Camels

Camels

Melissa Gish

Have you ever wondered why some camels have two humps and some camels have only one hump? And what exactly are those humps used for? Large, bright photographs on every page capture a child's attention from the very beginning. But each page is also filled with tons of informative facts about all of the different types of camels and how they live. Children and adults alike will enjoy reading about all of the different ways camels have to conserve water or about the history of the wild camels still roaming the earth today. The author did a great job of researching camels and then presenting the information in a fun and creative way. Young readers will be captivated while learning more about a unique and very special animal. The book will make a wonderful addition to your home or school, in addition to the other books in the "Living Wild" series.

I received this book free of charge from Children's Lit in exchange for my honest review.

Love Contract

Love Contract

Lisa Watson

Milan has moved to town to escape a bad relationship mistake. She doesn't like leaving her family, but soon makes some amazing friends. One of those friends sets up an interview for Milan at her son's realty company. But Adrian is tired of his mom's incessant matchmaking and mistakes Milan for another match. It will take him tons of apologies to correct his mistake.

The book was funny at times. It also seemed a little cliche. The outcome was completely predictable, as are most romance novels. But the emotions and reactions were also predictable. The standard conflict that seems standard issue in a romance was also there, but it felt thrown in at the last minute to create some drama. I just didn't buy the resolution.

The female character in the book speaks Spanish. Since I don't, it was extremely difficult to follow the story. The author would translate some of it, but it really broke up the flow of the story. 

I guess I like my men and women in a romance to have a lot less fighting and more of a connection than just physical.

I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.

Upside-Down Prayers for Parents

Upside-Down Prayers for Parents

Lisa T. Bergren

Described as "31 Daring Devotions for Entrusting Your Child - and Yourself to God".  The author turns 31 prayers into devotions. They begins with the prayer and a Bible verse. The author breaks down the concept of the prayer and ends with a prayer. The last part is divided into how to make it personal and making it relevant. The relevant part is interactive with the child and has two options depending on the age of the child. A sample prayer - "I pray you'll have to wait--and learn the value of patience."

This was an interesting devotional. I loved the concept of praying for my child. The idea of turning our typical prayers upside down is wonderful. I think my only issue was how the prayers were worded. Every person needs to face trials and adversity to grow character. But to pray for my child to "brush up against death" just rubs me wrong. My five year old DID brush up against death last year. But his little friend had to die to make that happen. And I just can't bring myself to prayer for death in order for my child to gain a strong character. There were several of the prayers that I would have worded quite a bit differently. That being said, this is good book if you can take the idea and use it to make your own prayers for your children.

I received this book free of charge from WaterBrook in exchange for my honest review.

Sweet Sanctuary

Sweet Sanctuary

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Dr. Micah is a doctor in New York. He felt a calling from God to help the immigrants. But when he receives a letter about an old co-worker, he rushes to Boston. Things aren't exactly as they seem and Micah finds himself working with Lydia to bring families together no matter the risks. Set during WWII, the story covers immigration issues, adoption, addiction, and family relationships.

I appreciated the author using the slant of the innocence and naivety of the Americans about the horrors of the war. The story had several different elements going on at once. This might be a bit overwhelming to some. But I enjoyed it, so didn't mind. It was fresh and captivating. The message of salvation was brought out several times. I will be checking out more books by this author.

 I received this book free of charge from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Lucky School Bus

Lucky School Bus

Melinda Melton Crow

All of the other vehicles in the Wonder Wheels Garage think that School Bus is a very lucky vehicle. He has a very special job. Today is the first day of school and School Bus is ready for his job. He waves good bye to his friends and heads to work. He picks up the children and takes them to school. After school is out, he returns the children to their home. When he returns home School Bus tells his friends how great his day went.

Short sentences and easy to read words make this an excellent level 1 reader. Children will enjoy the colorful pictures and fun story. The book is written at a kindergarten to first grade reading level, but much younger children will enjoy having the story read to them. The size of the book is perfect for little hands. The story concept is one that will be familiar for early school age children.

I received this book free of charge from Children's Lit in exchange for my honest review.

Journey to Riverbend

Journey to Riverbend

Henry McLaughlin

Michael is at the hanging of an innocent man, Ben Carstairs. Right before his death, Ben asks Michael to find his father and give him a message. Michael begins the journey with only one thought in mind. He'll find Mr. Carstairs, give the message and then go on with his life. But his plans aren't even close to reality. A beautiful woman, a manhunt, and death were not on the agenda. But God can bring beauty out of death and pain.

I just couldn't love this book the way I wanted to. The cover kept me from even starting the book, but once I did, it didn't get any better. The characters didn't resonate with me. The plot was slow moving and easily predictable. And the ending was left in such a way that there might be a sequel, but I couldn't find any hint that another book was coming. If you like any loose ends tied up, then you won't like the ending. There wasn't anything at all resolved. My summery would be that this is a Christian western with lots of "preaching", quite a bit of violence, scenes not appropriate for children to read, and a good writing style. I'm giving the book such a low rating because I really didn't like the book and can't honestly recommend it to anyone.

I received this book free of charge from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Sammy Experiences God

Sammy Experiences God

Tom Blackaby and Rick Osborne

Sammy loves reading Bible stories and wants to experience God for himself. The book takes Sammy and the reader on a journey to learn about how to personally experience God. Each page is filled with scriptures and questions to help in the experience.

My kids and I loved this book. The book is extremely interactive. The questions are conversation starters. The frogs add a fun element and the secret codes were perfect for my son. While incredibly fun, it was also the well written and thought provoking message that really hit home with us. It was a fresh new way of presenting a loving and caring heavenly Father. Will definitely be keeping this book and re-reading it often.

I received this book free of charge from Shelton Interactive in exchange for my honest review.