A Note...

Dear followers, friends, and A-Z participants.

You may have noticed no A-Z postings coming from me in the last week or so.
Unfortunately, I have been in the hospital twice in three weeks (non-c-19 related). I obviously  got behind and have decided to not be concerned with it.

Having said that, I will still be doing the reviews and intend to finish, it simply will just not be on time.  Please check back often and by all means, leave me a comment on the wonderful authors I read and review.

Thanks for understanding,
Michelle

Lighten Your Mental Load by Amy Thorton #Giveaway #spotlight #nonfiction

Book Details:

Book Title:  Lighten Your Mental Load by Amy Thornton
Category:  Adult non-fiction,  129 pages
Genre:  Self-Help
Publisher:  Tell-Tale Publishing
Release date:   January, 2020
Tour dates: Apr 13 to May 1, 2020
Content Rating:  PG: The author uses occasional mild swear words in the book.

Book Description:

Mental labor, or the mental load, involves the many — and extremely varied — tasks that are involved in managing a household and/or workplace. This topic has exploded over the past couple of years, especially for women. As stated in an October 2017 Washington Post article, “The constant stress of trying to stay organized — and to remember to execute so many tasks every single day — is affecting women's relationships with their spouses, children, friends, and colleagues. They are experiencing mental, emotional, and physical fatigue trying to stay on top of it all.”

Lighten Your Mental Load shares real stories of what this load is like for both men and women across the globe and how it originated. It offers practical advice on how to lighten this burden through technology and other methods in the following areas:
• Home
• Shopping and Meals
• Marriage/Partners
• Children
• Pets
• Transportation
• Career
• Birthdays, Celebrations, Holidays, and Vacations
• Volunteering, Church Activities, and Hobbies
• Caregiving
• Retirement

Finally, the book discusses ways to not add to the mental load of others and how we can more evenly distribute the mental labor between both sexes for future generations.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon~ Tell-Tale Publishing
Add to Goodreads

 

Meet the Author:  

Amy Thornton Shankland, GPC, has been battling the mental load for over 29 years. She is a former Dale Carnegie instructor, has been a grant professional for 18 years, is a columnist for the Hamilton County Reporter in Central Indiana, and a wife and mother. She also published Joy to You and Me (At Work!) in 2018 through Tell-Tale Publishing.

Connect with the Author:  website ~ facebook ~ twitter

Enter the Giveaway:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

(The) Flute Player: An Apache Folktale by Michael Lacapa #multicultural #NativeAmerican #atozchallenge #review

The story tells of two young ones who come to a Hoop Dance but dance with no other. They separate to their own families but the boy, a flute player, plays for her. She secretly sends "messages" to him that he likes how he plays. The village thinks the music comes from the trees. Eventually, tragedy strikes but the music is still heard through the canyon.

This folktale could almost be Romeo and Juliette-esq. Except the two lovers are not kept from each other with the exception of time. I loved this story but the ending was sad. You will have to get your own copy to know what happens.

 I do believe students reading this book would understand it to be folklore or albeit the way to explain things. It is a great book to read and study for Native American studies. I will say though, although this book is listed for younger readers, it could go up to 5th grade with more in depth study.

This book is beautifully illustrated by the author as well. The graphics are in browns, blues, muted yellows, and green. The Apache people are illustrated in bold line drawings. I truly love this and it speaks to the authors naive heritage. His book keeps the stories alive.

This book gets 5 stars from me.  Amazon

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

Egypt (If You Were Me and Lived In...Series) by Carole P. Roman #atozchallenge #review

I love the "If You Were Me and Lived In..." series of books by Carole P. Roman. I am privileged to have almost the entire collection from around the world. This one is a view of Egypt.

As with all of her books from this series, she follows a general format which includes: city capital, name for parents, names for children, money used,foods eaten, places to visit, school name, holidays. 
This time some of those words were hard even for me to pronounce! Thank goodness for that glossary of terms in the back.

This book seemed to be a little bit more sophisticated than the first few I read. It gave much more detail and she seemed to have upgraded for a more reading emergent child. 

I knew about the Nile River but did not know that you could travel up and down it on an everyday trip. Wow, what fun! 
Since I am fascinated with Egyptian lore, all the information about the pyramids and rulers was great too.

Want to learn more? I highly recommend this book and the whole series.  Amazon
Another 5 star book to me.

Disclosure: I purchased this book for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.  ~Michelle

David's ADHD by Sherrill S. Cannon #review #childrensbooks #differentabilities #atozchallenge

Synopsis:
Does your child have ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?

Meet David, one of award-winning author Sherrill S. Cannon’s “Classroom of Kids,” who manages his ADHD with the help of classmates.

David discovers ways to cope with his hyperactive brain, while learning how to calm and soothe his ADHD. Solutions include setting daily schedules and following simple rules that regulate behavior. His teachers and therapists encourage using the computer for academic advancement, and to establish a pattern for study as well as for occasional recreation. David not only learns self-control and communication skills, but is able to fit into the classroom and make friends.

My review: 
There has not been one book that Sherrill S Cannon has written that I have not liked. Her stories for children have always been point on and needed to help children help themselves. This book is no exception.

This time the author tackles the problem of ADHD but from the standpoint of the child who has it, "David". David's problem is causing disruption in his parents, school, and himself. With the help of his classmates and family, he learns ways to control his behavior and gain  support.

As always, Kalpart illustrators do an excellent job in making Sherrill's "kids" come to life with bright and bold illustrations. Also, don't forget to look for other books by the author that have been cleverly hidden.

Told completely in rhyme, this book is more than just a book to help children to understand other kids like David. This book is a resource that should be in every home and school! In the back of the book are resources parents can use to help their own children who suffer from ADHD.

I highly recommend this 5 star book!  Amazon

Michelle

Disclosure: I purchased a Kindle copy of this book to review for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Can a Princess Be A Firefighter? by Carole P. Roman #atozchallenge2020 #girlempowerment

This adorable little book is another winner for author, Carole P. Roman. A departure from her series books, the author takes on questions proposed to Daddy by two little girls...aka her granddaughters.

The girls are clearly princesses and the apple of "Daddy's" eye. However, they want to know if they can be something else and still maintain their princess status. Of course they can!

With short sentences and colorful pastel colors, the reader is whisked away in thoughtfulness of what they could possibly do when they grow up. The girls in the story as well as young readers are made to feel empowered to be whatever they want to be. More importantly, they are told no matter what they do, they will always be loved. To this reader, that means everything!

5 stars!
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book from the author. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.  ~Michelle

#Review: Beemoore Breakthru (Dr, Dee Dee Dynamo Series) by Oneeka Williams #atozchallengs

Synopsis:
The honey bees are dying! The honey bees are dying! Gordon the Gullible Globe urgently alerts Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo, Girl SUPER SURGEON, who can fix any problem with her supernaturally powerful and gifted hands. Uncle Beemore has one solution: beehives in every garden. The Dynamo Family is in the throes of a BEE Welcoming party to introduce the hives to their friends. Can Dr. Dee Dee do anything more to save the bees? Join her in her amazing BREAKTHRU and learn all about the honey bee.

Review:
I have read a few of this author's books based on her lovable and hard-working character, Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo. This extremely young Doctor takes the planets problems head on and fixes them to perfection. Of course she has the help from her trusty doctor bag of characters and the support of her parents and family. Lucky girl!

In this book, she and her family discuss the problem of bees dying out, a truly real problem of today. By reading, I got to know the cause of the problem and real tangible things we can do to fix it. The colors and graphics are top notch and easily understood.

Of course, Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo had the ultimate solution by fixing the wings of hundreds of bees. This was cleverly constructed and fun to read!

Way to go Dr. Dee Dee and author, Oneeka. Well done on saving the day and the world! 5 stars!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle

Amadeus Mozart by Ibi Lepscky #nonfiction #music #review #atozchallenge2020

This book is one of a series of four books that tells the tale of children geniuses.
It was interesting in the fact it gave details of Mozart's life as a child, not as an adult.

I could not say he has a "normal" childhood though as he (spoiler) was taken to courts of royalty to play piano, violin, and other instruments. He was often seen as entertainment than for his genius. Still, he was a child.

I love how the book showed his childish ways like chasing after his sister and his pet. I also loved that his parents recognized him as a genius and encouraged him to work hard but let him be that child he was at the same time.

In the end, we have been graced by the brilliant music he would eventually create for our pure enjoyment.

Dislosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle