This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Doreen Chombu for Readers' Favorite
Maddy's Towers is a children’s picture book written by Inbal Alon with illustrations by Mandira Biswas. It follows Maddy, a young girl who returns home in tears after a sad betrayal. Her best friend, Mei, just revealed Maddy’s secret to everyone. While Maddy’s mother comforts her, Maddy says that she would never trust anyone again. Her mother feels sad about this and tells her that trust is like a tower made up of blocks of love and kindness. The more you treat each other kindly, the more trust grows. Her mother prepares her for the night and leaves her to reflect on her words and to choose whether she wants to destroy the tower of trust she has been building with Mei or continue building. The next day at school, Maddy picks up Mei’s spelling paper and realizes she can either embarrass her by exposing it to the class or give it back to her quietly.
Maddy's Towers is a heartwarming story about friendship, trust, remorse, and forgiveness. It has one of the best explanations of how one can build trust. The block tower of trust is something that many children can relate to and easily understand. One aspect of the book that I found quite interesting was the dialogue between the characters. It is natural and child-friendly, without being artificial or forced. Inbal Alon really nails that raw, emotional place kids go when they feel hurt, and you can sense Maddy's struggle—of whether she should try to trust again, or act out because she is upset? The illustrations are full of color and energy, and the characters are all sorts of people from different backgrounds, which is refreshing. There are also some fun activities to try with your kids, plus tips for building trust. If you want a book about trust, sharing how you feel, and making good choices, this one’s a solid pick.
