Rollie and his friend, Cecily, are presented with another mystery, a secret map hidden in a newspaper and a spy lurking within the Academy. There are many clues and mysterious things happening, but which details are actually pointing to the spy and which are the red herrings?

I loved everything about this book! The characters, the plot, the mystery, the action, the school, the writing style... everything is wonderful!

Rollie is an excellent main character. He's smart and observant, and he wants to be just like Sherlock Holmes. I really identified with his thought process and his emotions and excitement in the middle of a mystery.

I loved the easy friendship between Rollie and Cecily. They are great friends, and it really shows in their banter and camaraderie. I loved how they nickname each other "Holmes" and "Watson." Their friendship is even further cemented in this second book in the series.

It was really interesting to see how Rollie begins to connect with more of the side characters in this book. He has a misunderstanding with one of his roommates, Rupert, and is convinced that because Rupert is a nasty rude person, he must be working as a spy for the bad guys. Rollie learns not to let his personal feelings get in the way of finding actual evidence. This was such a great exploration of different types of relationships and how we can easily misjudge people.

The writing style is excellent, drawing the reader into the story. The plot leaves little foreshadowing clues all over the place for the reader to wonder over until the mystery is revealed. I love the puzzles and codes, and the plot kept me interested right to the very end.

I can't wait to read more books in this series!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet for the first time, and agree to room together at 221B Baker St. Their first case comes along when a man is mysteriously murdered in an empty house and "Rache" is written on the wall in blood. Scotland Yard are searching for the murderer, but only Holmes and Watson can solve the case!

This Sherlock Holmes mystery is retold and simplified for children ages 7-13. The story follows exactly the same story line as the original book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with much of the same dialogue and narration. Holmes and Watson are the same beloved characters that we know, and the mystery is just as suspenseful and thrilling as the original.

I loved how the writing style is simple, but is still vivid and energetic! The text is large, and there are a few definition boxes that explain terms or historical items that may be unfamiliar.

I loved the black and white illustrations that pop up every few pages. The cartoony style of the drawings is just right for this type of children's retelling, and gives an added flair to the story. The artwork is sometimes humorous and fun, making the story a little more lighthearted for young people.

I can't wait to revisit more Holmes stories in this children's series! This is an excellent way to introduce classics to elementary and middle grade readers!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Rollie and his friend, Cecily, are home for Christmas. There is a mysterious light in the abandoned house next door, and they stay up at night to spy through the windows, and hopefully catch a secret agent from the villain, Herr Zilch.

I loved this book! The characters, the plot, the mystery, the action, the school, the writing style... everything is wonderful! I didn't enjoy this book quite as much, because we see much less of the Academy and the teachers. But the students do visit the school during the Christmas holidays and get to see their teacher briefly. However, most of the time, Rollie and Cecily are at home, and I loved the crazy shenanigans of Rollie's boisterous family and siblings!

Rollie is an excellent main character. He's smart and observant, and he wants to be just like Sherlock Holmes. I really identified with his thought process and his emotions and excitement in the middle of a mystery.

I loved the easy friendship between Rollie and Cecily. They are great friends, and it really shows in their banter and camaraderie. I loved how they nickname each other "Holmes" and "Watson." Their friendship with other characters is further cemented in this third book in the series, as the two begin to develop deeper friendships with the rest of their classmates.

It was really interesting to see how Rollie begins to connect with more of the side characters in this book. He has a misunderstanding with his Aunt, and begins to learn more about her past. She keeps so many secrets from him, but ultimately he learns to trust her.

The writing style is excellent, drawing the reader into the story. The plot leaves little foreshadowing clues all over the place for the reader to wonder over until the mystery is revealed. I love the puzzles and codes.

I can't wait to read the last book in this series!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This book gives practical and realistic ways to deal with grief by accepting your feelings instead of pushing them away. I immediately felt confidence in the author's voice, because the ideas in this book ring true and show a lot of common sense. I admire how the chapters are organized in a progression of healing that leads the reader into deeper living with healthy emotions.

Beginning with basic self-care and reconnecting with relationships in your life, this book addresses defining your core values that keep you anchored through tough times, and gently moves the reader into reassessing the "story" they tell themselves about their life. I really loved the chapters about the "observer self" and how we can remain detached from untrue thoughts that threaten to disconnect us from the reality of our grief.

This book teaches that by accepting our grief, we can finally move past it to have a vibrant and happy life. Our grief is still part of us, but it doesn't have to hold us back. In fact, it can make us stronger, more compassionate, and more connected to others and to our true selves.

One of the best things about this book are the meditations, journal prompts, and exercises for the reader to use in their journey of healing. I really love that this book doesn't just give abstract ideas, but uses concrete examples of how a feeling might be expressed, how a small step can make a huge difference, or how we can "flip the story" to pull ourselves out of a downward spiral.

The only thing missing from this book is God. We can't hope to truly heal from our grief without the help and wisdom of our Creator. After all, He wrote the blueprints for humanity, and He knows our deepest joys and sadness. If this book had included a chapter on prayer, then it would have covered all the bases. I would recommend reading this book along with a Christian book on grief too.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This adorable book starts with a genealogy chart to be filled in with the grandchild's family, and a list of general information about the grandmother and grandchild, such as their ancestry, occupation, ethnicity, religion, birth place and birthday, where they grew up, and their siblings names.

The rest of the book is sweet questions for the grandmother and grandchild to answer, such as their best friend, their favorite movie, their first childhood memory, their hobbies, what makes them laugh, and what makes them feel brave.

The great thing about this is that it can be filled out by children of any age, by one grandchild or multiple children, all in one year or over decades of time. The questions are equally appropriate for very young toddlers or for adult grandchildren. The questions range from easy answers like your favorite food, to more in-depth questions like "what makes me unique".

This is such an inspiring book! What a treasure!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book gives a step-by-step guide to beginning and deepening a Yoga Nidra practice. The first chapter talks about what Yoga Nidra is, and how it can improve your sleep, make you more aware, reduce stress, help you to cope with emotions, and heal your body. Then each chapter focuses on one aspect of Yoga Nidra, opening your awareness to different areas of your body, mind, and spirit.


Each chapter includes a short and a long meditation script that you can prerecord for yourself and then play it back while you meditate. You can choose to do the shorter 5-minute meditation, or the longer one. Meditations includes visualizing a happy and safe place, doing a mental scan of your body, listening to your emotions, observing and releasing your thoughts, focusing on the breath, and setting an intention for your well-being.

The writing style is really good at getting the reader to contemplate their own inner being, and there are some wonderful nuggets of wisdom. However, I didn't always like the author's interpretation or the way they phrased things. Some of the book is beautifully written and inspiring, but I mostly skipped over the personal anecdotes of the author, and just read the meditations and the benefits of each stage of Yoga Nidra practice.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.

This guided journal explores the meaning of happiness and how it can be unique to each individual. The journal prompts you to write down the things that make you happy, to re-imagine difficult situations in a more pleasant light, and to go after your own style of joy.

The journal questions include things like:
"What is a hobby you've always wanted to try?"
"Write about a time when a closed door led to a new opportunity that brought more happiness into your life."
"Write about a time when you used your imagination to solve a problem."
"Write down one thing you do regularly that makes you happy."

Some of the prompts are simple, and others are more complex, leading to deeper reflection. Each page builds on the previous lesson, guiding you further on a journey toward understanding and embracing happiness.

In addition to the journaling prompts, this book includes meditations, breathing exercises, inspirational quotes from famous people, and activities to boost your personal happiness. There are dozens of suggestions for simple acts of happiness!

Some of the activities are things like:
Coloring a kaleidoscope picture with colors for each area of your life.
Listening to your favorite upbeat song.
Reaching out to a friend.
Drawing a picture of what happiness is to you.
Making one small change in your room to bring more joy like hanging a picture or lighting a candle.
Hugging your favorite person.
Do a random act of kindness for someone.

I love how the author encourages you to embrace life, manage your emotions, and find peace and contentment. The writing really meets you where you are, and gently guides you into a new way of thinking about your life.

The entire book is designed with bright neon colors similar to the cover. Each journaling page has plenty of blank white space for writing with a neon border around the edges. Quote pages and meditation pages are fully colored, making for an extremely bright page.

This book is simple and yet profound. I love it!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Darling little story, with some strange but beautiful bits. It has a weird story structure though, and everything is so heavily laden with double meaning and allegory that it makes it difficult to just enjoy the magic.

Reading this in Spanish was a wonderful treat! I love this book and have read it many times in English, but never in Spanish before. All the magic and splendiferous writing is just as charming in a translated edition.