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Books

The Snow Queen Illustrated by Charlotte Cooke

December 5, 2016March 10, 2023 ellen Leave a comment Books
The Snow Queen Illustrated by Charlotte Cooke

I’m not sure if I’ve ever read about Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen when I was little. I guess I’ve been hiding under a rock because it didn’t occur to me that Frozen was based off this story. This version is way different than Disney’s Frozen for sure, but I can see how they […]

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Tommy the Giraffe by Ronald Destra

December 5, 2016March 9, 2023 ellen Leave a comment Books
Tommy thinks of himself as the clumsiest giraffe in the world. Try as he may, he can't stay upright for too long before taking a tumble. The other animals call him terrible nicknames and that's what hurts him the most. He's too tall to run away and hide, so he must find another way to deal with the ridicule. When Tommy sees a storm coming in the distance, he warns the other animals and they all take shelter. He is surprised to discover that his helpfulness has earned him some new friends. He bravely begins to do more for others. Being useful inspires him to look beyond his awkward height and all the ways he is different. Not everyone in the Savanna is thankful, of course, some animals would love to eat him, but that doesn't stop Tommy from doing his best every day. One day, poachers are heading toward Tommy and his friends. This puts the community's safety in danger! Motivated by love, Tommy realizes he is able to safeguard the lives of others and, in turn, learns something about himself that is very surprising. Vividly illustrated, Tommy the Giraffe is a heartwarming story children of all ages will relate to. It teaches valuable lessons about grace, purpose and caring about others in spite of their actions, while emphasizing the importance of accepting and loving ourselves.

One of my kids’ favorite types of books, when they were little, was books about animals. It’s always so much fun to imagine animals living lives like we do and imagining them talking and dealing with some of the things we do. Animal stories can also be a great way for children to learn social […]

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Fluffy the Bird by Ronald & Juanita Destra

December 2, 2016March 21, 2023 ellen 2 Comments Books
Fluffy the bird sang the most beautiful music, everyone who had the pleasure of hearing him was delighted. He truly had a gift!Was this what Fluffy was meant to do? Did he have a purpose? Was his voice a way to make the world a brighter place?

Have you ever wondered what your purpose was in this world? If it’s a question that you’ve asked yourself, imagine how confusing it can be to a child to wonder the same thing. This new book helps address some of these questions in a fun way that kids can relate to. Fluffy the Bird by […]

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The Nutcracker by E. T. A. Hoffmann

December 2, 2016March 6, 2023 ellen 6 Comments Books
The Nutcracker by E. T. A. Hoffmann

I’m sure every parent has had the joy of having some kind of childhood memory of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s, The Nutcracker. I remember my childhood home being filled with Nutcracker soldiers of all sorts of sizes at Christmas time. I used to be afraid of them when I was very little. But, I grew to appreciate […]

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Cosmic and Eternal Love Coloring Book

December 1, 2016March 4, 2023 ellen 19 Comments Books
Cosmic and Eternal Love Coloring Book

Coloring books give me time to step back and be a child again even if it’s just for a few hours. Coloring is a great way to unwind at the end of the day, and I’m sure that we can all use a little bit of unwinding during this time of the year.  Cosmic and […]

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Disney Moana Books Your Kids Will Love

November 30, 2016March 3, 2023 ellen 4 Comments Books

I often wish that I could visit Hawaii. One of my sisters used to live there, but I never got the chance to visit while she did. My mom always tells me that I need to visit there some day because it is truly worth it! Needless to say, I am really looking forward to […]

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You Are the Greatest Discovery by Raashid Brown

November 29, 2016March 1, 2023 ellen Leave a comment Books

I think that many people struggle with what they’re meant to do in their life. We sort of stumble around trying to find our purpose and place in life, but we aren’t always happy where we end up. We don’t seem to be able to find our identity in today’s world. You Are the Greatest […]

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Village Heights by LR Claude

November 28, 2016February 28, 2023 ellen Leave a comment Books
A page turner docu-drama following the lives in the "Village Heights" trailer park. Fourth of July is often an eventful weekend, bringing raging parties and illicit drug use. Jonny and Brittini are just two of the youths that fight to navigate life while everyone else around them gets drunk or high. Party's continue on, as does the ignorance that shrouds the reality of the outside world from those within the tall grass-covered berms that hide the park away from society.

A cold, wet weekend gave me the opportunity to sit down and read another new book. I just recently reviewed Paper Paulie by LR Claude so I wanted to see what Village Heights by the same author was like. My Kindle is starting to have a pretty amazing collection of books to read. Village Heights […]

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Paper Paulie by LR Claude

November 28, 2016February 27, 2023 ellen Leave a comment Books
Paper Paulie starts out as a school project in Iroquis Falls North Dakota before heading out to the war in Vietnam to meet a soldier named Isaiah Venney, Paper Paulie's journey doesn't end in Vietnam but rather continue on to the Desert Storm conflict and then on to the Iraq and Afghanistan war. Follow the journey of a small paper doll made to keep a soldier company and see how he becomes the good luck charm of an entire family.

I used to love paper dolls when I was a child. I had a whole folder of them and they had different outfits and accessories. I used to spend hours imagining the adventures they’d go on and what kind of life they would live if they were real. But, what if they really could have […]

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The Beauty of the Fall by Rich Marcello

November 26, 2016February 23, 2023 ellen Leave a comment Books
The Beauty of the Fall is an interesting read about a man who had everything he wanted in life, slowly lost it all and needed to change his focus to recover. It's very similar to the way the world really is which made it easy to identify with. I also love that the author wove in pieces of the real world into the story - like the economic issues in Detroit and struggles some families experience trying to make it on a limited income. If you enjoy stories with a lesson that make you think, I'd recommend The Beauty of the Fall.

After a big Thanksgiving dinner, the only thing I wanted to do this weekend was curl up on the couch with a good book. Today I decided to read a new author that I wasn’t familiar with. The Beauty of the Fall by Rich Marcello was the book I decided on. The Beauty of the […]

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ellen

Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.

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