In Last Temptation, Sloane Virago challenges us with character evaluation. Each character is a troubling mixture of good and bad. With one exception they are twenty-somethings making their separate ways through finding careers and love. Each inspires and disappoints. Jacob, at first the seeming protagonist,...

The Bees, the Bag, and the Artist by K.C. Morcom is an engaging story about the life-changing impact of kindness and perseverance. Beautiful color paintings on every page illustrate the recent chapter in the lives of two artists. Ron, an older man, after 5 years...

Make Baby Happy is a cute action picture book for preschoolers by Nareen Rose. Do you know how to make a crying baby happy again? Does your baby like to be tickled? How hard can it be to get a baby to smile? Tickle the...

In Bella's Dash by Jo Dibblee, you will also read about many more rescue dogs that find their forever homes with people who love them, as well as Bella's story. There are many different breeds or mixed breeds in different sizes, but to their people...

Adam Reemi is a child of war in Einstein in the Attic by Dana Dargos. His parents made him feel like the most cherished child and his dad always made him a priority. Adam’s chest fills with uneasiness and dread on hearing the word God....

Unusual Light by J. Elizaga follows Ana Juliet otherwise known as AJ as she tries to make up for a bad bet by taking a more than suspicious job at the morgue of Shoreline Hospital. The job seemed simple enough; however, with strange calls being...

Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood by Amelia Zachary is a deeply personal, profoundly moving, and ultimately joyful journey through one woman’s battle with mental illness and life in general. Amelia was an overachieving, young Muslim girl, growing up in Kuala Lumpur and...

Dogfish Just Be You! by Rita Reed celebrates individuality. Dogfish is enjoying his time in the ocean off the coast of California when he hears the songs of humpback whales. He asks if he can join them in their journey northward. Dogfish is hoping to...

The Incredibly Amazing and Magical Flying Chair by Bob Shumaker and Nancy Machlis Rechtman will make you see magic in a new way. When Noah was a little boy, he used to sit on his father's lap while his father read him fantastic stories. His...

Suzanne Lezotte’s first child, Owen, was born with Down Syndrome. Lezotte did not know about his diagnosis until a week after his birth. The identification of Owen as a Down Syndrome child brought with it the expected feelings of grief, fear, and doubts. The experience...

In Bibles and Bones in the Forest by Flora Reigada, an installment of the Angels at Pine Brook Ranch series, Laura and Chris Murillo run the Pine Brook Ranch and Rescue in a rural area of New York. Laura tends the rescued horses and gives...

Precious One, You Were Worth the Wait is a children’s picture book written by Yvonne Sundberg with illustrations by Lucie Korneeva. It highlights the heartwarming journey of Mama and Dada as they long for a baby. They cry and pray for a miracle, and when...

Seattle is known for its persistent rainfall and its outstanding coffee. By the late 1980s to early 1990s, Seattle emerged as ground zero for a new music genre: grunge. Yet, despite the explosion of the alternative rock scene and its artists, Seattle had been home...

Afterward: Murder of a Soldier by Terri Schlack is a memoir that follows the aftermath of the 2009 murder of Ryan Schlack, killed at Fort Hood, and his family's account of the impact of his death and the challenges of the military legal system. His...

The memoir, Barely Visible: Mothering a Son Through His Misunderstood Autism, follows author Kathleen Somers' path as a mother raising her son, Jack, who has Asperger syndrome. Somers shares the impact of the loss of her first child, Angela, and the subsequent birth of Jack,...

Pickles the Mermaid by Laura Strachan is a children's picture book that follows the story of its titular mermaid, Pickles, who loves eating pickles and enjoys spreading joy by asking her sea friends if they would like a "tickle or a pickle." However, she faces...

The Stormy Kromer Kitten by Erin Byrnes Bailey narrates the fascinating history behind the Stormy Kromer cap while featuring an adorable calico kitten. The story introduces us to George Kromer, a young man residing in the small town of Kaukauna, Wisconsin. He falls in love...

"Chrystallia" by P.M. Glaser was a pleasure to read and review. Glaser has created a magical world brought to life through beautiful illustrations and brilliant writing. Siblings Maggie and Jesse were facing a family crisis; their home was being repossessed and their mother was dying....

When authors David and Anita Hill asked a group of students to explain the meaning of Christmas, they got some interesting answers such as, “Doing something fun when it’s snowing outside,” “Coming together as a family,” and “Getting presents and eating a lot of food.”...

Ori is a very special part of an amazing time in Christian history. He is the one to carry our Lord and Savior into the city of Jerusalem during the Passover. Ori is the donkey colt spoken of in Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!...