny feelings and live apart.

This book was a light, romantic and fun read from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every moment.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Lecia Cornwall lives and writes in Calgary, Canada in the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rockies, with five cats, two teenagers, a crazy chocolate lab, and one very patient husband. She’s hard at work on her next book. Come visit Lecia at www.leciacornwall.com, or drop her a line at leciacornwall@shaw.ca.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 30, 2017

The Purple Turtle Graded Readers Boxed Set, Levels 1,2,3

Purple Turtle is the world’s ‘cutest’ turtle. Purple Turtle started as a children’s book imprint of Aadarsh Pvt. Ltd. and was transformed to a gender neutral character for kids books, story books, colouring books, stencil books, activity books, puzzle books, dot to dot books, notebooks and games for children.

About Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 1

The first level of Purple Turtle Graded Readers includes a set of 12 books with interesting stories and activities and 150 word count. This level is exclusively for learners who have just started reading. It is based on ATOS and Lexile reading level system.

You can purchase this boxed set on Amazon.

About Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 2

The second level includes a set of 12 books with 12 interesting stories and several engaging activities that is likely to make learning an enjoyable experience. The book has a word count of 150-250 and is based on the ATOS and Lexile reading level system. This level is for readers who have just learned to read.

You can purchase this boxed set on Amazon.

About Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 3

The third level includes a set of 12 books with engaging stories and fun-filled activities. It is based on the Lexile and ATOS reading level system and has a word count of 250-350. This level is for learners who have started reading with confidence.

You can purchase this boxed set on Amazon.

My Thoughts

Reading is the best gift you can give your child. It can also be quite difficult for your child to learn to read and then to read independently. Starting them at a young age with an appropriate set of books is so important. That is why I love graded reading level books that are geared to an appropriate reading level. You want your child to feel a bit of a push to learn but also to increase their confidence.

These reading level boxed books are a great start for children as they begin to read. They are gender neutral with fantastic illustrations in bright, bold colours with friendly characters. The sight words are appropriate for each level and are repeated enough to help your child with word recall. I really liked that each book also taught a little lesson, one was about a broken arm, another about putting away clothes and so on. I love when a book does this and bonus so does our son. They also came with a part where you could mark off your level of reading success to help your child keep track of their progress.

These graded reading level books would make an excellent gift for a young reader starting out. They make excellent reading time and bed time books. It is so important to teach young children the love of reading by giving them appropriate level books that push and give them the confidence to succeed.

Rating: 5/5

Book Trailer

About the Publisher

Purple Turtle is India’s 1st International brand with its educational content in several languages sold in more than 30 countries including Russia, China, US and UK. The character of Purple Turtle has delighted children across the globe through beautifully created Purple Turtle books, rhymes and videos available on YouTube.

Purple Turtle was created with the idea to spread education through a wide range of innovative books for children. To give them the experience of convenient online learning, Purple Turtle also brings both learning and entertainment on a common platform to give a wholesome learning experience to young minds.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of these readers. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 18, 2017

13 1/2 Incredible Things You Need to Know About Everything

This myth-busting visual encyclopedia will amaze kids with 13 things they need to know about every topic they love and one “half fact” that dispels a common misconception or half-truth.

About 13 1/2 Incredible Things You Need to Know About Everything

This myth-busting visual encyclopedia will amaze kids with 13 things they need to know about every topic they love and one “half fact” that dispels a common misconception or half-truth.

Extraordinary images and irresistible fact snippets on each topic spread—from space to gemstones to the food we eat—make learning fun, but it’s the “13½” fact that kids will be most eager to know. Does cracking your knuckles really cause arthritis? Do ligers really exist? Are scorpions really deadly to humans? The answers to these questions and many others are revealed and will have kids digging for even more information behind the truths.

A perfect gift for curious young minds, 13½ Incredible Things You Need to Know About Everything will stimulate the imagination of young readers, satisfy their thirst for knowledge, and allow them to look at the universe from a new perspective as they explore a wide variety of topics and discover the truth.

My Thoughts

Children love to learn and explore the world around them. This book covers everything and anything that a young mind can think of or would want to know!

This large, hard covered book covers topics from animals to planets to technology and everything in between (ex) hot rocks, blood rush, chocolate chunks and busy bees are topics to name a few! Each topic comes with thirteen interesting and unique facts (think: a tiger’s claws are made up of the same substance as human nails, who would have known!). It also includes that very important 1/2 fact that clears up common misconception we may all have.

This is an excellent book for both young readers and more mature readers. Even adults will enjoy this book – I learned quite a few new interesting facts myself. I love this about educational books, if I can learn something new then I know it is a must read for my children. The illustrations are perfect and well suited for each topic. They are very realistic and seem to pop out of the page.

13 1/2 Incredible Things You Need to Know About Everything is a fantastic educational resource for your child and makes a perfect gift for the young child.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 18, 2017

Good Night, Baby Moon Book Review

A special bedtime story that follows a family of curious rabbits on their nighttime walks to explain the phases of the moon, with a charming design that includes a light-up LED moon.

About Good Night, Baby Moon

A special bedtime story that follows a family of curious rabbits on their nighttime walks to explain the phases of the moon, with a charming design that includes a light-up LED moon.

When we first meet the family of rabbits in Good Night, Baby Moon, the moon is full and shining bright, but as the days wear on and the nights come and go, the baby rabbits ask their parents why the moon looks different and worry as it disappears and loses its glow. Their parents reassure them that all will be well and that soon it will be back, for this is not farewell.

This delightful story teaches little ones that the moon will always return, and is a fun and exciting way for them to learn. The sweet illustrations and light-up moon make it the perfect gift and will cause little ones to swoon.

Our Thoughts

A very special bed time story can be found in this book. Children are always full of questions and wonder, this book tackles the topic of what happens when something/someone goes away? Will they come back? These are honest fears in children and can sometimes be difficult for them to voice and understand.

This book uses the moon and its cycle to tackle the topic of leaving and coming back. The little rabbits love basking in the glow of the moon but are puzzled when it disappears. It isn’t until the next moon phase that the moon returns to their delight! It helps them to learn that things sometimes go away but they will always come back.

This book is done in darker tones which suits the story line. It also includes a light up moon on the cover to really help engage your child in the story! The story is easy to read out loud together with your child and flows very well together.

This is beautiful bedtime story perfect for children up to the age of seven.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and DK Canada.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 18, 2017

How to Turn Your Mom Into a Monster Book Review

Guess what: Mom can be a monster too! It’s up to you to make your mom’s monster come out to play!

About How to Turn Your Mom Into a Monster

Do you like smearing your lunch all over yourself? Do you fight with your sister just because she’s there? Do you find yourself unable to go to bed because mysterious ninjas keep stealing your pajamas? Then you’re a little monster! Guess what: Mom can be a monster too! It’s up to you to make your mom’s monster come out to play.

Our Thoughts

Have you ever read the title of a story and saw the front cover and knew that you were going to love it? Even better that your kids would love it too? This is that book!

We are forever teasing our boys that they have this special magic power that can turn us from nice, quiet parents into grumpy monsters. But it is way too hard to stay mad at them because they are so cute as they do naughty things. Or when they are driving us batty! Those sweet little smiles just can’t help but make us smile too.

This was an awesome book to read together as we could make silly voices and we would alternate turns reading the story. The plot of the story is fantastic and I am sure that both parents and children alike can relate to each page. For example, tooting in public and your child blaming you. Yup, we can definitely relate!

This is a laugh out loud book that is perfect for bed time and basically anytime during the day. Our boys were begging for more! Our youngest even added in his own suggestions for turning Mommy into a monster, boy were they good!

This book is in paperback format and done in bright colours, greens, oranges, purples and blues. The monsters were adorable (just like your child) and not scary at all which is great for all ages. The actual length of the book makes it great for reading any time of the day and the wording is perfect for reading out loud to your child or together. This book is a definite must have addition to your child’s personal library.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Aurora Whittet started out as a wild red-haired girl in Minnesota dreaming up stories for her friends to read. Today, she has completed Bloodmark, Bloodrealms, and Bloodmoon of the Bloodmark Saga trilogy, Mama’s Knight: A Cancer Story of Love, and How to Turn Your Mom into a Monster. She’s a national award-winning graphic designer in her day job. Aurora lives with her family in Minnesota.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.