Rainbow Valley: A Story Of Choices by Francis Mont unfolds after a nuclear war destroyed most of the USA and the rest of the world. Climate change has also wreaked havoc on weather conditions resulting in hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, droughts and a rise in...

Ticks Are the Worst! A Public Service Announcement by Kaine and Duds is a witty educational children’s book about ticks. Ticks are parasites that transmit pathogens that cause disease through the process of feeding, and because of this, they can be very dangerous. Kaine and...

The Broken Bridge by Iris March is a Succulent Sleuth Cozy Mystery. Molly Green enjoys her work in her late grandmother's garden center where she's found a place for herself. Her peaceful existence receives a shake-up when news breaks about a backpacker disappearing, confirmed by...

I love this anonymous opening quote: “Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” How true. Life is like that: full of auspicious moments that flitter past almost undetected until, somewhere along the way, one of these...

In Junkyard Girl: A Memoir of Ancestry, Family Secrets, and Second Chances by Carlyn Montes De Oca, we find that the author grew up surrounded by a family that loved her and tried to protect her. Her parents were immigrants from Mexico who had nothing,...

From an early age, we must teach children about emotions so that they can recognize and understand them. As an example, they have to understand that feeling angry is a natural emotion, but it is necessary to control it for one's good. My Angry Robot...

In Meatpacking: A Novel by Michael Heslin, Max grew up with her uncle on her mother’s side while her mother was in an asylum. Later, Max and her daughter Salome lived in a hardware store loft with no other rooms except the water closet. Max...

In Fractured: A Memoir by Jenny Brooks, Jenny struggled with loneliness during her childhood and hungered to be embraced and connected to somebody. She was so much younger than her classmates and did not have friends. Jenny was only 11 years old when her grandmother...

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex: A Superhero High School Adventure by Carole P. Roman is a remarkable young adult novel about kids with special needs overcoming their handicaps and facing simple challenges of everyday life. Grady Whill and his best friend, Aarush Patel, hope...

Harold, a scientist on the hunt for Bigfoot, has gone missing in the forests of northwest Washington State. Task Force Agent Hunter, accompanied by Cat Whisker Margaux Martell, has been dispatched to find him, not realizing the dangers awaiting them on their search. While Hunter...

Four Seasons in One Day by Kalenga Augustine Mulenga teaches about the different seasons. One day, on Four Season Street, Sammy invites her neighbors out for a picnic; she realizes how little she sees them and wants to get to know them better. Everyone shows...

In Murder Music: A Mystery-Thriller for Music Lovers by Michael Baldwin, Melissa McKean had played the violin since she was four years old. She played in several small orchestras and won regional prizes. In four months, she would debut as a soloist in the Tchaikovsky...

The Wonderful Animals of the Boise River: A Companion to the Book Into Justin's World by Heather Lyn Davis teaches about the wonderful animals that live in the Boise River. Not only does it have beautifully drawn images for children to learn from, but they...

Allergy Possible! by Monique Faella is a children’s picture book that helps children who have serious allergic reactions to feel less alienated by what’s going on in the world around them. The narrative is smart despite being mainly written in simplistic kid-friendly language. There might...

Just Another Dead Animal is a memoir by James Morris, a Vietnam War vet who tells his story about how he unwittingly joined a war he never wanted to be a part of. After graduating from high school, James had high hopes while joining Penascola...

Abuse is not something new to many women, and certainly not for Audrey, Cynthia Savage's Trusting The Billionaire's main character. After divorcing her abusive husband, she started a non-profit association for battered women. Due to a lack of financing, her facility is at risk. Her...

Teddy, Teddy, Holding Back the Dark by Levity Fox is a rhyming picture book that shows the protective power of teddy bears against anything that could lurk in the dark. Every night after Teddy and his owner, a young girl named Liv, are tucked into...

Impulsiveness is common in young children, so they need to learn the consequences of their behavior. A lack of self-control can make it harder for them to socialize or adapt to new situations. Guy Miron shares a clear example in The Angry Bear, where a...

Learning the alphabet is the first step for children to be able to read and write. If they see this as fun, they will approach books and reading enthusiastically. Shandra Nalia shares a fun adventure story for kids to learn letter recognition. The Adventures of...

In Scotland's Melody: A Regency Romance by Katie Stewart Stone, we meet Melody Foster who has no desire to marry the man of her father’s choosing. She has already made her choice. After an angry fight with her father, Melody runs away to London, to...