Tag Archives: YA

My ABC Day at the Beach: An Ocean of Alphabet Fun! by Robin H. Elisabeth (Book Review)

 

New! (Revised for 2021)

A unique and joyful children’s picture book! Your child’s day-to-day vocabulary will be broadened through the introduction of words associated with a beach setting. Young learners can review the alphabet, as they read descriptions and see accompanying real-life images. Each alphabet word is presented to help reinforce reading, while the illustrations enhance a child’s imagination to hear the sounds and see the sights. These real-life images target the alphabetic words presented from A to Z. This picture journey will provide an opportunity to create, learn, and share family moments.

Use your imagination to hear the sounds, see the sights, and journey with us to the ocean’s sandy shores to discover an ABC Day at the beach. No matter the day or season, there is something for everyone to see and do on our adventure of ABC fun. We will practice the alphabet, as we explore a treasure chest of educational words. So, give your child an opportunity for vocabulary building, spelling improvement, and fun imagination time! Let’s go!


I set out to write a series of children’s books about ABC adventures with a fun and educational format using real-life pictures. I had my children in mind because when they were learning to read, they were easily bored and extra wiggly. So, getting their attention as youngsters and keeping them still during story time was a HUGE challenge.

I realized that my children needed time to be creative while learning. So, I am adding companion coloring books, flashcards, and workbooks into the series. Who says learning can’t be imaginative and fun? Begin your adventures together and explore a treasure chest of words. My ABC Day series will keep the attention of your child, even the wiggliest of all!

 

Amazon Purchase Link

 

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

 

Parents are always on the hunt for books to teach or reinforce the alphabet for their youngsters. We seek bright images, fun pictures or illustrations, and familiar ABC objects. Parents and teachers also want to broaden our children’s vocabulary, so we like a book to introduce new words too. My ABC Day at the Beach: An Ocean of Alphabet Fun! by Robin H. Elisabeth checked off all the boxes. 

Before we get to the first page, there’s a page dedicated to personalizing it to your child: “This book belongs to” and “This book is from.” I recall as a child loving to mark my book as mine. It made it more special. I suspect your child will love claiming ownership too. 

My ABC Day at the Beach: An Ocean of Alphabet Fun! isn’t your typical ABC book. It’s not structured where A is for Apple, B is for Boat, and so forth. Each letter has a specific word, emphasized in a red oval with white text and surrounded with bold, black text. Example: Look closely at the sand, and you might find a hermit crab. “Crab” is highlighted in the red oval. All the photos surrounding the specific letter allow imagery of (potentially) unfamiliar words: kayak and oars. Of course, there are many pictures that kids will be pretty familiar with: dump truck, nose, ice cream, and many more. 

Robin H. Elisabeth does NOT highlight every word in each section that begins with a particular letter. For example, “artist” is the word the author wants the child to focus on for the letter A, but you could extend the learning activity easily. Ask your child to find all the letter “A” words on their corresponding pages. Do the same for “B,” “C,” and the rest of the alphabet. For those letters that only have ONE word on the page, ask them what letters they see. 

In the end credits, the author informs readers there are flashcards available on Amazon. They use images straight from the book. Great idea!

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Robin Elisabeth belongs to a small consortium of authors, editors, actors, and dreamers who bring life to children’s books. They collaborate with non-profits to facilitate grant funding for literacy initiatives. As dedicated artists, they enjoy designing reading activities for children’s education programs and products, including books, workbooks, coloring books, and flashcards.

 

Reedsy

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Discovery of the Five Senses Book One – The Urban Boys Series by K. N. Smith (Book Review)

THE URBAN BOYS: DISCOVERY OF THE FIVE SENSES by K.N. Smith
 
Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, will the boys be able to defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.  ​

 
 
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
IndieBound ~ Apple ~ Smashwords ~ Kobo
add to goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
Discovery of the Five Senses Book One – The Urban Boys Series by K. N. Smith deals with the responsibility of having extraordinary gifts. As Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker (Spiderman), “With great power comes great responsibility.” 


Imagining a life with powers is fun, but, after reading this story, maybe it’s not such a glamorous lifestyle after all. Let’s take enhanced hearing, for instance. Readers will watch as several teens, past and present, have difficulty navigating their new heightened senses. I get annoyed with the (low-volume) constant ringing in my ears, so having an overload of loud sounds 24-7 with no off-switch would be horrific. After you read Discovery of the Five Senses Book One – The Urban Boys Series by K. N. Smith, and I highly encourage you to read it, you’ll better understand why being normal, a non-super being isn’t that terrible. 


Despite the struggles the teens faced, they did help others by using their super skills. With their senses working on overdrive, they also became black belts in martial arts. Okay, maybe not technically black belts, but they could whoop some A**. Their newfound fighting skills came in handy QUITE  a bit because danger followed them. They also sought out criminals to battle. I really enjoyed these scenes, especially when ***** used nunchucks. Yup, I omitted the name on purpose. NO SPOILERS! 


If you’re a teacher or parent reading this story with your class or child, ask them the question below before starting the story and then again after you’ve finished it. See if their response changes and if it did, why.


Discussion question: “What sense would they like heightened?”

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
 
K.N. Smith

 
K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author, screenwriter, and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. She inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits. She lives in California with her family. 
 
 
connect with the author: 
 website ~ facebook ~ goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Romancing the Darkness by Tyler R. Snyder (Book Review / Author Interview)

ROMANCING THE DARKNESS by Tyler R. Snyder

 
Monsters of Mythical Proportion
Worlds of Magic and Power
Forbidden Love
And DEATH. DEATH is the consequence…

When Tristan defies Ambion’s only law—royal and common blood cannot mix, he discovers the consequences are real. The young guardian finds himself in a world where love and hate, war and peace, duty and betrayal blur into darkness. As his world devolves into a battle for survival, he learns only an Angel can save Ambion from the destruction wielded by the Dividers. Is Tristan the Angel destined to save the world or will he succumb to the wiles of a dark goddess?

​“Boy! Hey boy, let me show you the end.” Tristan looked in horror as tens of thousands of men and women were hooded figures. Explosions erupted everywhere, and the black sky spewed red lightning all around the warriors. A ground shaking roar forced Tristan to cover his ears. When he looked up, a massive golden dragon breathed fire upon the world: fire engulfed the horizon. “The end will begin with ash.”   

 
 
Buy the Book:
Amazon
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
Romancing the Darkness is the first book in a series by Tyler R. Snyder. It’s rated PG-13 + M. There is no sex, but it is implied. I think teen movies and television shows are 1000 times more graphic than this story!


Now, let’s discuss the monsters! I loved the variety of mythical beasts. I was familiar with certain popularized ones, such as the Kraken, wraiths, and dragons. However, Tyler introduced me to some new creatures: terpsichore (serpent-like horse) and a barking rabbit. Yeah, a barking rabbit! Cool, right?!


I think teens will love the fantasy elements in the story. They will probably love all the action sequences as well. Trust me –there are a lot of them. Battles scenes participants included humans, elves, angels, gods, goddesses, and the animals listed above, plus many more I didn’t mention. Fighters used magical powers, medieval weapons (swords and bows, weapons from today’s world (guns), and even futuristic ones (airships). Even though there are numerous fight scenes, they are not overly graphic. I would say they are on par with what teens are watching now. 


What Romancing the Darkness is missing, though, is a glossary/character page. It’s a lot to remember between the characters, beasts, locations, etc. In all honesty, I took notes. What else I would like to see is a card game. I think they would be wildly popular. 


As I stated in my opening sentence, Romancing the Darkness is the first book in a series which means this story ends on a cliffhanger. 


Looking forward to book 2! 

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

Author Tyler R. Snyder
Tyler Snyder was born in 1984 in Medford, Oregon.

As a child, he was captivated by movies, video games, and Dungeons and Dragons, along with the worlds these activities created. The original spark that ignited Tyler’s imagination was when he wanted to see a movie similar to The Legend of Zelda, but the closest film at the time was The Dark Crystal. That itch, to this day, has still not been scratched. This led him to books and stories like the pastimes he adored and gave him exposure to a much grander well of ideas and possibilities. Meeting like-minded friends who shared the same hobbies, Tyler developed a passion for creating new worlds. In Romancing the Darkness, Tyler explores his world, Ambion, and the countless decisions confronting his characters.

Mr. Snyder currently lives in Wyoming with his wife, Sandra.

 

 

 

  1. If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

Tristan. Easy. In creating Tristan, I tried to put as much of myself into him as I could without deluding the character too much. With Tristan entering this vast world of magic and mythical monsters he is pretty much going into it blind and not as prepared as he would like to be. I feel a lot like that with life, becoming an author and juggling my passion with my day to day life.

 

  1. Do you have another profession other than writing?

I work for Frito Lay. I stock potato chips at three in the morning. It’s not a bad gig. I work anywhere from fifty to sixty hours a week. I actually really enjoy my job. The people I work with are great. And all the new people I meet help fuel some of the character interactions I have in my story. Witnessing social events and interactions between people help me develop my world and the characters that reside within it.

 

 

  1. Do you write every day?

I try my darndest to. With my busy schedule I try to sit down and write for at least an hour every day. Whether it is actual writing or going back through and editing what I have already written. As long as some form of progress is made I’m happy. But man it can get exhausting trying to squeeze it into the schedule. I feel if I stop I will lose that rhythm of doing it each day. In some ways it’s a lot like going to the gym.

 

 

  1. With long work weeks how do you balance your time?

I mean you get used to it after a while. As long as I stick to the schedule it doesn’t seem so bad. I have been bad and haven’t gone to the gym in month so I got to find a way to squeeze at least an hour each day to do that as well. But it’s nothing more than just putting in the work and keeping on your schedule. I make sure I don’t write past a certain time. I have to make sure I have some form of downtime for myself. Whether I’m playing a game after, catching up on Netflix shows or reading a book. Otherwise I may go nuts if work sixteen hours a day with no breaks.

 

 

  1. What was the last book you read that you really enjoyed?

There is one book that has stuck with me for years. I’ve read other books since then but none of them ever really jumped off the page the way this one did. The book was Mr. Begone by Clive Barker. Outside my wheelhouse. But I really enjoyed this book. Mostly because I have never read anything like it. But the fact that this little “possessed” book spent every chapter trying to convince be to burn it so the little demon could be set free. I thought it was so clever.

 

connect with the author: 
website ~ twitter ~ facebook instagram goodreads

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
Disclaimer: All questions and answers were constructed by the author and/or their representative. 

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Jack Gregson & the Stolen Sons by Peter Wilson (Book Review)

JACK GREGSON AND THE STOLEN SONS by Peter Wilson

 
Dark Mystery
Ancient Prophecy
Family Secrets

When a loud, incessant knocking disturbs the peace at Gregson Manor, David and Rosie once again travel through the mysterious portal, where they encounter darkness, chaos and impossible impossibilities.

Only by fulfilling an ancient prophecy and uniting unlikely allies can they save parallel universes.

A dormant sun awaiting new dawn,
Two stolen sons their mothers mourn.
One will wake from whence they laid,
The other repeats a mistake once made.

​Who are the sons?   

 
Buy the Book
Amazon

add to goodreads
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
Jack Gregson & the Stolen Sons by Peter Wilson had more suspense, mystery, surprises, and bombshells than Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal. It also had more humor, thanks to pixie dust. I like Jarl, the sparkling golden pixie. While she might’ve not been the brightest bulb, she was fun to watch in action. She reminded me of Tinkerbell, except Tinks never turned herself into a frog. 
 
This story also had more family drama and unveiled another traitor. The traitor will play a major role in the next book, which I’m looking forward to reading! 


As with the first book in the series, Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal, there is oodles of magic. Colors play a significant role in the magic scenes. If you’re a teacher, this would be an excellent opportunity to discuss symbolism with your students. 


As I stated earlier, there are many humorous scenes in the story. One fight scene made me smile because David was wielding the unlikeliest weapon. Oh, I wish I could tell you what it was, BUT I want to leave you guessing. I can see kids laughing at it, though! I did give a slight chuckle. 


On a final note: I didn’t think Peter Wilson could make the punkey any weirder, but he did. I’m curious how the mutant will evolve in the next book. 
 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author Peter Wilson
Peter Wilson is an award-winning writer based in Sydney, Australia. His first novel, Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal has won awards internationally, in both the USA and United Kingdom, and has quickly become a favourite with young readers. Peter’s second book in his trilogy series, Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Sons, is set for release in 2021. In addition to children’s and young adult content, Peter is also interested in writing for the adult market and is currently working on a crime thriller set in his home city, Sydney.

 
connect with the author: 
website twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram goodreads

 
 
 
 
 
 

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Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal by Peter Wilson (Book Review)

 
MOONBEAM AWARD WINNER!
 
Something has changed at the Gregson Manor. An evil force from the family’s past has returned to upheave their lives.
 
Jack and his cousins explore the family secrets as they are pulled through a portal into a universe of endless worlds and possibilities.
 
Together, they race to escape and destroy the evil Theorden and his followers who strive to unlock the power of the Forgotten Portal and wreak havor on Gregson Manor and the World.
 
 
Buy the Book
Amazon
add to goodreads

 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
The trio from Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal (Jack, David, and Rosie) reminded me of Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione. Three young adults band together to save their home, family, and friends from an evil, magical being. In both scenarios, there was a chosen one (teen) who had the power to defeat the villain. Of course, he can’t do it alone. He needed assistance. 


While there were many similarities between this book and the famous series by Rowling, Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal possessed its own unique features. For instance, Peter Wilson’s story had a punkey – a puppy + monkey, a mutant-looking creature. There were also portals that took you to different worlds in the universe. Could you imagine visiting a new planet every time you go on vacation?! That would be amazing!!! This feature would be a great discussion topic in a classroom. Where in the universe would you go? You could go even farther and have your students design their planet and include its features (animals, vegetation, food sources, etc.). 


Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal had many qualities that drew my attention and held my interest, besides those mentioned in the last paragraph. I loved the magical elements and the manor’s attic. There were so many artifacts to view in this room, each one with its own story to tell. It also had a bonus feature that you won’t see in a typical attic. (No spoilers; buy the book *smiley face*) 


What I would change?
I wish the Shadow Man’s identity weren’t so easy to figure out and so soon in the story too. 

Like I said in the opening paragraph, I do believe there are some shared traits between this story and the HP books. However, with that said, I did enjoy reading  Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal and recommend others read it as well. 

 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤1/2
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author Peter Wilson
Peter Wilson is an award-winning writer based in Sydney, Australia. His first novel, Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal has won awards internationally, in both the USA and United Kingdom, and has quickly become a favourite with young readers. Peter’s second book in his trilogy series, Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Sons, is set for release in 2021. In addition to children’s and young adult content, Peter is also interested in writing for the adult market and is currently working on a crime thriller set in his home city, Sydney.

connect with the author: 
website twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram goodreads

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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