Reviews

Medal of Honor: Ryan Pitts

March 2, 2019 By Annette1 2 Comments

Throughout the ages, men and women have fought to protect the freedom of others. Sometimes this battle takes place in lands away from home to protect the interests of those they love. Medal of Honor – Ryan Pitts introduces us to one such man. Ryan Pitts fought in the Mountains of Wanat, a hero in the US Army. Learn of his deeds in this book by Michael P. Spradlin.

From the Cover:

Staff Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts enlisted in the Army when he was seventeen, and was just twenty-two years old when he fought at the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan, where his heroic actions earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. On July 13, 2008, Staff Sergeant Pitts was trapped and badly wounded at an elevated outpost, but helped turn back a brutal attack by 200 insurgents and save many of his company in one of the bloodiest battles of the war with Afghanistan.

What you Get

First off you get an introduction to the basic set up of the US Military forces. You learn ranks, units and their sizes.

Then we are introduced to Ryan Pitts and the battle he faced with his unit. A precarious position they were put in with a need to defend. Would he and his unit hold?

Lots of pictures illustrate the pages of book of daring-do. These pictures help us to see what faced Ryan Pitts and his team.. from the Taliban fights, to the mountainous terrain. Arial images depict the camps and areas they fought in, helping us to better understand the difficulties facing these men.

Interspersed throughout the stories were cut outs that explained America’s War on Terror, what military expressions mean, and different operations that were going on.

The book seemed to bounce around abit from setting the scene, to background history of Ryan Pitts, to the actual battle being fought. This occasionally made it a harder to read story.

My Thoughts

Even though I dislike books the jump around, I enjoyed this read. It is one I will place on the shelf for my military minded lad to pick up. I think he’d enjoy it and learn a great deal about tactics, good character, and fighting even when it seems impossible. The images show detail that words just can’t convey well. Definitely worth reading for middle school students.

You can read my review of Jack Montgomery here.

Medal of Honor: Ryan Pitts
Afghanistan: a firefight in the Mountains of Wanat
Michael P. Spradlin
Farrar Straus Giroux
Medal of Honor Series
112 pages, trade paperback, ages 8-12
Afghanistran, War, US Army, Hero, Military
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

Morning and Evening Prayerbook

February 26, 2019 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

For the past few weeks I’ve been reviewing the Morning and Evening Prayerbook. It’s been good for the most part. Let me share with you what I like about it. 🙂

From the Publisher:

A collection of morning and evening prayers, a different one for every day and night of the year, drawn from the treasury of Christian prayer throughout the ages.

A Morning and Evening Prayerbook provides a framework for prayerful devotions with two prayers for each day of the year. The morning prayers are ideal for encouraging your heart for the approaching day’s activities and challenges while the evening prayers will help you close each day with reverence, gratitude, and reflection. Selected to mirror the seasons and the liturgical calendar, the prayers are intended not to replace your personal, spontaneous prayers but to serve as a springboard for them.

What you Get:

I have read a few other reviews because I was curious what others were saying. One of things that kept popping up was “it’s a wonderful devotional”. It isn’t.

I want to be clear about that. This is a prayer book. A book to remind you to talk to God. It isn’t a book that teaches scripture, or explains scripture. It IS a book that helps you to offer devotion to God. Perhaps that is where some confusion lies.

Editors Jeanie and David Gushee have collected inspiring contributions from Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox sources. They have drawn these collections from across the world, over the centuries of Christian history, and from the Bible.

Each day has it’s own prayer with a morning and an evening prayers. The prayers are designed to fit with the liturgical year.

The morning prayer is intended to help you wake up and welcome the new day with God. Say the prayer and then follow up with your own words about what is on your heart.

The evening prayer is to help you close the day as you lose yourself in sleep. A prayer that builds to your words of thankfulness for all God has given you over the day.

Since this prayer book is designed to work with the liturgical year, a helpful list was provided to help with those Holy Days that move. This way you can find the day of prayers you need to fit.

My Thoughts:

My husband noticed this book sitting in my pile of review books and said “Be careful reading this, watch the theology in the prayers.” We talked a bit further about that and I need to the following. This man’s gospel does not seem to be the same gospel that I follow. Do your research.

That said, I’ve gone through about 1/4 of the prayers listed in this book and the preponderance of the prayers are from the church of old. This doesn’t necessarily make them great prayers.. as I told my hubby, most of them are prayers I could teach a child to pray. Short, easy, without a lot of depth to them.

I did note some prayers written by the authors, about 21 all told. So not a huge amount out of the total number in this hardcover prayerbook. With any book of faith, whether it is one of prayers, or biblical interpretation, be alert to the leadings of the Holy Spirit and don’t assume that all is good all the time. 🙂

Do I recommend It?

Yes. Why? For a couple of reasons.

Daily prayer in the morning and then again at night. I used them as a kick-start. Here’s a prayer, let’s read it and then continue on in a prayer of my own words.
Excellent habit formation. It’s good to start and end the day with the Lord, but we don’t always remember to do so. This book will help.
Not all believers are confident in their ability to talk to God. I know there are days that I just don’t know what to say (for a whole variety of reasons), so a book of prayer helps. It reminds me that others pray and therefore, so can I, even when I don’t know what to say.

What I wish I found within, were prayers directly from scripture. It is good to read prayers that others wrote, but it’s great to read, rather… to pray, the prayers that God provided for us. Let me correct myself here, I found 12 prayers from the bible. I still wish there had been more. 🙂

Morning and Evening PrayerBook
Jeanie and David Gushee (editors)
W Publishing Group, Thomas Nelson
400 pages, Hardcover, all ages
Prayerbook, Christianity, Faith, Worship, Devotion
Reviewed for BookLookBloggers.

P is for Pterodactyl

February 23, 2019 By Annette1 5 Comments

You know how sometimes you run across a book that just makes you smile? Well today’s alphabet book is one of them. Seriously, I really like this book and I don’t have anyone in my life that I need to teach the alphabet too! 🙂 P is for Pterdactyl *The worst alphabet book ever!

From the Cover

Let’s get real – the English language is bizarre. A might be for apple, but it’s also for aisle and aeons. Why does the word “gnat” start with a G but the word “knot” doesn’t start with an N? It doesn’t always make sense, but don’t let these rule-breaking silent letters defeat you!
This whimsical, funky book from Raj Haldar turns the traditional idea of an alphabet book on its head, poking fun at the most mischievous words in the English language and demonstrating how to pronounce them. Fun and informative for word nerds of all ages!

What you get:

LOADS of illustrations light up the pages of hardcover book on the alphabet. This is not your ordinary alphabet book, but rather introduces the reader to bunch of unexpected words where the letter may not even been pronounced!

Not just one word, but many words will the pages of each letter. Take for instance N gives us not, naughty, nice. O gives us ouija, oui, Oaxaca, E for ewe, euphoric, eaten, even and eulogy. It is a fun ride through the vagaries that is the English language.

At the close of the book we are introduced to how we are to pronounce these odd words, some even surprised me! Phonemes are just so much fun aren’t they? (perhaps not). 🙂

My Thoughts

Ms. Beddia does an excellent job of illustrating this fun read. So many words that you just don’t expect to find in an alphabet book. This is simply a fun book, not only read but also to enjoy for the illustrations.

Now.. As I pointed out earlier O is for Ouija.. which you might not want for your kids. But they do exist in the world and it’s a great way (if you are a believer) to talk about how there are things that God doesn’t like and forbids us from using in the world. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.

Most of the words have several words listed with them, the odd one does not. It does introduce the reader to the different sounds the letters of the alphabet make. This is how some people suggest we teach the alphabet, not just the long noise a letter makes but for the short and irregular sounds as well.

P is for Pterodactyl: The worst alphabet book ever.
Raj Haldar & Chris Carpenter
Maria Tina Beddia (illustrator)
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Hardcover, 40 pages, 3-7 years
Picture book, alphabet, learn to read, Vocabulary, Spelling
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

Review and Giveaway for Raincoast Books

February 20, 2019 By Annette1 14 Comments

Oh oh oh!!! I have a great review and giveaway for you today. Let’s welcome in spring!!!! Two lovely books and a stamp kit! Do note that this giveaway is only for my fellow Canadians 18+.

Anyways, let me tell you all about the Animals of the Savanna, In the Forest, and Stamp Bugs.

Animals of the Savanna

The first of the two nature sticker activity books, Animals of the Savannah is a romp through the Savannah of Africa. You get to meet lions, leopards, zebras, baboons, secretary birds, boa constrictors and more.

Each page has a variety of activities to go with it. Sometimes it involves attaching stickers. These stickers are found on a two-page spread in the middle of the book. Other times the reader is invited to colour, to finish an image, or change something about an animal.

Each page introduces you to small details about the animals found on the page. “Baby baboons are covered with black hair. They spend the first months of their lives clinging to their mothers. They play with each other and have fun pulling each other’s tails. The whole troop spends the night in the same tree.”.

Each of the activities has a circle in front which indicates the type of activity. A pencil crayon for colouring, and a bird for other actions.

In the Forest

Another in the My Nature Activity Book Series is In the Forest. In the Forest is laid out just the same as Animals of the Savanna. Sticker page in the middle with options to colour, draw, sticker and otherwise interact with different forest elements.

Readers are given the option to test their knowledge at the close of the book.

In the Forest doesn’t just focus on one type of forest, but features animals from forests around the world. This means you’ll find ponds with frogs, pandas in a bamboo forest, and strawberries in the undergrowth.

Stamp Bugs

The perfect compliment to this sticker activity books is stamp bugs. 25 stamps along with 2 stamp pads, allows children to create a multitude of bugs to complement their studies of forests and the Savanna.

This kit comes complete with an instructional pad to kickstart ideas about bugs to create. The cleanly cut stamps feature bodies, legs, and antenna giving the creator a good variety of bugs to imagine.

These three items are geared to ages 5-8 or so. They would make a lovely addition to any sort of nature study, or simply just to amuse children who enjoy nature, or stickers or colouring. The sticker activity books are made on a sturdy paper that will hold colour and stickers well. Once the stickers are placed on, they won’t come off again.

Stamp Bugs: 25 stamps and two ink pads
Barbara Dziadosz
Princeton Architectural Press

Animals of the Savanna – My nature sticker activity book
In the forest – my nature sticker activity book
Olivia Cosneau
Princeton Architectural Press

Reviewed for Raincoast Books

Now for the giveaway. It’s open to Canadian residents only, 18+. Thanks.

Win great product to delight and educate the young ones in your lives.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Medal of Honor: Jack Montgomery

February 19, 2019 By Annette1 2 Comments

Studying the lives of real-life heroes is important for children. It gives them someone real to look up to. Role models show character qualities in real situations to help children learn how to emulate those qualities in their own lives. Michael P. Spradlin introduces us to real-life hero Meal of Honor: Jack Montgomery who fought in World War II at Anzio.

From the cover:

Jack C. Montgomery was a Cherokee from Oklahoma, and a first lieutenant with the 45th Infantry Division Thunderbirds. On February 22, 1944, near Padiglione, Italy, Montgomery’s rifle platoon was under fire by three echelons of enemy forces when he single-handedly attacked all three positions, neutralizing the German machine-gunners and taking numerous prisoners in the process. Montgomery’s actions demoralized the enemy and saved the lives of many American soldiers.

The Medal of Honor series profiles the courage and accomplishments of recipients of the highest and most prestigious personal military decoration, awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary acts of valor.

What You Get:

A well-written story, that speaks not only to the actual action taken, but also to the life of the man leading up to that moment. So it’s not just a story of Mr. Montgomery being a hero, but how his life made him a hero.

Interspersed between the story is material about the US Army, or it’s ordinances, or people involved during the battle. For instance, readers learn about Mussolini, why the Cherokee symbol changes from a swastika to a thunderbird, the use of deception in battle and more.

Numerous black and white images dot the pages, showing us scenes from history that the hero might have seen, or relevant to the historical period. Some of the images: Hitler reviewing his troops, soldiers manning a machine gun, Montgomery receiving his medal and many more.

My Thoughts

I’ve struggled reading this book. Part of it stemmed from I think a missing page. I reading and then the story just stopped mid-sentence and then picked up later. The other part was, the story itself kept being interrupted, so I couldn’t just read it from start to finish.

Was the story itself good? Yes! Resoundingly so. I would happily read more real-life stories like this. It was good to read. Good to know how men in the army have to take risks, and simply just do their job to the best of their abilities.

Jack Montgomery: World War II – Gallantry at Anzio
Michael P. Spradlin
Series: Medal of Honor
Farrar Straus Giroux
112 pages, paperback, 8-12 years
Military, Hero, World War 2, United States Army
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

Marshfield Memories

February 16, 2019 By Annette1 2 Comments

Marshfield Memories are stories of a man telling telling a bunch of kids what it was like for him as a kid. There he was living in a great neighbourhood, with lots of friends, and a good school. Family was a pivotal part of his childhood years and it shines through every story he tells.

From the publisher:

As the oldest of nine kids, Ralph was often cast as another parent to his siblings rather than as an older brother; teetering between these two conflicting roles, Ralph longed to be home alone on a sick day, but hated the emptiness of feeling left behind. He loved to play sports with his neighborhood friends but resented the skillful victories of his younger brother. Thrust into the expectations of impending adolescence, Ralph was curious about girls, but embarrassed to take part in the school square dance. This satisfying memoir offers a snapshot of those pivotal moments between grade school and high school, all while tracing the roots of Ralph Fletcher’s acclaimed storytelling.

What you Get

An easy read book filled with folky wisdom and stories of a boy becoming a man. The path wasn’t always easy, but it was always a path.

All the stories are separate, and yet connected. They follow in order, which means you aren’t jumping around from little kid, to older and back again. NO confusion, just an easy read of a man telling stories of his youth.

In fact, the stories are SO like a grampa sitting down and telling his grandkids about his exploits as a youngster that I was in no way surprised when he showed off a poem he wrote as a kid. It just fit!

My Thoughts

As an adult I thoroughly enjoyed this book infused with folky wisdom. I suspect my son would enjoy it as well, I’m not entirely sure. He tends to like books with a story line that runs from one point to the next. This book is a series of short stories around the same theme, Fletcher’s growing up years. BUT they do involve all the same characters and continually moves forward which he would consider a win. 🙂

Marshfield Memories: More Stories About Growing Up.
Ralph Fletcher
Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt & Co.
208 pages, softcover, 8 – 12 years
Childhood, Memories, Growing Up, Family Values
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

The Superpower Field Guide: Beavers

February 14, 2019 By Annette1 2 Comments

OH! What a fun book to review. Seriously, just a hoot. Learning about Beavers and seeing all the remarkable things about them. Just a delightful read. The book: The Superpower Field Guide: Beavers.

From the Cover

The first book in a new series, Beavers is a humorous, informative, and highly illustrated field guide written for middle-schoolers. Take a look at an unsuspecting animal hero The Beaver.

What you Get

Humour written around highly informative text. Elmer the beaver has 10 superpowers which we are given in lots of detail. Some of his powers are his unstoppable fur, his ever-toiling tail, and his winter survival skills.

Each page shows colour in the illustrations. I was delighted to see the colours suit a book about beavers. We don’t find pinks and yellows, but rather the blues, greens and browns that would naturally pervade a beavers habitat.

Every so often you’ll come across a quiz, making sure the reader is paying attention for after all, the goal is to learn about an amazing animal. So pay attention and rock those quizzes! 🙂 They aren’t hard, but they do cover the super power at hand.

My Thoughts

When I first clapped my eyes on Beavers I thought WOOHOO! A book about a quintessential Canadian animal! It’s even on our nickel! You know what I discovered? Beavers aren’t just an animal for Canada! (yeah, I kinda knew that but now I know the nitty-gritty details). 🙂

If you have a love of Canada, an interest in beavers, or perhaps you are studying mammals… check out Beavers. Learn their superpowers and be amazed, because beavers are really interesting critters!

Beavers
Rachel Poliquin
Nicolas John Frith (illustrator)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Series: The Superpower Field Guide
96 Pages, hardcover, 9 years +
Biology, Science, Canada, Beavers, North America
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

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Reviews

Medal of Honor: Ryan Pitts

From the Cover:

What you Get

My Thoughts

Morning and Evening Prayerbook

From the Publisher:

What you Get:

My Thoughts:

Do I recommend It?

P is for Pterodactyl

From the Cover

What you get:

My Thoughts

Review and Giveaway for Raincoast Books

Animals of the Savanna

In the Forest

Stamp Bugs

Medal of Honor: Jack Montgomery

From the cover:

What You Get:

My Thoughts

Marshfield Memories

From the publisher:

What you Get

My Thoughts

The Superpower Field Guide: Beavers

From the Cover

What you Get

My Thoughts

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Reviews

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My Thoughts

From the Publisher:

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Do I recommend It?

From the Cover

What you get:

My Thoughts

Animals of the Savanna

In the Forest

Stamp Bugs

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What You Get:

My Thoughts

From the publisher:

What you Get

My Thoughts

From the Cover

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