Children's Book Review: Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis

Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis

About the Book:

Captain No Beard and his crew of loyal pirates heave anchor for another adventure, this time in the icy waters of the Arctic. 

Captain No Beard's steering a course due north, sailing by the light of the North Star. Everyone on the crew wonders what the captain's up to, especially as he gets embarrassed when they ask. 

When the captain finally admits his plan, the crew discovers he plans to steal the aurora borealis, the beautiful northern lights that brighten the arctic sky. They're all shocked. They may be pirates, but even they know stealing is bad. Besides, how can anyone steal the lights from the sky? 

A charming, engaging tale about doing what's right, Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis is the latest installment in Carole P. Roman's award-winning pirate series. The first book, Captain No Beard—an Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life, received the Kirkus Reviews Best of 2012 award and the Star of Remarkable Achievement. The series presents real-life problems in an imaginary setting and encourages discussion with both parents and educators.

My Comments:

Every child has been tempted to take something that did not belong to him or her, and every child has justified the choice.  Of course, we know that isn't something we want to encourage and in this delightful story, Captain No Beard learns from his crew why he can't steal, and what he can do instead.  

I'd like to thank the author, Carole P. Roman for sending me this book.  I hope the kids at my daughter's school enjoy it.  Grade:  B.  

Children's Book: Miraculous Me

Miraculous Me

About the Book:

What thoughts crossed your mother's mind the first time she saw you? What dreams did your father hold in his heart? Told from the perspective of a baby in utero whose parents are seeing the ultrasound picture for the first time.

A colorful and inspiring way to instill the message that we are each wonderfully made and treasured from the moment of conception. Great pro-life gift for baby showers, new parents, and teaching children!

Fun Fact: In early spring 2013, while putting socks on her newest daughter's feet, Ruth spoke out loud, "Look at those toes, where will they go?" In a moment of sheer inspiration, she grabbed her eldest daughter's Tinkerbell notebook, and between folding laundry and scrambling eggs, wrote the manuscript for this book.

My Comments:

Written in a poetic style, this book is a fun read-aloud showing parents at their first ultrasound dreaming of what their baby will become.  One thing is sure; this baby is cherished whether a he or a she; whether a ballerina or an astronaut.  The parents are ready to play with this child and care for him or her.  That a baby is a gift from God is clear.  

I'll be donating this book, which was given to me for review by Catholic World, to my daughter's Catholic school.  I hope the kids enjoy it.  Grade:  B+.

Catholic Word is the leading Catholic publisher group in the United States, with over 35 publisher members producing books, study programs, audio and videos which provide answers to the burning needs and questions relevant to today's Catholic.

Review: Snow Angel Cove

Snow Angel Cove (Hqn)

About the Book:

Nothing short of a miracle can restore Eliza Hayward's Christmas cheer. The job she pinned her dreams on has gone up in smoke—literally—and now she's stuck in an unfamiliar, if breathtaking, small town. Precariously close to being destitute, Eliza needs a hero, but she's not expecting one who almost runs her down with his car! 

Rescuing Eliza is pure instinct for tech genius Aidan Caine. At first, putting the renovation of his lakeside guest lodge in Eliza's hands assuages his guilt—until he sees how quickly he could fall for her. Having focused solely on his business for years, he never knew what his life was missing before Eliza, but now he's willing to risk his heart on a yuletide romance that could lead to forever.

My Comments:

This book was as sweet and cozy and the cover would lead you to believe it is.  Like many Christmas romances, it isn't terribly realistic.  Eliza moves to a small town with her young daughter and all her worldly possessions in an old car.  She is there to take a job at a local hotel, but as she arrives in town she sees the inn burn.  So much for her job.  However, her luck turns when Aiden almost runs her over, and then gives her a job working at his house.  Of course this means they spend time together.  Of course they fall for each other.  Of course all the people in this small town fall in love with her.  I certainly didn't expect anything different when I picked up this book and I was not disappointed.  

Those familiar with Rae Ann Thayne's Hope's Crossing series will recognize many of the peripheral characters in this book but you do not have to have read them to enjoy this book.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.  

Review: The Sweetness of Honey

The Sweetness of Honey (A Hope Springs Novel)

About the Book:

Dark-haired beauty Indiana Keller buys a property in Hope Springs, Texas, for three reasons: to expand her vegetable business, to harvest and sell delicious honey from the property’s established bee colony, and to reunite with her estranged siblings. But her older brother Tennessee keeps his distance, even after Indiana hires his construction crew to fix up her cottage. It’s almost as if he shares her guilt over the disappearance of Dakota, their missing brother…

While Indiana tries to reconnect with Ten and find Dakota, two local men begin vying for her heart. Handsome, laid-back Will Bowman has a checkered past, but now he’s determined to get what he wants out of life…and he wants Indiana. Meanwhile, refined Oliver Gatlin can’t fight his own attraction to Indiana, especially since his brother also fell victim to tragic circumstances. Amid the raw natural beauty of Hope Springs, can Indiana’s heart finally heal enough to love?

My Comments:

This is the third book I've read in this series and I've enjoyed them all.  As I noted in the other reviews, the writing is better than normal for romance novels.  Indiana is the sister of the hero of Second Chance Cafe  and she wants to find a third sibling, a brother who went to prison for assaulting a boy who had tried to rape her.  Oliver is the brother of the boy in the accident that was important in Beneath the Patchwork Moon.  He has spent years blaming himself for the accident.  Will wants Indiana but that spark isn't there on her side.  There were times I found myself trying to remember what happened in the other books and what other people remembered about the accident.  Also, at the end Will does something important but we never find out how or why.  We also aren't privy to an important conversation at the end of the book; there are lots of why questions still floating in my mind not only about the car accident but about the recent life of one of the characters.  I hope the answers will be forthcoming in another book.  In short the book is clearly part of a series and reading the other books, while not absolutely necessary, certainly adds to the reader's knowledge of the situations described.

There are a couple in intimate scenes in the book.  Personally, I didn't like them and think "lust scenes" better describes them than "love scenes".

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.