Dec 7, 2018

National Geographic is Poetic ~ Review: The Poetry of US


The Poetry of US  (ages 8-12, $24.99)   contains more than 200 poems, all showcasing the diverse people and places of of the United States. Curated by former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate J Patrick Lewis, familiar verses and brand new voices accompany striking photographs as the reader embarks on a literary trip through all 50 states and the many cultures, traditions, histories and passions that define us.    

Poems are arranged by region, from coast to coast, and among them are works by Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, Robert Frost, Naomi Shihab Nye, Walt Whitman, and more. Reflecting the United States’ melting pot of people, the distinctive voices of immigrant and minority writers as well as poems in Spanish, Arabic, and Korean with accompanying translations into English are also featured.  

From the familiar to the surprising, subjects include people, places, landmarks, monuments, nature, and celebrations. Inspiring, thought-provoking and  particularly timely, this collection of poetry and photography eloquently reveals the spirit that unites US.      

Early praise for  The Poetry of US :
“...an expansive gathering, with dazzling visuals” - Kirkus

Review:
Celebrate the gift of language and the vibrant culture of the United States with this collection of classic and never-before-published poetry. Poems are arranged by region, from coast to coast,and are designed for family sharing, but geared to younger readers, this beautifully illustrated treasury is a must-have for the family bookshelf.

With three children ages 10 to 17, plus several nieces ranging from age 2 through 7; there is a lot of opportunity for reading and family enjoyment of books in my house.  Poetry is one of those subjects that I personally love but have trouble getting many of the kiddos to read or listen to.  The Poetry of US is a wonderful book that has easy to read and understand poetry that caters to kids (and adults) of all ages.  Even the 17 year old boy got involved reading to the younger girls.  I loved the cultural poems in the variety of languages that were translated into English.  

A book I recommend for any household!



Affiliate link for purchase:  AMAZON
 
Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

May 23, 2018

Summertime BLUES ~ what happens when the children run amok!

I found this post that I had put on my blog a few years ago.  Summer Break is coming fast and I have only a few outings planned for the kiddos.  I want to keep them busy, yet still give them time for carefree fun. 

I am interested in ideas!  What do you do with your kiddos during breaks from school when you are not gone on vacation?  I do have some chores for them but also want some fun ideas that are low-cost to entertain them and also stimulate their minds.   Here is what happened in the previous post . . . . . .

 
When in doubt about how to get the kiddos to get along during school breaks - separate them.

May 22, 2018

What happens when the bride wears BLUE? Find out in this review!


The Bride Wore Blue
by Mona Hodgson
The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek—Book 3


Headed toward a fresh start but tethered by her past, Vivian longs to break free, to find forgiveness and love.


At last, the sisters are reunited! The youngest Sinclair, the family“ baby”, is moving from Maine to Cripple Creek, Colorado and joining Kat, Nell, and Ida. But Vivian is a young woman with a will of her own, and made some decisions back in Portland that have begun to haunt her. Will she be able to live up to the expectations of her three perfect and now happily-settled sisters?

The sisters warmly welcome Vivian to the mountain west, but the wild-and-woolly mining town isn’t ripe with opportunities for a respectable young woman. The youngest Sinclair sister is determined to make her own way, so when she’s offered a job as a

May 20, 2018

New books in the Fairday collection: Check out this review of the original Secret DMS files!



For this review, I was sent a paperback copy of The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow by one of the authors: Jessica Haight.  I was so excited for the chance to read and review for Jess since she is my most faithful follower on this blog; and since I am always on the lookout for new middle grade books to entice my 10 year old to read more. 

About the book ~ taken from the blog :


The newer book cover!


~ For more info on the book, the authors and some clue-finding fun ~
visit: Jess's blog:   http://jessicahaight.com/The_DMS_Home_Page_.html
or Fairday's blog:   http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/
Fairday on Facebook:  #/fairday
Jess on Twitter:  #/#!/@dmsfiles


My Review :
I fell in love with the characters in this book from page one.  Fairday and her family are unique, entertaining, and completely believable.  I enjoyed getting to know Fairday, her family, Lizzy and the kids in Fairday's new school.  The  mystery and suspense is perfect for young readers (and even older ones like me).  The writing flows and I never had to re-read or pause to figure out what was going on.  I love that the story is easy to read and understand and yet written in such a way that kids ages 10 through teen will enjoy the story, the characters and the adventure.  I am anxious to see what happens next!  The story ends perfectly with a mystery solved, yet with more adventure and mystery yet to come!  Excellent job Jess and Stephanie!  A definite 4.5 stars from this book lover!

On a personal note - I was trying to think of a creative way to entice my 10 year old son to give this book a try.  So, I pretended that the spiders on each page were "scary" to me (I would fake shudders and quickly close the page repeatedly to make him laugh and tease me).  Now, all 3 of my kids tease me about the spiders every time they see the book. - lol

I highly recommend you give this book a try - as I've found out from the blog, this is the first book of a series of five.  I can't wait to read the next mystery solved by the DMS team: Fairday Marrow and the Talking Library!


Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Feb 19, 2018

MOM Loves 2 Read needs bloggers!


Unless I can get one or two faithful full-time bloggers, Mom Loves 2 Read will not be able to continue.

If anyone is interested in taking over an established blog with great PR and over 40,000 followers let me know