August 21, 2015
Get Ready for Back to School with Raincoast Books {Giveaway!}
Back to school time is always an exciting, nervous and hectic time. We worry about skills they may have forgotten, new supplies and new clothes. It is important to slow down the hustle and bustle of the back to school time to focus on relationships and bonding time. Which is why I love books! Reading a book with or to your child gives you much-needed quiet time to escape, to bond and to laugh over silly antics of characters. Raincoast Books brings you six of their best books that are perfect to add to your child’s book collection.
In Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova, young Anna’s Mother takes her to the ballet and her whole world is changed. This begins the journey of a girl who will one day grow up to be the most famous prima ballerina of all time, who inspires legions of dancers after her: the gifted Anna Pavlova. Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova, is the incredible, heart warming and inspiring story of a young girl not born to riches but who changed the world of ballet. One night changed her whole life, like so many children who see something for the first time. This book teaches children that every dream is possible with hard work and love. If you love something so strongly, you need to work hard and this love will show. I loved how the book showed Anna travelling the world to not only bring dance, hope and love to the rich but to the poor as well. She is an inspiration for so many.
In The Wonderful World of Pascal the Very Brave, we are introduced to Pascal who is a very brave platypus. Pascal lives in a very incredible town full of interesting characters, recipes, collections and more. In this book we are introduced to not only Pascal but his friends Fancy, Cardigan, Zelda and Ringo. Unlike a traditional story where you read left to right, we found ourselves jumping across the page, up and down reading tidbits of the characters and the crazy town they live in. We had a lot of fun reading their funny antics and stories. The story is full of fantastic and humourous illustrations that will guarantee hours of fun.
In The Bear’s Surprise, hibernation is over and Little Bear is ready for adventure! But where is Papa Bear? Never fear, Little Bear will find him! Follow Little Bear on this adventure through interactive cutouts on his journey to find Papa Bear. What will he find at the end of his journey? Join Little Bear in this third installment of the acclaimed series by Benjamin Chaud.
In Big Bear Little Chair, author Lizi Boyd uses art and words to create a simple book for all ages to cherish. Lizi uses unexpected opposites to create a heart warming story about Big Bear, Little Bear and all the things that bring them together.
In Pierre the Maze Detective, we meet master detective Pierre who is on a new case. Mr. X has stolen the Maze stone (oh no!) which has the power to turn the whole city into a maze! Can you help Pierre and his friends make it through the maze and stop Mr. X before it is too late? This book features fifteen full spread illustrations of magical mazes.
In Leo: A Ghost Story, Leo just wants to find a friend. He knows he will make a good friend but everyone is scared of him. Why? Because Leo is a ghost! It is the young girl, Jane, who sees him for who he really is and together they become the best of friends. You can find my full review and book trailer here.
Raincoast Books wants you to win your own Back to School book collection as pictured above! My Canadian readers can now enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck and happy reading!
Disclosure: I received two of the above mentioned books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 20, 2015
Get Ready for School Numbers Memory Game #BTS
Getting back to school is all about fun and the numbers! And what better way to introduce your child to their numbers with a fun game from DK Canada.
The Get Ready for School Numbers Memory Game is the fun way to introduce your child to the world of numbers and counting. This book helps to enrich your child’s educational development as well as prepare them for school. The box contains a booklet with games, cards and an instruction sheet.
This boxed book set is suitable for children ages three to five to help prepare and enhance their current education. It provides instruction for parents to help encourage their child, while providing bright colours and a fun way to look at numbers for children to keep them engaged.
The cards come in four different colours with instructions on where to start and what activities to introduce at each stage. Teaching your child important math skills can be hard (I like to learn myself by reading examples so I find it hard to explain lessons to my children). This book helped me get over my awkwardness and help me teach my youngest son, who is heading off to Junior Kindergarten this year!
Get Ready for School Numbers also helps you to relate the learning skills to real life (counting objects, opportunities to count together, etc.)
How do/did you introduce numbers to your child?
Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product free of charge in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 20, 2015
My Highland Bride by Maeve Greyson
In My Highland Bride, young Kenna travels through time to meet the womanizing Colum Garrison. Can they move past their judgements of each other to realize true love?
About My Highland Bride
Kenna Sinclair seems like a normal young woman from Kentucky but the truth is she can read minds, erase memories and jump through time. These skills come in handy when her match making Granny sends her back in time in the hopes of falling in love.
When she meets the womanizing man at arms, Colum Garrison, Kenna knows he only has one thing on his mind and vows to steer clear of him. But after one electrifying touch she knows that it will be much harder than she anticipated.
Colum is bewitched by the first woman who would refuse him and he would do anything to prove his devotion – even ask for Kenna’s hand in marriage. He puts off all of his normal habits and traits to focus on Kenna to prove his love. Can the two be ready for a love that will last a lifetime?
My Thoughts
My Highland Bride was an intense, steamy romance novel but also carried an extremely interesting plot line that connected her first book in this series with the time travel. One of my favourite parts was the ability of the Sinclair family to travel through time and the history their family has. I mean who wouldn’t want the ability to travel through time?? I would love to!
The attraction that Kenna and Colum feel is so much stronger than a physical attraction. For Kenna, the hardest part is looking past Colum’s past (which has quite the extensive list of women) and she finds this hard to do. This is devastating for Colum who never really realized how his past could come back and haunt him. This is an important lesson for all of us that our actions can define our future. It took a lot of courage and patience for Kenna to move forward and it was beautiful to be able to witness the faith and hope they place in each other.
My Highland Bride is so much more than a steamy romance and will become a book you can re-read over and over again like I have! You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Maeve’s mantra has always been that no one can shatter you unless you give them the power to. When she is not at her full-time job at the steel mill, she is writing about sexy highlanders and the women who tame them.
August 18, 2015
Irish Meadows by Susan Mason
Sometimes when faced with the unknown, all we can do is have the courage to dream.
About Irish Meadows
Brianna and Colleen O’Leary know their Irish immigrant father expects them to marry well. Recently he has put even more pressure on them, insinuating that the very future of their Long Island horse farm, Irish Meadows, rests in their ability to land prosperous husbands. Both girls have different visions for their futures.
Brianna, a quiet girl with a quick mind, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry–as long as her father’s choice meets her exacting standards of the ideal groom. When former stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from business school and distant relative Rylan Montgomery visits Long Island during his seminary training, the two men
quickly complicate everyone’s plans.
As the farm slips ever closer to ruin, James O’Leary grows more desperate. It will take every ounce of courage for both sisters to avoid being pawns in their father’s machinations and instead follow their hearts.
My Thoughts
A perfect historical romance novel for you to cherish! Brianna and Colleen, although sisters, are night and day. Like any other family, the two girls fight, argue but love passionately. Their Father has always been a constant presence and pressure in their life. As they have gotten older, he uses them as pawns in order to secure his own financial future. He goes to any means in order to accomplish his goals.
When the two young men enter their lives, their whole world changes. The girls must make important decisions, risk their Father’s anger and disapproval or follow their hearts.
I loved this story not only for the romance but for the story of faith, love and following your dreams. You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy here.
Rating: 4.5/5
About the Author
Susan Anne Mason’s debut historical novel, Irish Meadows, won the Fiction from the Heartland contest from the Mid-American Romance Authors Chapter of RWA. A member of ACFW, as well, she lives outside of Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two children.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 18, 2015
My Garden #WW with linky
Welcome back to this week’s Wordless Wednesday!
This week I am featuring my garden. The only surviving plants are my tomatoes (the lettuce and zucchini were unfortunately dried up due to the extreme heat we had a few weeks ago) but my tomatoes have thrived very well. I couldn’t wait to show them off.
Make sure you link up below so that I can come visit you too! Have a great week 🙂
