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This adventure/fantasy story whisks the reader into the exotic, mythological tales of India. In The Iron Ring, Lloyd Alexander brings his hero, young King Tamar, through innumerable challenges which shake his world, one in which the warrior’s code of honor is everything. Honor, caste, dignity. All are in question and Tamar struggles to redefine his…

In Madlenka, by Peter Sis, Madlenka shares some very important news with her friends. As she visits each friend on her New York City block, she travels the world—and is almost late for dinner. Sis’s illustrations not only transport you from continent to continent, but also keep your eye busy with his tweaks in perspective.…

Unseen Guardians: Part 2 Last week, we talked about the guardianship of Mom and Dad’s words. Reread the passage below and refresh your memory: “My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you;…

Tentacles, Roland Smith’s sequel to Cryptid Hunters, sends the Wolfe team hunting for Architeuthis, the giant squid. However, Noah Blackwood is hunting the Wolfe team and only Grace is safe. Smith’s character, Dr. Ted Bronson, rivals Ian Fleming’s Q as some incredible technology appears in the novel. I love the sonic cannons. What could you…

A, B, C’s—scoot over, as 1, 2, 3 take their turn in Bill Martin, Jr.’s Chicka Chicka  1 2 3. The apple tree provides the setting for this adventure as the numbers climb its sturdy branches. Will Zero get a chance to join the number game? What will the numbers do when the bees claim the tree?…

Unseen Guardians: Part 1 Silent sentinels. Wise watchmen. They guide our steps to the path of right choices. They give wise counsel when a problem confronts us. They stand guard when we sleep. They light our way and steer us back to the right path when we wander. Who are these guiding guardians? These wise…

When the Monroe family discovers a baby rabbit during a scary movie at the theater, life turns into a horror story for family pets, Chester the cat and Harold the dog. White vegetables, drained of all juice, appear in strange places. The fridge opens and closes in the middle of the night. Is the new bunny…

Stuffy nose. Achy head. Know the feeling? In Karma Wilson’s Bear Feels Sick, Bear’s friends do their best to nurse him back to health. Unfortunately, those nasty germs attach themselves to Bear’s friends, too. What can a bear do when his buddies feel blue? Bear care to the rescue. If you’re down with the sniffles,…

Good Vibrations Think of one person you love to be around. What makes this person so special? I think of my friend, Becky. Becky smiles alot and kind, encouraging words flow from her. She is one of the happiest people I know and she brightens my day. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 15:30 NIV, “A cheerful look…

Markus Zusak’s Book Thief holds some of the best writing I have ever read. Each page paints pictures in your mind. Zusak’s novel, a Holocaust story, endeavors to show the good that existed within the Germany of World War II and the country’s struggle to break the oppression of Hitler and the Nazis. In an…