ONCE UPON A TIME by Sheryl Green

Title:  ONCE UPON A TIME (Story Starters for Kids)
Series:  N/A
Author:  Sheryl Green
Publisher:  Sheryl Green
Publish Date:   11.19.2021
Category /Genre:  Journal, Children’s, Activity Book
Recommended for:  8 – 12 years old
Grammar/editing:  A – near perfect
Received from:  Sheryl Green (as an ARC gifted copy)
Goodreads link: Once Upon a Time
Date completed: 12.13.2021
 
Description from the publisher:
It’s time to unleash your inner author!
Step up your kids’ storytelling skills with short, creative writing prompts and fun creative writing exercises. This book is the ideal companion for kids aged 8-12 who want to practice writing creative stories but don’t know where to start. Once Upon a Time is packed with short writing prompts that help spark kids' imaginations.

Whether it’s funny stories, scary stories, or something else entirely, you'll find dozens of story starters and inspiration to get you started. The creative writing exercise help to build intriguing plots, strong characters, and vivid settings for your stories.

This book is a great gift for aspiring writers. It includes:

Fun activities―Explore engaging exercises that get your creativity flowing, including brainstorming, word games, and more.
Writing tips for kids―Learn simple strategies for crafting captivating storylines, character creation techniques and get pointers for overcoming writer’s block.
Quotes for creativity―Discover inspirational quotes from famous authors.
Story Starters – Boost your creativity with writing prompts that help you get started.

These story starters are perfect for kids in grades 3-7 but can be used by anyone young at heart. Encourage self-expression and creativity at home or in the classroom. Grab your copy today!
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This would be a great resource book for an Elementary or Middle School English teacher.  It would also make an awesome gift to a child who has said, “When I grow up, I want to be an author!”
 
What you get is four sections, each has encouragement, tips, and Story Starters.  Three of the four also have writing exercises to get the imagination and the writing flowing.
 
While it is all wonderful, the true magic is in the Story Starters.  There is a short paragraph to give your imagination a jump start on what your story will be about.  Then there are questions along the way to keep you thinking and to keep your imagination running.
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
Also from Sheryl Green:
·         Interesting Facts for Kids
·         Knock Knock Joke Book for Kids
·         Once Upon a Time
·         Would You Rather Book for Kids
 

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MERMAID SPELL by Ellie A. Goss

Title:  MERMAID SPELL
Author:  Ellie A. Goss
Publisher:  Ellie A. Goss
Publish Date:   01.31.2020
Category /Genre:  Children’s stories
Recommended for:  all ages
Grammar/editing:  A – near perfect
Received from:  Ellie A. Goss
Goodreads link: Mermaid Spell
Date completed: 07.17.2020
 
Description from the publisher:
Today is the day!
Mum has promised to help find a spell that will make my dream come true: a spell for turning girls into mermaids. While Nana watches on to see the day unfold quite differently and the spell in hand, what will be the outcome? Be sure and look for all the hidden magical elements contained in the pictures while having fun with the included spell!
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MERMAID SPELL is a cute and sweet bedtime story about following your dreams and exploring your imagination.  After all, every little girl spends some time imagining being either a princess or a mermaid or a dragon or… where will your imagination take you?  What will you need for your spell?
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
Also from Ellie A. Gross:
·         The Bunyip’s Bath
·         Mermaid Spell
·         Single Leaf Maiden
 

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WORD SEARCH FOR KIDS AGE 8-10

Title:  WORD SEARCH FOR KIDS AGE 8-10

Author:  Activity Wizo

Publish Date:   06.19.2020

Category /Genre:  Activity Books

Recommended for:  Ages 3-8 (YMMV)

Grammar/editing:  A – near perfect

Received from:  Activity Wizo

Description from the publisher:

Turbocharge Your Child's Learning With These Fun Word Puzzles!

Are you doing your best to raise a successful, confident child who can make a positive impact on the world?

Then you surely know about the importance of language skills. Faster reading means faster learning, better grades, and more self-confidence. Excellent writing, with a rich vocabulary and effortlessly correct spelling, is one of the keys to professional success.

However, learning these skills isn't easy, especially with typical school assignments that often seem boring and repetitive.

But what if there was a way to practice spelling and reading in a way that's actually appealing to kids?

Well, there is. Children's brains learn by playing games and solving puzzles - unlike the typical spelling drills practiced at schools, this type of learning is natural, intuitive, and effective.

By offering your child word puzzles such as these word search activities, you'll boost their language skills without boring them to death! Your child will get a chance to learn new words, recognize familiar ones, and remember their spelling with effortless ease - which results in better writing, faster reading, and higher grades in ALL subjects, not just English.

Here's what makes this activity book so special:

• A whopping 100 word search puzzles - if your child does two puzzles per day, that's almost TWO MONTHS of fun!
• Topics that expand your child's knowledge of the world - you'll find everything from AIRPORT to ZOO!
• A healthy mix of easy and tricky words in every puzzle - your child will NEVER complain that the puzzles are "too easy" or "too hard"!
• An answer key at the end of the book - in case both of you can't find a word, just FLIP to the end and discover the solution!
• FREE BONUS inside!

This book is a perfect gift for boys and girls aged 8-10, but it can provide fun for the entire family if you choose to solve the puzzles together!

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There are one hundred word search puzzles!  Each one has six words and they are all in a left to right or from top to bottom.  I would have liked to see some progression of difficulty – whether it was an increase in the number of words or to have some words written backwards.  I give it 4.5 stars as is, but rounded up.

This is a great way to practice vocabulary and spelling skills!

Note:  While I received this book as a gifted copy, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Also from Activity Wizo:

• 100+ Fun Activities for Clever Kids
• 3D Mazes for Kids
• Activity Book – Airplane  
• Activity Book – Animals
• Activity Book – Dinosaur
• Activity Book – Merry Christmas
• Activity Book – Ocean Animals
• Activity Book – Trucks
• Activity Book – Unicorn
• Color by Numbers – Dinosaur
• Color by Numbers for Kids Age 4-8
• Coloring – Easter
• Coloring – Solar System
• Coloring – Trains
• Fun & Challenging Mazes
• How to Draw Monsters
• Word Search for Kids 8-10

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MAZES FOR KIDS: CHALLENGE

Title:  MAZES FOR KIDS: CHALLENGE

Publisher:  Activity Josh

Publish Date:   06.18.2020

Category /Genre:  Activity Book

Recommended for:  6 – 8 (YMMV)

Received from:  Gi Bí (as an ARC gifted copy)

Description from the publisher:

Mazes for Kids: To Learn While Having Fun!

◆ Today, children are increasingly attracted to smartphones, tablets, and video games.
Activities Josh is a publisher specialized in activity books for children of all ages that aims to foster a love for creativity and learning, off the screen.
This book increases your children’s logical abilities in a fun way...

For the first time, children can challenge their parents or friends at the "Mazes challenge".

Who will be the fastest to get out of the maze? Mark your time in the box! Who will win?

◆ What is in the book?

★  120 amazing maze coloring pages for kids (suitable for ages 6-7-8)
★  8 player profiles to customize
★  Mazes of varying difficulty
★  A challenge never seen before
★  An exciting "Super Challenge"
★  17 Trophies to collect
★  1 Mega Super Challenge trophy
★  MEGA size book (A4) - 8.5'' x 11'' (21cm x 29.7cm)

and don't forget that you can color the book however you want!

What are you waiting for to enter this fantastic adventure?

This book, boosts creativity, and stimulates logic skills with interesting activities, improves concentration, and helps parents spend more quality time with their children.

Activity books for kids are one of the best early childhood education tools and Mazes will provide hours of fun for boys & girls. The various exercises will help your child develop critical skills such as visual perceptual skills, fine motor skills, and problem-solving.

It’s never too early to start helping your child build key logical and analytical skills. With the help of this book, that process has never been more fun!

Take a look at all our books! Our catalog includes themed books of every kind, and if you love our books, we’d be honored if you leave a review!

Have fun! ♥

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I really like the way this book is set up.  There are 12 practice mazes (one copy each).  Then 17 challenge and one super-challenge puzzles.  Each of the challenge puzzles have two copies in the book so that your child and a friend can race head-to-head to get the best time.

The pages were visually appealing, however the arrangement (name plate, monkey, compass, and hourglass) were repeated on every page.  Though the monkeys weren’t all the same.  I liked the few titling monkey/jungle pages for coloring.  It was obvious that the mazes were done in another program and then pasted onto the page.  Something in the method left “ghost lines” showing.  It doesn’t interfere with the maze, it’s just disruptive to the eye of someone who is sensitive.

I’m told this is the first activity book for this publisher.  They did a great job and worked hard to produce something enjoyable and fun.

Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Also from Activity Josh:

·         Mazes for Kids: Challenge

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HOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR SMART KIDS

Title:  HOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR SMART KIDS

Author:  Lisa Watts

Publisher:  Lisa Watts

Publish Date:   06.03.2020

Category /Genre:  Activity book, Educational

Recommended for:  6+

Grammar/editing:  received as an unedited ARC / errors excused

Received from:  Lisa Watts

Description from the publisher:

Introducing The BEST Home Science Projects To Make Your Child Fall In Love With Science!

Who says science has to be boring and difficult?

It’s about time we made science fun again, fun and enjoyment is what gets Children involved in life, and that’s exactly what these X Science Projects are all about!

As we know, Kids have an innate curiosity for Life and why things happen the way they do, which is exactly why we wakthrough WHY each experiment Pans out the way it does- EVERY SINGLE TIME!

But, we do this without making your child fall asleep from boredom or wish they were doing anything else!

By taking part in these awesome experiments, children will rapidly learn, build, design, think critically and creatively and most importantly feel inspired to make their own Discoveries about science and ignite their wonder beyond belief.

At Home Science Experiments For Kids Includes…

65+ Fun And Educational Science Projects Kids Can Do From The Safety Of Their Own Home!

Easy To Follow Instructions That Make Doing These Experiments As Easy As Riding A Bike For Your Child

Photos Showing Each Experiment And How To Do EVERY Experiment!

Everyday Science Your Kid Will Love That Is Suitable For ALL Ages!

The 5 Steps Of The Scientific Method EVERY Child Needs To Know

Ridiculously Fun Experiments Such As The Lemon Volcano, Elephant Toothpaste, Vinegar Pops And Moon Sand!

And SO Much More!

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These are fun, simple science experiments for understanding general science principals or just entertaining yourself on a rainy (or sunny) day.  My son and I used to do these types of things for fun.  I plan these types of activities for my grandchildren because they are fun and keep us active.

I’m highlighting this book for the next time the grandchildren visit!

Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

 

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IT'S TIME TO STAY HOME LITTLE BEAR by S.M. Morin

Title:  IT'S TIME TO STAY HOME LITTLE BEAR
Author:  S.M. Morin
Publisher:  Sarah’s Little Books
Publish Date:   05.31.2020
Category /Genre:  x
Recommended for:  3 – 5 (YMMV)
Grammar/editing:  A – near perfect
Received from:  S.M. Morin (as an ARC gifted copy)
Goodreads link: It’s Time to Stay Home Little Bear
Date completed: 06.22.2020

Description from the publisher:

What do you do when your Mommy Bear tells you to go back to your cave and self-isolate, but it isn't even wintertime yet? When Little Bear hears about a virus spreading, he just wants to have fun with his friends and play in his forest playground. Mommy Bear has to teach him the importance of hygiene, social distancing, and the power of mommy's love.
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First let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I think it’s a nice way to explain basic social distancing, lockdown, and personal hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic (or any other epidemic/pandemic that may come up in our futures) to a little person.  I like that mother bear took the time to explain to little bear how they would get through their lockdown together and how they could use the phone to keep in touch with his grandparents.

The illustrations are clean and sweet.  They fit and enhance the story being told. 

This is the author’s first release and I think she did a beautiful job of it.  I hope she’ll soon share another story with us.

Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Also from S.M. Morin:

·         It’s Time to Stay Home, Little Bear

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