Esther’s Miracle at the Manger by Mitzi Probert

by Carol2 Comments
Esther's Miracle at the Manger by Mitzi Probert, illustrated by Ty Schafrath (Suggested reading level: Kindergarten thru Grade 3) I have to admit that I've known Mitzi for years, but I didn't know that she had written a children's book until she did a talk at one of our Wednesday church services a few weeks ago. She talked about the journey she took from coming up with the story to actually having it published and then read the story. This is a cute Christmas story that was actual event. Esther, a young cow, is leery of being in the living nativity at a local church. When she arrives, instead of joining the other animals, she gets scared and takes off running down the highway. To escape from the noise and flashing police lights, she jumps in the river. She does make it to the other side, but she's still lost. After days of being hungry, lonely and tired, she finds her way to...
Read More

Winner!

by Carol5 Comments
Congratulations to the winner of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Chuck Fisher. Ryan I hope you enjoy this gorgeous pop-up book. I'll be e-mailing you shortly. I just need your mailing address to pass on to the publisher. I received my copy from the publisher for review and the above is my honest opinion. I am an Amazon associate....
Read More

Hower House Fairy Tale Holiday

by Carol3 Comments
Since it's Fairy Tale Friday, I wanted to pass on a holiday destination for those of us in Ohio. The Hower House, an elegant 28-room mansion museum in Akron, Ohio, is decorated for the holidays with a Fairy Tale Theme. I've heard that there's a  Goldilocks and The Three Bears room located on the second floor and been reminded to look out for “The Wolf” in Red Riding Hood's room. I'm going to try to get up there one of these weekends. The Fairy Tale Holiday Tour times are Nov 10 – Dec. 23: Wednesday – Saturday, noon until 3:30 pm with self-guided tours Sunday’s 1 to 4pm. You can visit their website for more information....
Read More

“The Tale of the Three Brothers” by J. K. Rowling

by Carol6 Comments
"The Tale of the Three Brothers" by J. K. Rowling I've read most of the Harry Potter series, all but the last one actually, and seen several of the movies, but I've never gotten any further into it. This is a story in The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a "wizarding classic" from that world. It tells the story of three brothers who through magic make a bridge that allows them to cross over a dangerous river. Death congratulates the brother, but actually feels cheated out of three victims. He offers to give the brothers prizes for their cleverness. The first asks for a powerful magic wand, the second for the power to bring back the dead, and the third, the youngest, is given a Cloak of Invisibility that will allow him to travel without Death following him. The first two brothers  end up dying quickly. The oldest is killed by another wizard who steals his wand. The second commits suicide when he...
Read More

Mr. Ginger and the Disappearing Fish by Chris Wardle

by Carol5 Comments
Mr. Ginger and the Disappearing Fish by Chris Wardle (Suggested Reading Level: Grades 3-6) Yet another environmental change is affecting the animals of Daphne Wood. The ocean currents have changed, causing the fish to move farther from the colony. Also, seagulls have congregated in the area to catch fish from the river, and boy are they noisy. The animals call a meeting to discuss the problem and a few worthy ideas are formed. One expedition headed out on the boat to find fish and one heads down the shore to find a new fishing spot for all the gulls. Mr. Denzel the mole and Sidney the armadillo begin setting up a pond for the colony to farm their own fish, so the problem can be avoided in the future. Mr. Ginger has to be my favorite character this time around. He's in the group looking for a new place for gulls and is thrilled to be carried by a pelican. he loves flying....
Read More