This is a book I think we should look into, even though it’s written for young readers age 10+.
Thanks Erik, and your mom, for your review of this book.
PS: I also discovered there is now a workbook to go with this book.
You can find A Beginner’s Guide to On-line Security listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.
Book: Meet Franklin Bean
Author/Publisher: Emmy Swain
Illustrator: Levi Whitworth
Date: 2011
Genre: children’s
Pages: 34
Price: Kindle $2.88; paperback $8.85
My Rating: An interesting, fun mystery for the young readers; addresses bullying and other life issues
This is a short chapter book with great illustrations by Levi Whitworth and is book one of a series by Emmy Swain.
Chapter titles are:
Meet Franklin Bean is a story about a young boy, John, who has to relocate with his mother after she lost her job. He is nervous about moving to a smaller house in a different neighbourhood and having to change schools. Unfortunately, John meets up with bullies soon after moving and his misery increases until he finds a stray dog, Franklin Bean. But there’s something amazing about Franklin Bean – he can talk! John’s life begins to look and feel much better.
Franklin Bean has another amazing secret that – in this book – John hasn’t figured out yet.
Meet Franklin Bean has some applicable life lessons in it, but Emmy Swain presents them in a way that is fun without seeming as if it is teaching. This is a good story for very young readers and pre-readers.
You can find Meet Franklin Bean on my BUY THE BOOK! page.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Book: The Princess Within – for Teens: Discovering Your Royal Inheritance
Author: Serita Ann Jakes
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Date: July 1, 2014
Genre: young adult (teen girls), christian help
I received the ARC of this book from Library Thing in exchange for my honest review.
Usually books of this size I can eat up in no time; not so with this one. It took me far too long to read the whole book, and not because I am far beyond my teen years. I enjoy YA and MG and Picture books; my own writing centers around those genres, so that wasn’t the problem.
Serita Ann Jakes created a modern day Cinderella and used that as a jump off point for each chapter. That in itself was okay, but sometimes there was not much connection to the idea throughout the rest of the chapter.
The book begins with glowing letters of praise about the author from her two daughters. From there she sets up a hopeful scenario for the reader, beginning with a quiz of self-discovery and giving results to help the reader see herself as one of Disney’s princesses. Unfortunately, she didn’t follow through the same way with all the quizzes she created. In the same vein, she included short testimonies but it was puzzling to see where they were placed when a few didn’t have anything to do with the chapter they accompany.
Here are the chapter titles:
Reading those titles makes one think this is going to be such a great read! It is and it isn’t. Although the message is there it didn’t carry through smoothly with the idea presented at the beginning, as if the writing of this book was a little rushed. It felt as if the connection with God is interrupted time and again.
Although there are as a few other statements made that were amiss, there is one suggestion I was appalled to read, where the author presented a scenario about God and asked the teen reader to give her opinion. First of all it is a moot point which cannot possibly have an answer. It’s as if the author didn’t understand the holiness of God in even suggesting such a scenario could exist. It had no place in this book at all and didn’t add to it in any positive way to affirm the reader.
After reading The Princess Within for Teens, perhaps a young reader will come away with hope of her place in God and will not even notice the gaps in the presentation. Serita Jakes’ intent is to encourage her, to help her stand in the midst of the stresses and problems that each day may bring to her. If this is what the young reader is looking for, although it could use a little work, she will probably find The Princess Within for Teens to be a good beginning. The drawback is the subtitle of this book is Discovering Your Royal Inheritance and there was not much connection and teaching or encouragement in that aspect.
Serita Ann Jakes‘ The Princess Within for Teens follows her adult edition of The Princess Within.
You can find The Princess Within for Teens on my BUY THE BOOK! page.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Hi All!
I’m sorry to say it’s another day – or maybe week – of no book review as I am having to take a little break. I really thought I would have one ready for today, but … have you ever found yourself in a place of being hardly able to even read a book? I don’t want reading and reviewing to become something I don’t enjoy anymore, so that’s a bit worrisome for me.
Since this is my week at home it’s my chance to try to get caught up in my own house a bit – if possible. My naturopath gave me capsules to help me sleep better so I will be more rested my next week with Dad, and to help me de-stress. I’m hoping to get back to devouring books again very soon. 🙂
I do have some exciting news to share with you depending on how quickly I can get a post together about it. Of course, it is to do with BOOKS! 🙂
In the meantime, what I would love is for YOU to share a sentence or two about the books YOU are reading this month, or this season, or tell us about your favourite book of all time. I am really interested in knowing what you are enjoying and if it’s something I would like for my own reading pleasure. Even if you have never left a comment it would be so nice to hear from you with your book thoughts.
Would you do me the favour of sharing in the comments about your reading and help me out a little here, please?
Thank you for faithfully following my blog; I appreciate you so much.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
It is very late Monday night as I write this, but for those of you who will be expecting a book review in the morning … there won’t be one this time. My apologies.
My little Meyya got stung this afternoon, probably by a hornet, and within fifteen minutes she became very ill and lethargic. We rushed her to the animal hospital where she was treated and soon began recovering. What a relief! Since we don’t know if she actually is allergic to bee stings, I am now keeping Allernix on hand just for her. That was too scary an experience! But that was just the beginning.
This evening my respite help called me at home (an hour before I was due back to Dad’s) to tell me my dad was in distress and she wanted to call the paramedics to check on him. I said to do it and I would be there soon. When I arrived they had him hooked up to a monitor and oxygen and had found he had irregular and erratic heartbeat. Although he saw no need to go they took him to the hospital by ambulance and my husband and I followed a little later once I got some things together. So there I was, another long evening in the hospital with Dad. This time it wasn’t nearly as bad time-wise, though. Only a couple hours from the time he was admitted – after monitoring, blood work and other things – the verdict is that they are treating it as a heart attack. Dad is in hospital now for a few days during which time they will keep a close eye on him, continuing to monitor his heart, doing more tests, and finding what will work best for his treatment. My sister and I will visit him in the morning and I’ll take him one of the books he’s reading, along with some other things needed.
All this to say, there will be no book review today, but I plan to have one for Thursday.
Now I must sleep awhile.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Book: Amanda in England: The Missing Novel
Author: Darlene Foster
Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing
Date: August 9, 2012
Genre: juvenile fiction; adventure (age level 7-13, grade level 3-6)
Pages: 73
Price: paper $8.80; Kindle $3.65
My Rating: a fun read that educates while taking children on an adventureI received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Amanda in England: The Missing Novel is book three of the Amanda series by Darlene Foster. Written for middle grade readers it is a quick-paced easy read.
Amanda is a curious adventurous twelve-year-old whose friend in England invited her to come for a visit. Having a love of travel she happily accepted Leah’s invitation.
From the time Amanda arrives things begin happening. One thing leads to another, and she finds herself involved in the mystery of a missing valuable book. Young readers will enjoy the antics and escapades of Amanda, Leah and two local kids they meet as they encounter a strange acting lady, run into trouble when two men chase them, and try to keep all the trouble they’re in from Leah’s parents. While following Amanda readers will also be learning a little about some of the sites and sights of England.
Darlene Foster has written four books in the Amanda series so far. If you want to read my review of her first book in the series, go to Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask.
You can find Amanda in England: The Missing Novel listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Book: The Dragondain: a Moon Realm Novel, book 2
Author: Richard Due
Illustrator: Carolyn Arcabascio
Publisher: Gibbering Gnome Press
Date: December 7, 2012
Genre: middle grade fantasy
Pages: 287
Price: $11.35 paper; $2.95 Kindle
My Rating: an exciting part two of a captivating, dramatic, exciting fantasy that keeps the reader enthralled to the end
I received a copy of The Dragondain from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Having read book one of the Moon Realm series, I was eager to read book two. This volume, The Dragondain, continues from where the first one left off.
You can read my review of The Moon Coin, which is book one of the Moon Realm, to get an idea of the thrill of this series. The Dragondain takes the reader on another burst of adventures, and fills one’s head with images and scenes that are amazing and wondrous. It’s as if the author, Richard Due (pronounced Dewy) stored in his mind every fantasy story he ever read, picked out the most exciting inspiring parts, tweaked them, added the Dewy imagination, and out came this exciting fantastical world … or, I should say, worlds. Wonderful! Note: The illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio at the beginning of each chapter add a creative extra to the story.
In The Dragondain: a Moon Realm Novel we are reunited with fifteen-year-0ld Jasper and his fourteen-year-old sister, Lily, as they continue in their search for their missing mysterious uncle Ebb. Using a special necklace, they take turns travelling to other worlds where they meet with all sorts of dangers and strange characters, enter into serious battles, and discover their own unique powers. This time more dramatic events happen at their uncle’s mansion and their own house to add to the suspense.
The Dragondain is very well crafted and cleverly executed, with the final scene set for continuation in another book. It isn’t done in a mean way, either, but as an invitation to continue on the journey with Jasper and Lily. I look forward to it! There is a fourth book already in line for after book three is released.
If The Dragondain interests you, then it is best that you start with book one – The Moon Coin (at the time of this writing The Moon Coin is free on Kindle for anyone with Amazon Prime) – so you will get to know the characters and background. If you enjoy fantasy you won’t be disappointed.
You can find The Dragondain: a Moon Realm Novel, book 2 listed on my BUY THE BOOK page.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Polilla Writes 