When You Meet a Dragon - Children's Book

 

Title: When You Meet a Dragon

Author: Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Illustrator: Udayana Lugo

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers

Publication Date: April 16, 2024

Reading/Interest Level - Grades K - 2

About the Author
Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the award-winning author of more than thirty books for children and young adults. 
Udayana Lugo is a self-taught illustrator of mixed heritage. 

It Takes A Village
Things look very bleak when a young girl sees a huge dragon in the sky above her. She knows she can't fight the dragon alone, so she starts recruiting friends, family, and community members to help her. She finds people of all races, ages, and ethnic groups to help fight the dragon. There are even animals that join the fight. 

This is a difficult battle but the girl and her friends do not give up. The dragon eventually grows tired and flies away. The girl knows that the dragon could return, but she also knows that she has nothing to fear.

My Thoughts
This is a wonderful story that spotlights the values of resiliency, perseverance, and courage. The young girl organizes a group of determined people who refuse to give up. I love the diversity of the people in the town. This is my favorite quote;

"You and your friends keep each other going. 'Don't give up,' you say. 'We can't give up!' You say it even when everything is dark. You whisper it when you're scared. You repeat it to anyone who will listen. We won't give up."

 The illustrations are outstanding and add great value to the story. 

The story ends on a positive note because the girl knows she is not alone.

MY RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading opportunity.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham - A Review

Skipping Christmas

Author: John Grisham

Publisher: Doubleday

Publication Date: November 6, 2001

Pages: 177





About the Author
John Grisham is an American bestselling writer, attorney, politician, and activist best known for his popular legal thrillers. His books have been translated into 42 languages and published worldwide.

"And it's just for one year. Let's take a break."
Luther and Nora Krank decide to skip all the traditional Christmas activities and take a ten day Caribbean cruise. Their daughter leaves the Sunday after Thanksgiving for a year-long stint in a Peruvian village as a Peace Corp volunteer. Christmas will not be the same without Blair, so the Kranks plan to take a break from Christmas decorating, gift giving, parties, etc. and enjoy a much-needed vacation. They will leave at noon on Christmas day.

Unfortunately, the peer pressure from the Krank's neighbors is sometimes hilarious and sometimes downright scary. This upscale suburban neighborhood demands unquestioned conformity. It does not go over very well when Luther Krank refuses to mount a Frosty the Snowman decoration on his roof.
Things really get interesting when the Kranks get a phone call from Blair on Christmas Eve saying she is on her way home with her new fiancé and is expecting a traditional Christmas like the ones she remembers from her childhood.

Will Luther and Nora tell Blair about their plan to skip Christmas and go on a cruise or will they give their daughter the old-fashioned Christmas that she is dreaming about?

My Thoughts
This book has been setting on a shelf in our house for many years. I decided that my husband and I would both read the book and then watch the movie "Christmas with the Kranks." My husband is a huge John Grisham fan and has read all of his legal thrillers, but he never read this book. On the other hand, I am not much of a fiction reader and have only read one Grisham book..."The Firm."

Dean and I read the book last week and then got up early yesterday morning and watched the movie on Amazon Prime. We both got some good laughs from both the book and movie. We could relate with many of the feelings the Kranks expressed about commercialism during the Christmas season. We could also understand the peer pressure from the neighborhood leaders (bullies) when the Kranks refuse to live up to the unspoken expectations and rules that were long-standing and deeply ingrained. 

The real value of this book comes to light at the end of the book. The Kranks have some serious decisions to make. Will they put their vacation plans on hold and go all out to give their daughter the kind of Christmas she is dreaming about? The answer to the question is YES!

However, what will happen to the cruise? It is not possible to get a refund, so will that money be thrown away OR will the real meaning of Christmas shine through all the frivolity? 

This is a light-hearted and humorous Christmas read that will put a smile on your face and remind you of the spirit of generosity and love during the holiday season. The movie is a nice bonus after you read the book.

MY RATING: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI - I purchased a print copy of this book with my own funds.

Thank you for reading this book review. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below or tweet me @JanetteFuller.

Kindle Books For Kids: My Dog's Got Fleas by Julia Dweck

My Dog's Got Fleas

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Mark Aardvart

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: January 11, 2013


About the Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Fleas With ATTITUDE!
Have you ever had a problem with fleas?

If you have a pet, your answer is probably "YES!"

A young boy takes his dog to a veterinarian and is told that his dog is covered with RARE fleas.

These are no ordinary fleas. Each of the fleas have a unique personality and occupation.

There is ArtFlea. He is an artist who likes to draw and doodle atop a purebred poodle.

There is GleeFlea. She sings inside the shower and tub and is the director of the flea glee club.

There is a super hero flea named WonderFlea. He is stronger than 1,000 fleas and wears a long red cape. 

Some fleas are not very nice. There is BreadFlea. He is a nasty flea who is always plotting evil schemes.

The vet comes up with a plan to rid the dog of these rare fleas.
Where did they all go? 
Where are they living now?
You will get a good giggle when you discover who is itching at the end of the story!

My Thoughts
I have several pet dogs so I can definitely relate to the problem in this story. Children know that fleas are pesky parasites that need to be avoided at all costs.

The fleas in this rhyming story are very different. Each flea has a talent and plays a role in the flea community. Children will relate to the different kinds of fleas and will recognize the good and bad behaviors that exist in any social  setting.

I really like the way the story ends in a humorous manner. The fleas are not killed with harsh chemicals, they just find a new, unexpected home. 

The color illustrations are awesome and add a great deal of value to the story. Mr. Aardvart took a somewhat difficult subject (fleas?) and created original and unique animated illustrations that will delight readers of all ages. The formatting is very professional with full-screen color illustrations and four lines of text on each page.

This book will appeal to children on many different levels. A dog and a group of charming fleas. What more could you ask for?
Highly recommended for children and the entire family.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I received a complimentary digital copy of this ebook to read and review from the author.

Please take a look at The Hunger Games Accessories Giveaway Contest that I am running this week. Just follow this blog and leave a comment for a chance to win.

Share your Comments on this book review in the space below. I would love to hear from you!

Book Blogger's Appreciation Week ~ Community

Today is the start of the fourth annual Book Blogger's Appreciation Week. This is my first year to participate and I am discovering some great ways to connect with book bloggers all over the world. The theme this year is "Community" and participating book bloggers are writing about this topic today;

"Today you are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for you. They can be your mentors, a blogger that encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh when you needed it, or left the first comment you ever got on your blog. Stay positive and give back to the people who make the community work for you!"

Here are two of my very favorite book blogs;
Man of la Book
Zohar is the "Man Of La Book" and writes book reviews and sponsors book give-aways. He espe­cially likes biogra­phies, his­tory, historical-fiction, espi­onage and mys­ter­ies. He started this blog to share his thoughts about books. Most peo­ple think of read­ing as a soli­tary activ­ity, but Zohar takes the oppo­site view — he thinks read­ing could eas­ily become a social activ­ity and it's even eas­ier to do with the advent of the Inter­net. Zohar is active on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and the Ning Book Boggers Group. He is a real inspiration to me.

Gently Mad
I met Sharon Henning in the Ning Book Bloggers Group. She is a fellow Texan and specializes in writing Christian book reviews. She states on her blog, "I am hopelessly and helplessly condemned by my own lust for literature that I recklessly and depravedly buy books with remorseless abandon. My day job is the ever more practical occupation of freelance musician. I'm not rich. Which makes my licentious book purchasing all the more irresponsible."
Sharon writes honest book reviews that leave the reader curious and eager to read the entire book. She writes from the heart and is not afraid to voice her true thoughts. She has encouraged me in my book blogging endeavors and often leaves positive comments on my posts. Sharon is a real treasure in the book blogging community.

Tomorrow I will post an interview with German book blogger Sarah Merz at Nothing More Delightful. Sarah will share her love of reading and some interesting aspects of her life. I had the opportunity to connect with Sarah through the BBAW Interview Program.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.