#Review: Tucky Jo and Little Heart by Patricia Polacco

Summary:
Tucky Jo was known as the “kid from Kentucky” when he enlisted in the army at age fifteen. Being the youngest recruit in the Pacific during World War II was tough. But he finds a friend in a little girl who helps him soothe his bug bites, and he gets to know her family and gives them some of his rations. Although the little girl doesn’t speak English, Tucky Jo and Little Heart share the language of kindness. Many years later, Tucky Jo and Little Heart meet again, and an act of kindness is returned when it’s needed the most in this touching picture book based on a true story.

My review:
This is the sweetest, most heart felt, children's book I have come across. This is the story of an act of kindness done during a time of tribulation, that test time and space.

There were a few men of time period that were truly way too young to be fighting in a war. Here the reader sees a young man's kindness over what is a terrible surroundings. He takes a huge chance by befriending this young girl and heartbreak will follow, in the end, it was worth it. 

I loved that his friendship with this small girl would eventually grow to be something big and save not one life but two.

This book is a true story and highly recommended. 5 stars!

Disclosure: I picked up a copy of this book from my local library. The view expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon

Where to find the author:

Amazon
Goodreads

Spotlight & #Giveaway: Black Thumb by Frankie Bow #mysteries

The Black Thumb (Professor Molly Mysteries) (Volume 3)
Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: Hawaiian Heritage Press (April 18, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-1943476183

Summary: When a violent death disrupts the monthly meeting of the Pua Kala Garden society, Professor Molly Barda has no intention of playing amateur detective. But Molly’s not just a witness-the victim is Molly’s house guest and grad-school frenemy. And Molly quickly finds to her dismay that her interest in the murder of the stylish and self-centered Melanie Polewski is more than just…academic.

About The Author

Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining

In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.

Author Links

Webpage: www.frankiebow.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7809288.Frankie_Bow

Purchase Links

Amazon  – B&N 

Would you like to win a copy of one of the books from this author? Then enter below. Good luck.

Disclosure: I, Naila Moon, agreed to promote this author only and am not responsible for prize distribution. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Review: Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull/Illustrated by David Diaz #Olympics #DiverseBooks

Summary:
Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she'd run. And she did run--all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single Olympiad.

My review:
I have always heard of Wilma Rudolph, her story is legendary. However, her story was not complete until I read this book. It is amazing to me that this woman had overcome not only polio, but also all the childhood diseases we now have vaccines for. She often had double pneumonia too.

She was one of the youngest 23 children and at the time faced discrimination in Tennessee where she was born. Many doctors would not even treat her because of her color. She was most often treated at home. It is amazing she lived past her first birthday but then to become so great in history...Wow!

I loved her story of tenacity and never giving up. This is a story that many of us should learn because if we do, we can do and become anything we want.

As for the illustrations, the are bold and in mostly brown colors with touches of greens, oranges, and blues. They are all done in watercolor and just as fantastic as the whole story itself.

The book is a gold medal for me with 5 stars!

Disclosure: I obtained a copy of this book from my local library. The review here is 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon

Where to find the author:

Amazon
Goodreads

Write On August Review-a-thon #Challenge

Hey, I have come across this monthly challenge which seems to be a good one to me. Since this is new to me, I am going to take it on with gusto!

Here is what we are supposed to do:

The Write On Review-a-Thon is a challenge hosted by Book Bumblings. From Friday through Sunday, we all band together and write as many reviews as possible. It’s a weekend for you to either catch up on reviews or get ahead on upcoming ones. It doesn’t matter if you write one review or 10 – if you write a review, you’re in.  Join this month’s challenge here.

Here is a list of what I plan to review this weekend:
*Wilma Unlimited-How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull
*Any Questions? by Marie-Louis Gay
(I have a spotlight scheduled this weekend so that will probably be it for this go around.)~Naila Moon

#Review: Rice and Rocks by Sandra L. Richards #DiverseBooks

Summary:

Giovanni’s friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed—he does not like “rice and rocks” and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird. But his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue. She and Giovanni’s pet parrot, Jasper, take him on a magical journey across the globe, visiting places where people eat rice and rocks. This exciting story celebrates the varied traditions of every culture while also highlighting the delicious similarities that bring us all together. 

.

My review:

This wonderful little picture book celebrates cultural differences and cultural sameness. What I like about it though, the boy in the story learns about his own culture and that of others by going to the places where his friends are from.

Children reading this book are sure to get the concept that sometimes, even though we may be different, sometimes we have very similar taste in things, as the case in this book for food.
I found it interesting that one of the cultures used the beans and rice as a celebratory food and that them came up in the end of the book.

I thought the book had a magical essence about it because the way that the child and his aunt traveled and the interesting pet he had. This gave the book a different spin that I had not seen before.I loved that the child's interest were wrapped up in their travels too. That was a nice touch.

Finally, I really liked the illustrations in this book, they pretty much filled up the pages. They were not loud, bright colors but a bit more muted. Some pictures even were in black and white. That made them feel in a different time and space.

This is the first book from this author and I look forward to reading other books from her.  5 stars.


Disclosure: I received a PDF copy of this book in exchange for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. This review is also part of the Beach Bound Book Tours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon

Where to find the author:

Amazon

Goodreads

Review: Mama The Alien/Mama la Extraterrestre by Rene Colato Lainez/ Illustrated by Laura Lacamara #DiverseBooks (#review También en español)

Summary:
When Mama s purse falls on the floor, Sofia gets a peek at Mama's old Resident Alien card and comes to the conclusion that Mama might be an alien from outer space. Sofia heads to the library to learn more about aliens. Some are small and some are tall. Some have four fingers on each hand and some have large, round eyes. Their skin can be gray or blue or green. But Mama looks like a human mother! Could she really be an alien? Sofia is still puzzling out this mystery when she sees an alien-looking Mama one night. It turns out Mama is doing a beauty treatment so she will look her best for her citizenship ceremony. That's when Sofia realizes that in English, an alien can be someone from another planet, and it can also be a person from another country. Just like Mama! Filled with imagination and humor, Mama the Alien/Mama la extraterrestre is a lighthearted immigration tale and a celebration of family, no matter where that family comes from. Even if it s outer space!"

My review:
This is an incredibly fun tale of massive confusion. With our country being a very diverse country, the English language can be very confusing. In this book, the word "alien" is explored in a humorous way. I could easily see how a young child would think her Mom is an "alien". You know, the skinny, big-eyed, gray kind. She has the card and at one point the face to prove it. Funny!

This book certainly made me laugh and I know it will make kids laugh too. The book though has a couple of different elements to it though. First, it gives parents or teachers the opportunity to talk about English words and their opposites and meanings.

Secondly, this book is in Spanish and English so, it can helps families whose first language is not English read together and learn English together. That is some winners right there!

The book is targeted for 4-8 year olds but this is definatly a book for the child who is beginning to read or even a good reader. However, the illustrations are large and very brightly colored. The whole book give the reader a cheery feeling. 

I simply love the feel of this book overall. It is a positive story, funny, and has a great outcome.
Get yourself a copy today as I highly recommend it. 5 stars!

Disclosure: I recieved a copy of this book for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon

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Mi opinión en español:
Este es un cuento muy divertido de confusión masiva. Con nuestro país siendo un país muy diverso, el idioma Inglés puede ser muy confuso. En este libro, la palabra "extranjero" se explora de una manera humorística. Yo podría ver como un niño pequeño podría pensar que su mamá es un "extranjero". Ya sabes, el, de ojos grandes, de color gris tipo flaco. Ella tiene la tarjeta y en un momento dado la cara para probarlo. ¡Gracioso! Este libro sin duda me hizo reír y sé que hará reír a los niños también. El libro, aunque tiene un par de elementos diferentes a él sin embargo. En primer lugar, se da a los padres o los profesores la oportunidad de hablar acerca de las palabras en inglés y sus opuestos y significados. En segundo lugar, este libro está en español e Inglés así, puede ayuda a las familias cuyo primer idioma no es Inglés leer juntos y aprender Inglés juntos. Es decir algunos ganadores allí mismo! El libro está dirigido para 4-8 años de edad, pero esto es sin duda un libro para el niño que está aprendiendo a leer o incluso un buen lector. Sin embargo, las ilustraciones son grandes y muy brillantes colores. Todo el libro dar al lector una sensación alegre. Simplemente me encanta el ambiente de este libro en general. Es una historia positiva, divertida, y tiene un gran resultado. Consíguete una copia hoy como lo recomiendo. ¡5 estrellas! Divulgación: He recibido una copia de este libro para mi opinión abierta y honesta. Las opiniones expresadas aquí son 100% mi propia y pueden ser diferentes a la suya. ~ MM alias Naila Luna

Where to find the author:

Amazon
Goodreads

Review: The Adventures of Lovable Lobo - Selfies in the Wild by C. L. Murphy #BlogTour #Giveaway #SelfiesInTheWild

Summary:
Lobo and his sidekick raven find a trail camera in their neck of the woods, and it attracts the attention of forest friends. Images captured have never been sillier or more candid. Just as their wild dispositions are exposed, the photo shoot comes to an unexpected end and they're all left wondering why. The reason may be obvious.

My review:
This book is an absolutely adorable picture book. The photos in the book are large  and colorful with very few words which is perfect for the age group targeted (3-7 years old). Each page shows the animals doing very silly things. I could see my grandson laughing his head off as we look through the pages.



I think it was really cool that in the back of the book, the author included real photos of animals she capture on her own camera. She tells this is what gave her inspiration to write the book. I like that!

The author also includes a small glossary of bigger words used throughout the book. This would be helpful for the older child reading the book as it is recommended up to 7 years old.

For my review, the author suggested some activities to go along with the book. These activities could easily be integrated with the reading of this book. It might have been nice to see those on the last page but that does not take away from the book in the least. Click on THIS LINK for those activities.

I certainly recommend to get your own copy and I give the book 4 stars.

Disclosure: I received a PDF copy of this book for the purposed of this review. The views expressed here are 100 % my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon

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Don't forget to enter the author's giveaway which can be found HERE.

Where to find the author:

Amazon
Goodreads

AUTHORS: It's Time to Be Noticed! Check this out! #TopShelf

Check this out here and get your ad today. Be seen!

Book Blast:Seer: The Ghost of Gray Fable by Eli Bloom #YA #supernatural #ghost

Fifteen-year-old Grace “Gray” Fable can speak to the dead. When her dad moves from Los Angeles to be with his mysterious girlfriend, Gray must attend notorious Willowbrook High School, the scene of a mass shooting five years earlier. When she meets the ghosts of those who died that tragic day – including the school shooter himself – she must uncover a dark secret to lay the victims to rest, and find peace for their families before it’s too late to stop another tragedy. A YA Supernatural novel.

Buy on Amazon

  Eli Bloom is a young adult author living in Los Angeles with his wife and three cats
– one named Grace, of all things. He believes in ghosts.
  Follow the author's Website / Goodreads / Amazon

#Review: And One More Thing Before You Go...by Maria Shriver #selfhelp

Summary:
Graduating from high school is a big step for any girl. She is leaving her childhood behind and beginning the rest of her life. She is also leaving her mother’s protective circle of love and guidance. One of the greatest gifts a mother can give her daughter at this pivotal moment in her life is good counsel. In And One More Thing Before You Go...Maria Shriver, bestselling author, acclaimed journalist, First Lady of California, and mother of two daughters, provides a loving and heartfelt guide for girls as they go off to college.

Expanded from a speech given to her young friend Ally’s graduating class, Maria writes as a wiser, more experienced girlfriend, but also as both the daughter of a mother whose advice she still seeks and as the mother of daughters for whom she wishes a fulfilling and happy life. In this stirring and inspiring guide, Maria talks to young women about how to find abundance and emotional richness, and how not to overlook life’s most special gifts. Her ten rules—told in a witty and poignant anecdotal style—offer a firm grasp on what’s really important in life.

And One More Thing Before You Go... is a book that transcends age groups, a book that will make you laugh, cry, and open your eyes to a new way of looking at life. Thoughtful, compassionate, and above all, filled with love, And One More Thing Before You Go... is a book that will make every mother cry and every daughter stop and think about her mother’s words.

My Review:
Well known, former First Lady of California, Maria Shiver penned this book back in 2005 at the height of her reign. Upon an invite to an all female high school graduation, she gave a speech which is the essence of the entire book.
The message of her speech and her book was meant to be powerful,, uplifting, and motivating. She did seem to do that for the graduating class but  I am not so sure for the book. I understood what she was trying to do and her words echoed at the heart of it but being over 10 years later since the book was written...well...
Overall though, I could not help to be a little empowered especially since our election process is in full swing. Her message was loud and clear that women can do anything they want to do but to get there, it takes work. It takes being able to change plans on the turn of a dime and yet, balance everything in ones life. Oh and she notes that everyone makes mistakes; site-ting a huge one she made as First Lady.
Overall, I think this is not her best book but for what she was trying to do with it, still ok.

Disclosure: I picked up a copy free from my local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Where to find the author:

Amazon

#Review: Dearest Mother, Dearest Friend by Catherine Marshall #Memoir

Summary:
Based on personal journals and letters of beloved author Catherine Marshall, Dearest Mother, Dearest Friendis a collection of inspirational thoughts and about being a mother. A deeply devout Godly woman, Marshall's mother;Leonara Wood, was one of the most in influential people in Catherine's life--so influential in fact, that her real-life story was the basis for Marshall's most successful novel,Christy.Readers can catch a glimpse of their beautiful relationship in Dearest Mother, Dearest Friend.

My review:
This book is a sweet testament from author Catherine Marshall to her Mother. She chronicles her mother's arrival at a mission school all the way up to the present time prior to the author's death. The book has letters written to and from her mother through childhood, college, writing, children, and marriages.

The book surprisingly concludes with the untimely death of the author. The last mentions are from her own Mother who at the time of publishing in 2001 was then 92 years old and had outlived many of her own relatives including her author daughter. She laments briefly of her loss but as faith is strong for her, knows that she will see her again.

I give the book 3 stars.

Disclosure: I picked up a copy of this book for my own collections. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Where to find the author:
Goodreads
Note: Sadly this author is now deceased.

Book Blast: Angel Hero by Lizbeth Hartz #CrimeNovels #TrueStory

Dazzled by open-hearted Hawaii firefighter Vic Lazzarini, dispatcher Lizbeth is puzzled by his friendship with Jaku Cardoza, a little man who thinks he’s something big. Liz shakes like a palm frond in the trade winds when Jaku corners her in the alarm room and pummels her with sadistic stories. Gentlemanly Vic couldn’t be more different, and she dreams of romance with this Prince Charming she’s found after too many frogs. But a grisly crime in the gentle rain of a Hawaiian Valentine’s Day morning shocks her out of her fantasies and plunges her into the greatest struggle of her life. Liz knows one wrong move could snuff out her life quicker than she can say, “Fire Department. Are you reporting an emergency?” This is a true story. Names and descriptions, dates, and places were changed to protect the innocent.

Buy on Amazon

"I spent 14 of my 36 years with federal civil service employed as a dispatcher for two military fire departments on Oahu. My true-crime memoir Angel Hero grew out of that experience. I live with my fiancé, Barry, in lush Manoa Valley above the University of Hawaii." Follow the Author http://www.authorlizbethhartz.com/ www.kwillbooks.com/lizbeth-hartz

Kid Lit Blog Hop-August 2016 #KLBH #KidLitHop #KidLit

We want to welcome you to the August 2016 Kid Lit Blog Hop. It's back to school time! Some kids are already in school, some are going soon. The kids will be bringing home great books from their libraries. How about you share some of those on our monthly hop or for that matter, any great kid's literature.

This month we welcome a new co-host, Bruce from the Bookshelf Gargoyle! We welcome you

aboard and so glad you are here with us!

This exciting, monthly hop, is where we develop an engaged group of people who love everything that has to do with children's literature. Everyone is welcome to join us: bloggers, authors, publicist, and publishers!

Have you seen the new Kid Lit Blog Hopper Facebook fan page. This page has all the news and information related to the hop plus ongoing posts, giveaways, news articles, etc. related to Kid's Lit. Check it out and of course, please like the page.

**This time around I am featuring the "Put Me In The Story" books. This one is Fancy Nancy. I love these books! Go HERE to find out more. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon**

So for our hop, please make sure that your posts are related to Children’s literature only and add it to the linky. (Please make sure to add your direct post only) If you are an author, feel free just to link to your blog.

Once you are done, then hop around to visit others. Please follow the co-host and visit at least the one-two people above your link. Please leave a comment when you do visit, we all like those.

Also, it would be appreciated if you grab the Kid Lit Blog Hop Badge and display it on your blog and/or your post.

We would also be grateful if you tweet and/or posted on Facebook about the blog hop. Let’s grow this wonderful community.

Our next hop will be September 21, 2016.  Thanks for sharing your great children's books with all of us! The hostess will be around to see you.

Happy Hopping!

Reading Authors, Host

Julie Grasso

BeachBoundBooks

Cheryl Carpinello

Pragmatic Mom

The Logonauts

Spark and Pook

Hits and Misses

The Bookshelf Gargoyle

#Review & #Giveaway: Fancy Nancy Tea Parties for Fancy (Your Child's Name Here) by Jane O'Connor/ Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glassner #BookTour #PutMeInTheStory

Summary:
Fancy Nancy, hostess extraordinaire, can’t wait to share her party-planning expertise with your little one! From recipes and crafts to etiquette tips and French lessons, this precious personalized book contains everything your child needs to throw the perfect tea party. A personalized letter from Nancy herself to your fancy kiddo? Oui!

My review:
When I was a little girl, I loved having tea (kool-aid) parties. I would line up all of my dolls and serve the tea to each of them. As I had only brothers, this was my time by myself without them bugging me.

When I was with my grand-daughter, we sometime would dress up and have fun. A couple of times we had "tea" parties too. That is why I am so happy to have received this book. 

This book features, Fancy Nancy from the Fancy Nancy book series by the same author, except this time, the book has my grand-daughter's name and photo throughout.

In six short, little chapters, full of colorful photos, my grand-daughter is sure to love! She gets to learn how to put on the perfect tea party and dress up fancy. She even gets to learn a little French, which was fun for me as I know very little.

What I really thought was wonderful about this book, as if there is more to be wonderful about, the end of the book includes 12 spaces to write her own recipes and a graduate certificate. The certificate can be cut our and hung up and since it has my grand-daughter's photo on it, it is sure to make her giggle.

I love these Put Me In The Story books and this one is no exception to that fact. Magnifique! This  lovely and fun book gets 5 stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my open and honest opinion. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.I am not responsible for prize shipment of the giveaway attached to this tour.
~M.M. aka Naila Moon

About Giveaway :

Tour-Wide Rafflecopter Giveaway to win a Fancy Nancy Tea Party Kit!

Fancy Nancy Tea Party Kit Includes:

·         Personalized copy of Fancy Nancy Tea Parties

·         Personlized TuTu Basket

·         Feather Boa

·         Children’s Tea Set

Rafflecopter HTML & Link: (giveaway ends 8/31/2016 at 11:59pm CST) http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7368 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Where to find:
Fancy Nancy Tea Parties

About Put Me In The Story

Put Me In The Story, the #1 personalized books site in the U.S., creates personalized versions of bestselling books and books where you star alongside your favorite characters. Our gifts capture moments that matter and memories that last. With each touching picture and special dedication message, our readers have become our most dynamic characters.

Put Me In The Story inspires a love for reading, across all ages and generations, through the experience of shared, personalized stories.

#Review: Daily Downloads & Fortune Cookies from the Universe by Robert Clancy

Summary:

Daily Downloads & Fortune Cookies from the Universe is your guide to enlightened thinking for a peaceful soul. Divided into nine uplifting categories — faith, hope, love, compassion, giving, peace, happiness, strength and leadership — each inspirational thought within those sections will help to center your spirit and encourage your compassion for humanity.

My review:

This book is a collection of quotes meant to inspire the reader to something greater than self. It can be considered a self-help book of sorts.
The quotes are garnered from the author's own thoughts but also from others around the world.

The book is put together like one would write on lines pages with some pencil lined illustrations and scribbles.

Overall, a pretty decent book. Although, I read the book in one sitting, it is really meant to be read daily and reflected on. 

I give the book 4 stars.

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Where to find the author:

Amazon