Have you ever wondered what makes machines work? How do they function and move? How do cell phones work? How do submarines dive and rise again? What happens when you start a car engine? This book explores common machines that we take for granted, and explains the basics of how they work using weight, friction, gravity, electricity, fuel, and magnetism. There are bicycle gears, microwaves, planes, telescopes, elevators, and even robots!

The coolest thing about this book is the red lens that is included in the cover. You can remove the lens with its handle and use it to reveal hidden words and illustrations on each page. This lens allows you to see inside the machines, and discover how all the parts work together. I like that the lens has a little compartment in the cover where you can safely store it away.

I loved the clever illustrations in this book! Even without the special red lens, you can still sort of make out the hidden messages in the red and blue art. Some portions of the page are hidden, and have to be revealed with the lens, but most of the page is just regular illustrations in bright colors.

I was fascinated by the interesting information about all the different types of machines. Some of them are too complex to explain fully, but we get a simplified overview. And some of the machines are so simple that we use them everyday without even realizing that they are machines.

I recommend this book for readers aged 7-12.

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.

Rebecca leaves her home at Sunnybrook Farm to move in with her two aunts, Miranda and Jane. With many little brothers and sisters at home with her mother, Rebecca hopes to get a good education and be able to support the family someday. But Aunt Miranda is terribly strict, and Rebecca must find consolation with her more compassionate Aunt Jane.

I have always loved this sweet story about a smart girl growing up in the middle of nowhere. Rebecca has imagination and cleverness far beyond anyone else in her little country town. But she learns to appreciate the kindness and neighborliness of the people around her.

The only thing I don't particularly like is the end. It's rather abrupt. It definitely gives you clues as to what will happen next, but those things are not quite resolved.

I love Rebecca's character. It's wonderful to see how her horizons expand as she grows up. She becomes so resilient and good. She is ready to sacrifice her own dreams in order to do her duty. I love to see how she responds to her teachers, and soaks in as much knowledge as she can at school.

Cassia follows the rules. She is excited for the benevolent government officials to choose her Match for her, the man she will one day marry. She is matched with her childhood friend, but briefly sees another boy in her match information. She is told that it was only a mistake, but she's curious about the other match, and begins to bend the rules and then break them.

I really loved the dystopian setup in this book! The seemingly benevolent government who watches your every move, and makes all your life decisions for you based on data and predictions and genetic compatibility. It was such a cool and interesting setting!

I really loved Cassia's character development. I loved her internal struggle, and how she begins to question her world. She is torn between two boys, two lives, and two selves. Does she choose to play it safe and have a good life with her match? Or does she choose to rebel and live free, but risk losing everything? I was fascinated by the intricate details of her emotions and thoughts.

I liked the writing style. There are some really lovely nuggets of writing that I especially enjoyed.

I loved the subtle family dynamics in Cassia's relationships with her parents and her brother. There are places where an emotional connection between characters is set up and then matures and reaches a satisfying realization as they understand one another better.

However, the romance was boring. I did not feel any tension or special connections between any of them. The only excitement was the excitement of breaking the rules together. The only tension was the tension of hiding your feelings from the authorities. I don't mind a love triangle if all the characters are deep and complex and well-developed. But both the boys were boring and flat.

And the plot is slow. Really slow. Little tiny things happen here and there, and each of them have meaning, and it's all about the deeper connotation of what each decision and action means in the background and behind the scenes. Everyone is hiding something. Everyone is watching everyone else. So they keep it subtle and small and try not to do much. Understandable, but makes for a boring plot. I feel like a lot of the book could have been condensed.

Overall, I enjoyed many things about this book, and I'm giving it three stars to say, I liked it! If, like me, you are a character-driven reader, you would enjoy Cassia's character development. If you are a plot-driven reader, it's probably not for you.

I got 64% of the way into the book and decided to DNF it for now. About 90% of the poems are about death. They are very gloomy, all about suffering and despair and darkness. It was making me depressed, so I decided to DNF it.

The poetry is good. Some are almost genius. There were several poems that really touched my heart. The Brontës certainly have a way with words. So many of the phrases are beautifully crafted.

These poems are very emotional and wild and raging like a storm. But they can also embrace a little detail, a look, or word, or the simple comfort of a hearth.

Some of my favorite poems in this book were "Memory" by Anne Bronte, and "Stars" and "To Imagination" by Emily Bronte, and "Mementos" and "The Missionary" by Charlotte Bronte.

I also really liked a few lines in the poem "Gilbert" because they talk about the piano, and I'm a pianist.
"Some soft piano-notes alone
Were sweet as faintly given,
Where ladies, doubtless, cheered the hearth
With song that winter-even."

Favorite lines from "Mementos":
"The book-shelves were her darling treasure,
She rarely seemed the time to measure
While she could read alone."

"The Missionary" was especially inspiring because I grew up overseas as a missionary kid. It talks about forsaking everything for the sake of your faith and helping others, and being glad to suffer if it means that you can steadfastly do your duty. I found it very moving, like a trumpet call to faith!

Favorite lines from "Stars":
"Ah! why, because the dazzling sun
Restored our Earth to joy,
Have you departed, every one,
And left a desert sky?
All through the night, your glorious eyes
Were gazing down in mine,
And, with a full heart's thankful sighs,
I blessed that watch divine.
I was at peace, and drank your beams
As they were life to me;
And revelled in my changeful dreams,
Like petrel on the sea."

A little boy wonders, What is the big deal about washing your hands all the time? Then he realizes the mud and dirt and germs that are on his hands, and decides to wash his hands thoroughly before eating a meal.

The simple illustrations are cute, and I liked the funny expressions on the little boy's face when he realizes just how dirty his hands really are. I'm not a big fan of the computer-generated art style, but it is well done and colorful.

This picture book is told in rhyming text. The rhymes are mostly good, and didn't annoy me too badly. I am very picky about rhyming children's books, but this one was fairly good. At one point, "warm" and "foam" are supposed to rhyme, but that was the worst one I saw.

This book would be great for teaching little children to wash their hands properly! And little kids don't care about things like art style and rhymes, so I'm sure they would 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.

This book is about two smaller dinosaurs, a triceratops and pterodactyl, who become friends. They help each other to find food, and they trick a T-rex and escape from him.

I think the backstory of this book is really sweet. The author and his little neighbor teamed up to write the story and do the illustrations. As a friendly collaboration, it's adorable. As a published book, it has a serious marketing problem.

Based on the illustrations and cover, I got this book to share with my 3 year old nephew. However, it is much too text-heavy for a young child. The amount of text would be more appropriate for an 8-10 year old reader, but the subject material is too condescending for that age group. The tone of the story is more suited to young readers, and the illustrations are for young readers, but there is way too much text on the page for a young reader.

"They sound as if something LARGE is moving through the jungle. What do you think might be making those sounds? Birds? People? Animals? Did someone say dinosaurs? I think you might have peeked ahead, but you are correct."

This sounds like a narrator addressing a very young child.

I don't know who this book is for. What is the target age range? It seems entirely unsuited to any age range. Older readers would not like the babyish illustrations or the childish tone, but younger readers would be unable to follow the lengthy narration.

We don't even meet the "main characters" until Chapter Three. Yes, this picture book has chapters. So is it a chapter book for children who are learning to read on their own, or is it a toddler book for little kids who like babyish illustrations?

It doesn't fit anywhere, and I don't know who will read it. I certainly can't share it with my rambunctious toddler nephew.

If only the current text had more sophisticated art, or if only the current art had a simpler text, it would be a delightful story.

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.

Mindi insists that she is being harrassed by a big goose which no one else can see. Her parents try to reassure her that there is no goose, but Mindi continues to be afraid. Her father asks for advice from a wise old farmer, who introduces Mindi to a very special goat. Is there a way for Mindi to get rid of that menacing goose once and for all?

The illustrations are beautiful, and I love the soft art style. I think it's very clever the way the illustrations use shadows to suggest that the imaginary goose is lurking in the background.

Mindi is such a sweet little character, and I loved the absolute trust that she has in her parents. It's so wonderful to see the way the parents are sensitive to her fears and don't just dismiss her anxiety or tell her to "toughen up." They take it seriously and try to help her overcome those fears in a healthy way.

I'm not sure what I think of this book. I loved the first part of the story, but did not like the ending that much. My 3-year-old niece is terrified of "monsters" that she imagines are "coming to get her." And I thought this book would be so great to show her that there are no monsters. Even though the goose is obviously imaginary, the ending suggests that there is a real goose. I don't want to send mixed messages to my little niece and make her fears worse!

I think they had a really great idea to teach children about controlling their imaginary fears, but then they tried to be funny or cute at the end, and they ruined 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.

As Baby Moses floats down the Nile river, some animals help him drift along and keep him from harm until he arrives safely in the arms of the Egyptian princess who will adopt him.

I thought this was such a sweet story about little baby Moses! It's nice to imagine that God really did send animals to watch over the baby.

This story is told in rhyme which is fairly good. The rhyming words are all good, but sometimes the rhythm doesn't quite match up with enough syllables in each line. It didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story though.

I did not like that the crocodile is one of the animals who helps. It seemed odd to me, because reptiles are not at all known for being maternal or protective the way mammals and birds might be. In fact, there are likely to be many readers who are afraid of reptiles, which doesn't exactly give us a heart-warming or cozy book. I just thought it was a strange choice.

I loved the beautiful watercolor illustrations. The colors are bright and the art work is soft and calming. The background scenes are gorgeous with luscious vegetation around the river. So many of the scenes are cleverly designed from high or low perspectives, and even underwater perspectives. Sometimes we are seeing the basket from above as if we are flying with the birds, or from behind a row of flower blossoms, or sometimes from below with a school of fish in the river.


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.

Tyrone's family all have different ideas about what he should be when he grows up, but Tyrone has a secret dream to be a dancer. He meets some dancers at a gym. They are working out to be stronger. Will Tyrone have the courage to join them at a dance class? Will he ever admit to his family that his true dream is not what they had imagined?

What a great story! I love that, although Tyrone is worried that his family will not understand, they are actually very supportive and kind. Tyrone is such a sweet character, and I love his character growth as he finds the inspiration to follow his own dream, instead of letting other people influence him into doing other things.

The story is funny and engaging with such adorable characters. The writing is really excellent!

I loved the cute illustrations. It's so hilarious to see these massive dinosaurs hanging out with tiny people and just doing ordinary things in a modern world. I like the messy art and big blobs of color. Every scene is clear, but also has an impressionistic style. It really adds to the comedy of the story.

The only illustration I don't like is the cover illustration. There is something missing in the shadows and outlines around Tyrone's arms, making it look like his arms are coming straight out of his back, instead of from his sides. The rest of the illustrations don't do that. I don't know why the one illustration with a problem like that would be chosen as the cover art.


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.

The good beasts at Redwall rescue an injured bird, and it sets them on a quest to discover all they can about the legend of the ancient Queen Rhulain. Meanwhile, on an island far away, otter clans are enslaved to a ferocious wildcat society, and only the clever outlaw, Shellhound, can outwit their evil wildcat leader. Caught in the middle of these adventures is the young Redwall ottermaid, Tiria. She dreams of Martin the Warrior, who guides her to find her true destiny.

What an absolute delight! This book has everything that I love about Redwall books. Ravenous hares, wise old scribes, adorable moles, silly shrews, and of course brave warriors ready to defend all good beasts.

As with all Redwall books, I made sure to have a stash of snacks on hand since the characters are constantly eating the most delicious food. They have massive feasts and parties, but even a simple breakfast will make your mouth water with all the descriptions of pastries and fruit pies and cordials.

I really loved Tiria's character. She is fiercely loyal and kind. She is always learning and figuring things out. She tends to sit back and see what other characters are going to do, and then she makes her own decision and takes action in her own way.

There are so many good supporting characters in this book. They kind of steal the show! Shellhound has such great development and depth. I just adored him.

I was laughing and giggling at the hares and all the banter between the otters. It's just wonderful, and gives so much depth to each culture that we encounter.

The action and pacing in this book are really excellent. The plot is always moving forward, but there are also scenes that take the time to show our characters grieving or resting or laughing together. It builds up the emotional components of the story, so that when you get to the big battles, we really care about what happens to the characters.