100 Little Lambs Book Review and Giveaway

Friday, March 15, 2024


ABOUT THE BOOK
Join Clover the Lamb on a whimsical adventure where playful shenanigans lead to a heartwarming lesson in faith in 100 Little Lambs. Clover is the mischievous lamb, always straying from what she's supposed to be doing. While her fellow lambs dutifully feed and prepare for the day, Clover prefers to frolic and play. But when her adventurous spirit takes her farther than she's ever been, she finds herself lost and injured in the midst of a storm. Hope seems lost, but then a glimmer of light appears . . . This enchanting story helps children feel their Savior's love by bringing the parable of the Lost Sheep to life, and offering a warm, playful narrative perfect for repeated readings. Inspired by the timeless parable 100 Little Lambs is a charming and uplifting tale that will touch the hearts of children and reassure them of the boundless love of their Savior. Through Clover's journey, young readers will come to understand that no one is beyond the Good Shepherd's reach and that they are seen and loved.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Sierra started talking early and has been a storyteller ever since. She loves to teach and work with children, and this love has shaped her life from working as a high school English and history teacher and children’s art teacher to serving as a church children’s leader and a mother. Sierra is passionate about writing, art, hiking, family, and eating entirely too much chocolate. She currently lives with her husband, four kids, two cats, two fish, and a bearded dragon in Alberta, Canada. Keep in touch and learn more at http://www.sierrawilsonauthor.com/ or on social media.


REVIEW
As 99 lambs stick close together, one little lamb named Clover strays and goes off to play by himself. Clover finds himself alone, wet, and miserable. The good shepherd finds Clover and offers him comfort. In this sweet and fun story, children will learn about the parable of the Lost Sheep. I love the playfulness of this story. I could see children wanting to come back to this story and reading it again and again. I love the message of love and kindness that the Good Shepherd (Christ) shows the sheep. Kids will enjoy the playful tone and the rhymes. It also is a lesson for kids not to go off alone, but someone they love will come find them. The illustrations are attractive, eye-catching and fun. This is sure to be a family favorite. To learn more, click here.


Please note that I received a free pdf to review this book, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog. This post is in cooperation with the author.

Grimmworld: The Witch in the Woods Book Review

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

ABOUT THE BOOK

Twins Willow and Jake Grimm are not prepared for the bizarre gadgets and scary changes in their new home of New Marburg, the location of the top-secret Think Tank where their parents now have jobs as scientists. In this town, people jetpack to work, robots direct traffic, and senior citizens duel with laser swords.

Yet nothing compares to what happens the day after lightning strikes the twins’ house. Their school building transforms around them, becoming a medieval castle—complete with moat, drawbridge, and a dangerous giant who looks strangely like the school’s overly aggressive hall monitor.

Barely managing to escape before a massive beanstalk lifts the castle above the clouds, Willow and Jake learn that their ancestors, the original Brothers Grimm, were more than storytellers. They were Grimmwalkers, able to travel from our universe to Grimmworld: the universe where all fairy tales are born.

Somehow, Willow and Jake have been transported to Grimmworld as well. But before the twins can figure out how to get back to their own universe, they discover that their best friends, Hank and Pearl, have morphed into the fairy tale characters Hansel and Gretel and been captured by a candy-obsessed witch deep in the Cursed Forest.

Now, aided by a mysterious wizard with shimmering golden eyes and a befuddled, talking naked mole-rat named Chet, the twins must trust in each other, believe in themselves, and find the courage to face their darkest fears in order to save their friends, return to their family, and maybe—just maybe—save the world.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
One of the most versatile writers in the world, Michaelbrent Collings has written bestsellers for adults, teens, and children in nearly every genre. Thrillers, mysteries, horror, sci-fi and fantasy titles, even humor and non-fiction--Michaelbrent has found success in each and continues to write stories that surprise and delight fans all over the world.

In addition to popular success, Michaelbrent has also received critical acclaim: he is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award (twice), a Dragon Award (twice), and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed and/or featured on everything from Publishers Weekly to Scream Magazine to NPR.

An engaging and entertaining speaker, he is also a frequent guest at comic cons and on writing podcasts like Six Figure Authors, The Creative Penn, Writing Excuses, and others; and is a mental health advocate and TEDx speaker.

Michaelbrent is also the owner of Bestseller Life, a comprehensive writing and self-publishing course that transforms storytellers into storysellers, and teaches authors how to become their own best story.


REVIEW
Willow and Jake Grimm move to New Marburg with their parents. This secretive town has robots directing traffic, jetpacks as modes of transportation, and senior citizen dueling in the park. The town becomes even weirder when a mysterious lightning strikes their house and the town merges with fairy tales with beanstalks, a giant, wizard and magic. Willow and Jake race to help their new friends, Hank and Pearl, who've merged with the fairy tale versions of themselves, from the wicked witch and try to save the world.

In Grimmworld, Michaelbrent weaves a new world that's full of fairy tales, robots, magic, and multiple universes. The story starts slowly as the author describes the world that he built. The world is big and full of different possibilities for other books from Greek mythology to sci-fi to fairytales. The characters are likeable, and the author shows us their flaws, strengths, and kindness. Despite the darkness the characters face, they find new friends, try to spread light to those around them. There were some scarier scenes that I did forewarn my kids before they read the book. My 10-year-old son read it, liked it, and said it was just the right level of scary. There was also a scene where Willow examines the oven that the witches uses and that was a little too much for me, but I think it was only because I read Stiff by Mary Roach. The scariness is manageable and something that's not terribly dark. Overall, I thought it was very imaginative and creative. I would read the next book in the series.  To learn more, click here

Please note that I received a free copy to review from the publisher, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog. This post is in cooperation with Shadow Mountain Publishing.

Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Monday, March 11, 2024




ABOUT THE BOOK

Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Written by Sands Hetherington
Illustrated by Natalie Leininger
Ages 7+ | 156 Pages
Publisher: Dune Buggy Press | ISBN-13: 9780984741762

Publisher’s Book Summary: The iguanas are back to their stinky shenanigans. They’ve fitted out the flying school bus for real mischief and are marauding all over the Borough. They’ve really got it in for John and Crosley, who must sniff out their evildoings before it’s too late! Will they succeed? Join the Night Buddies in their racing blimp for this exciting new adventure!

Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sands Hetherington, creator of the Night Buddies series of chapter books, credits his son John for being his principal motivator. Sands and young John developed the Crosley crocodile character in the series during months of bedtime story give-and-take. They collaborated many nights on escapades starring John and Crosley until, eventually, it occurred to Sands why it was that Crosley was bright red. That was when the first book came together.

Sands majored in history at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and has an M.F.A. in creative writing and an M.A. in English from UNC-Greensboro. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

For more information, visit www.nightbuddiesadventures.com/, https://twitter.com/Night_Buddieshttps://www.pinterest.com/nightbuddies2/, https://www.facebook.com/NightBuddieshttps://www.instagram.com/nightbuddiesadventure/, https://www.tiktok.com/@nightbuddiesbookseries%20.


ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Natalie Leininger, illustrator of the 4th title in the Night Buddies series, grew up in New Jersey and has been drawing ever since she was young. She now lives in Nebraska and attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying the fine arts. She is in her third year at the university, primarily practicing oil painting, but spends time outside of the classroom working on a variety of projects. She has always enjoyed being with children, which made illustrating and working on Night Buddies such an enjoyable project!

Natalie strives to capture our world in bloom. Whether it be through the literal sense of a blooming flower or the simple act of sketching a character’s smile spreading across their face, her art is a place for all to engage in their own way.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Life Is What It's Called -What's the overall message of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264?

Sands Hetherington - It’s really a kid’s story that’s pure entertainment. I just wanted to entertain young readers. If there’s any message in there, I’m not aware of it, although readers should enjoy the friendship between John and Crosley and realize the value of having a close friend. Friends teach each other social skills, provide moral support, and a host of other things. John does his best when it comes to Crosley.

Life Is What It's Called -What was your favorite scene to write and why?

Sands Hetherington - I think the scene with John and Crosley setting a booby trap for the iguanas who were going to spray paint John’s parents’ house. The booby trap blew up and scared the iguanas away. You’ve never seen a bunch of iguanas take off on their dirt bikes so fast!

Life Is What It's Called - Do you have a similar personality to any of the characters?

Sands Hetherington - I would say the character of John, who is fashioned after my own son John.

Life Is What It's Called - How is this book different from others on the market? 

Sands Hetherington - I don’t think there’s another book on the market that involves a red crocodile who’s allergic to water. When he gets water on him, he does the Black Bottom dance for hours. This dance became popular during 1920s amid the Jazz Age and became a national craze. The antidote that his brother, Crenwinkle, gives Crosley is what makes him turn red.

Life Is What It's Called -What did you learn from writing this book?

Sands Hetherington - This is the fourth book in the Night Buddies series, “Adventures after Lights Out.” I had to recall vividly what happened in prior books so that the storyline and characters would remain consistent. The books need to be compatible.

Life Is What It's Called -How has your life prepared you to write the Night Buddies series?

Sands Hetherington - I had always wanted to be a writer, and it occurred to me one night that I hadn’t done any writing in years. Every night I read to my son John for twenty minutes or so, and when we finished, he would continue making up this story about a red crocodile. I thought the idea was fresh and original and might be something entertaining for children.

Life Is What It's Called - What will readers enjoy most about Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264?

Sands Hetherington - It’s a wholesome adventure. My stepfather used to read books to me when I was a kid. I still listen to books and relish the characters that the authors invent. I simply want kids to have fun with the characters I created.



GIVEAWAY

Enter the giveaway for your chance to win an autographed 4-book series, including: Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare, Night Buddies and One Far-out Flying Machine, Night Buddies Go Sky High, and Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264!

Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264: Book Giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Sands Hetherington. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.

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