Tag Archives: homeschooling

Magical Noun Quest: Adventures in Language by G. L. Sinclair (Book Review)

Join four adventurous kids on an unforgettable treasure hunt in “The Magical Noun Quest”! When Emma, Jack, Liam and Sophie stumble upon a dilapidated cottage deep in the woods. Their curiosity gets the better of them, ignoring the warnings of their parents, they venture inside and discover a hidden library filled with dusty, ancient books.

Among the forgotten tomes, one book stands out—glowing and shimmering with a magical light. Drawn to its enchanting aura, the kids open the book and are instantly transported to a series of mystical worlds. Each new place they visit is filled with exciting challenges and wondrous discoveries, all centered around the fascinating world of nouns.

As they journey through an enchanted forest, bustling city, and mysterious islands, Emma, Jack, Liam and Sophie learn the true power of language. They uncover the importance of all types of nouns—people, places, things, and ideas—and how these words shape the world around them.

“The Magical Noun Quest” is a captivating adventure that teaches young readers the value of language and the magic hidden within words. Perfect for children who love a good story and are eager to explore the wonders of grammar, this book is sure to inspire and delight.

 

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

English can be tricky, and learning what each word represents in any given sentence can be mind-numbingly dull. Oh, how I wish Magical Noun Quest had been around when I was a child. Thank goodness it is here now! Magical Noun Quest helps elementary students discover the magic of nouns and how the world would crumble without them. 

Best friends Emma, Jack, Liam, and Sophie love going on adventures together, and so, on one hot summer afternoon, they pack and head to an abandoned cottage in the Maplewood Forest. Why this place, you may ask? There’s a rumor that inside the run-down building is a library filled with ancient and magical books. Guess what? The rumor was correct! Sophie, aged seven and the youngest member of the friend group, discovered a large dark brown book with gold patterns embossed on the cover titled The Enchanted Guide to Nouns. This book magically opened with a mist pouring out and engulfing the kids. It also spoke to them, saying it was a guide that would show them the magic of nouns. All the kids must do is say yes to the adventure, which they did.

As the library vanished, their quest (and yours at home) began: to find and categorize all the names in the magical realm before the Verb Goblin turns the nouns into other parts of speech. Noun hunters met many interesting characters in the book within a book, such as the talking eyeglass-wearing owl, chimera (discussed later), and Bella the talking butterfly. 

As we turn the pages, we first read the difference between singular and plural nouns. That’s not the exciting part, but what happened next was —each noun they read would magically appear in front of them. The forest came alive, but things began looking slightly off. The culprit? The Verb Goblin, as warned by the voice in The Enchanted Guide to Nouns. The children in the book have to identify plural and singular nouns. Extend the teaching by asking your class to name single and plural nouns they’d discover in a forest or classroom. Let your students become the heroes of their enchanted forest

On day two, the kids were transported to the City of Names and had to identify proper and common nouns to restore the city. Children did not learn the difference between the two right away; however, they got some assistance as the book characters arrived at the park and then pressed on to the museum and library. This adventure, like the forest one, offers educators a chance to get children involved in the story. Ask them to name proper or common nouns in their city/town. 

My favorite journey was in chapter four, where the magical journey took us to the Mysterious Island of Togetherness, home to the chimeras. (For those unfamiliar with mythical creatures, the illustrator added a cute drawing of this unique-looking animal.) In this section, Blazeclaw (the lead chimera) introduces readers to collective nouns representing groups of people, animals, and things. The author brilliantly reinforces the literary term by using familiar objects and groupings, such as a swarm of bees and a flock of sheep. 

As chapters 5-7 play out, readers transport to beautiful caverns (concrete and abstract nouns), a floating market (countable and uncountable nouns), and a meadow lacking descriptive words (noun phrases). In these final stops, the author once again used simple words to explain a possibly confusing subject matter. For instance, abstract might puzzle your reader at first, but after they read the writer’s definition and examples (i.e., happiness), their confusion will vanish as quickly as the Verb Goblin’s mischievous deeds! It is the same for countable (apples) and uncountable nouns (sand). And when I thought we’d never meet the Verb Goblin, they make a dramatic entrance, and chaos erupts. Join the brave noun hunters for the biggest challenge yet and share the wonders of language with your family and friends…one noun at a time. 

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 5-11 years old. With the excellent explanations and examples, I agree with this age range.

 

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Meet the Author

I am an accountant by profession and have retired after many years of service. I always wanted to write a book. I developed a series of 6 books on punctuation/grammar for kids. This is a completely new experience for me, and I hope you like what I have written.


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Let’s Celebrate Being Different by Lainey Dee (Book Review)

Todd is different from all the other animals -with the head of a bird, the tummy of a bear and the legs of a tiger and he feels he doesn’t quite fit in anywhere! His family love him dearly but it’s hard for him to make friends.

During a visit to his grandmother’s, Todd express’s his concern and she tells him: ‘It’s okay to be different’.

Instilled with new confidence he sets out for the Friday Club, a place where all the animals gather and socialise with their friends. Will he find the courage to face his fears and embrace his differences?

He might be surprised to find some friends along the way! More importantly can he learn to accept himself?

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

“Todd is different from all the other animals -with the head of a bird, the tummy of a bear, and the legs of a tiger and he feels he doesn’t quite fit in anywhere! His family loves him dearly but it’s hard for him to make friends.” Since children probably have no idea how babies are created, they might not even question how a bird and a bear could make a baby together. But, if your child asks about the logistics, I’d say it’s a make-believe story, and it’s not possible in real life. 

Like so many others, Todd has traits that make them appear different from others. Todd’s grandma told him being different is okay, and she was correct. Many children can relate to Todd’s feelings regarding his uniqueness and what happens when others make a public spectacle of them. We should not point, stare, or cause others to feel sad, ashamed, or embarrassed about themselves. Kids are inquisitive, so if they make someone uncomfortable by asking questions about the other person’s body or condition, teach them always to apologize as Charlie did in the story. 

Animals come in different shapes, sizes, and coloring, and no two look identical. Humans also vary in size, shape, and color. Let’s Celebrate Being Different by Lainey Dee teaches children to accept those different from them and accept themselves for who they are! Two great messages! 

Let’s Celebrate Being Different mentions that Todd has no friends, and grandma claims it might be because he is homeschooled. I’ve known several homeschooling parents whom all say the lack of social interaction is a significant obstacle. Todd went to the local community center to meet his peers. Most libraries have events for children to interact with individuals their age. I would suggest speaking to your local library if they provide such events for the community.

The recommended reading age is 4-8. The overall story fits well in this age bracket. Depending on geographical location and the reader’s mental dictionary, children might not be familiar with some words. My child had no clue what a dungaree was until they saw the photo. 

Review submitted on 10/6/22

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

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Meet the Author

Lainey Dee was born in Birmingham and raised in Kidderminster. Lainey is a accredited nanny and holds the NNEB certificate. She presently takes care of a pair of twins. Lainey is a big art deco fan and her home is decorated in that period style.

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Our Lunar New Year by Yobe Qiu (Book Review)

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It’s almost Lunar New Year! Xiao Mi, Hang, Kwan, Malai and Charu all celebrate the New Year in their own special way. Read this book to learn how each one of the Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian children and their families honor Lunar New Year, from dragon dances in China to firecrackers in India!
 
 
Buy the Book
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ByYQ ~ ​Barnes & Noble
 
 
 
 
 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book ToursI voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
Our Lunar New Year by Yobe Qiu educates readers on how five countries (China, Korea, India, Vietnam, and Thailand) celebrate their new year. Under each header, it lists the proper name for their holiday. Example: Chinese Spring Festival is Chun Jie, and Thailand is Songkran. 

I absolutely love learning new facts. For instance, in Our Lunar New Year, I discovered “Firecrackers scare away naughty spirits.” The clothes worn during Seollal (Korean New Year) are called hanbok. Every country mentioned, except Thailand, spoke of something people eat, wear, possess, or even a color that is supposed to bring good luck to them in the new year. Fascinating, right?! There’s so much nifty information — facts that any child or adult should learn because it’s essential to be informed about other cultures. 


Maria Christina Lopez, Jennifer Prevatt, and Pui Yu Chan worked very well together to create illustrations that captured the reader’s eye and elevated the story. I loved the dragon, the scrumptious-looking food, the diverse characters, and all the beautiful colors. 


I highly recommend everyone read this book!
 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
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Meet the Author: 
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​Yobe is an educator, entrepreneur and mom who lives in NYC. As an educator, she focused on teaching families to embrace love, diversity and different cultures. Through the years working in the classrooms and closely with other educators, she noticed the lack of multi-cultural resources that represented children of color. That is when Yobe decided to create multicultural children stories that feature Asian children, families and cultures! Yobe loves spending time with her daughter, reading to children and taking long walks during the day!
 
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 Website Facebook ~ Instagram
 
 

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Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu (Book Review)

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“Our Moon Festival” is a beautifully illustrated children’s book celebrating the unique ways the Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese communities celebrate the Moon Festival.

The story highlights different families and their traditions as they observe Zhong Qiu Jie, Tết Trung Thu, and Tsukimi!

 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book ToursI voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 
Earth is a big, majestic world-encompassing so many beautiful people and traditions. It’s crucial teachers and parents educate children on different cultures inhabiting it. Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu would be an excellent book to choose for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, May. 


In September, you could also read the book to celebrate the different festivals portrayed in the informative but entertaining children’s book: Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhong Qui Jie), Vietnamese Moon Festival (Tết Trung Thu), and Japenese Moon Festival (Tsukimi).


If a child isn’t familiar with the foods listed, this would be an excellent opportunity to introduce new dishes to their diet. After reading Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu, I began looking up recipes for mooncakes (dessert). If my daughter and I can make them successfully, we might hand them out to our neighbors. Who couldn’t use “best wishes for peace, health, and happiness!” 😀


The illustrations by Christina Nel Lopez gave me ideas for art projects. We could make starry night paintings, paper lanterns, or a rabbit (like in Tsukimi). For public and homeschoolers, teachers might have the students write a haiku about the moon. What can I say? The teacher in me always finds ways to expand on a story to fit various subjects. Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu checks off many boxes. If you don’t want to expand on the story, then don’t. Your child will still find it very enjoyable. 


My only slight change to the story would be the color choice for some of the text. A couple of lines/words were difficult for my daughter to see and read because the black text blended too much with the background images. Other than that, we found no issues. 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 

 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Picture

 
Yobe is an educator, entrepreneur and mom who lives in NYC. As an educator, she focused on teaching families to embrace love, diversity and different cultures. Through the years working in the classrooms and closely with other educators, she noticed the lack of multi-cultural resources that represented children of color. That is when Yobe decided to create multicultural children stories that feature Asian children, families and cultures! Yobe loves spending time with her daughter, reading to children and taking long walks during the day!
 
Connect with the Author:  
Website Facebook ~ Instagram
 
 

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Children’s Book Author Showcase – Joe Spraga

Welcome to Moonwood! The Snitch, the Witch, and The One Who Was Rich, and other quirky townsfolk, seek wisdom from the town elder in this classical tale. A new and modern day nursery rhyme! What will they discover?! 

 

Find out in this beautiful 13″ X 10.5″ full color 120 page hardcover book! Please allow 7-10 days for delivery. (There will be a shipping charge if located outside of the United States.) We will send you an email with the additional charge after we receive your order. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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The 1st book of the series, Phrebbel The Phrongol from planet Phrongolia recently took many pictures while vacationing on planet Earth. He needs help identifying the pictures in his photo album because he has never seen these things before. Can you help him? This is a full color picture book designed to inspire critical thinking in CHILDREN. The pictures are of everyday things like people and animals you would see in nature and on planet Earth in general. The pictures allow the reader to come up with answers to help the main character Phrebbel, identify things he has never seen on planet Earth before. A brain teaser for kids that makes learning fun!

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The 2nd book in the series, Phrebbel The Phrongol from planet Phrongolia has come back to Earth on another vacation. He needs help identifying the pictures in his photo album because he has never seen these things before. Can you help him again? This is a full color picture book designed to inspire critical thinking in CHILDREN. The pictures are of everyday things like people and animals you would see in nature and on planet Earth in general. The pictures allow the reader to come up with answers to help the main character Phrebbel, identify things he has never seen on planet Earth before. A brain teaser for kids that makes learning fun!

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— About the Author —

Joe is a graduate of Western Michigan University, with a Bachelor’s of Arts in English and a Minor in Philosophy. Becoming legally disabled in 2015 due to health problems, Joe hopes that this book can give all of you as much joy and hope as it has given him!

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