Easy Bootees to Knit review

Book Description:
Easy Bootees to Knit is a delightful book with detailed instructions on how to create stunning bootees to keep the most teeny tiny toes warm. There are funky animal boots, nostalgic lace patterns, simple slippers, snug cuffed bootees (guaranteed to stay on the most restless feet) and classic cables among the collection - indeed, something to suit any baby, from newborn to 18 months. For beginners there is an easy-to-knit practice pattern, and a size chart allows you to decide which size to knit. Each pattern is accompanied by appropriate charts and diagrams, embellishment tips and full pattern instruction. Easy Bootees to Knit is part of the brand new Make Me! series - a collection of books packed with easy and beautiful craft projects.

My Review:
The majority of the 41 designs are for 3-6 months, but there are a few 0-3 and 6-9 month patterns thrown in to give it some variety.  A few of the patterns begin with a basic design and then include ways to alter the basic pattern to customize it. 

My favorite are the animal patterns, the duck slippers, zebra bootees, bee bootees, sheep bootees, and the tiger bootees.  That being said, there are several lace bootees that called my name as well. 

You will find techniques such as fair isle, entrelac, lace, and bobbles throughout.  And while the title of the book states the patterns are "easy", I would venture to say that many of them require some experience with knitting and that they aren't for the novice.

Review: The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen

The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen by Tosca Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



An interesting look at what the relationship between Solomon and Sheba's queen might have looked like. Lee does a great job of combining research and human nature to give these two depth of character.



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Review: Two Renegade Realms

Two Renegade Realms by Donita K. Paul

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book picks up where the first left off, the quest to save the realms from both the evil council members and from invasion. Again, I enjoyed the book, despite it's predictability. I found it a light read, even if it felt like this novel was longer than it needed to be and attempted to stretch the story so that there could be a third book. However, it is a book I am comfortable letting my kids read and it could open the door for some great conversations- Relationships, blind obedience to tradition, fulfilling your purpose, the effects of greed. That alone makes this a good book to share with my children.



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Review: One Realm Beyond

One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Teenage bravado, dragons, trials, the ability to transport between worlds- what more could you ask for? This is an easy read that remains interesting, if not very challenging. A great casual read.



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Celebrate Easter review

The Beginner's Bible Come Celebrate Easter Sticker and Activity Book Description:

The Easter story comes to life through age-appropriate puzzles, activity pages, and stickers in this friendly and fun The Beginner's Bible Come Celebrate Easter Sticker and Activity Book featuring classic art and simply written content from The Beginner's Bible.

My Review:

Marketed for children ages 4-8, this is a great way to talk about the Easter story with you child.  My 6 year old daughter loved being able to add stickers to scenes, spot differences between pictures, and solve the codes.  I felt like some of the activities were very young for her (trace the word RAN, dot-to-dot puzzle was very simple and only went to 12) but she didn't seem to mind.  With a price tag of less than $5 this would be great to add to a quiet bag for church or to add to an Easter basket.

Saving Amelie

Saving Amelie description:
Increasingly wary of her father’s genetic research, Rachel Kramer has determined that this trip with him to Germany—in the summer of 1939—will be her last. But a cryptic letter from her estranged friend, begging Rachel for help, changes everything. Married to SS officer Gerhardt Schlick, Kristine sees the dark tides turning and fears her husband views their daughter, Amelie, deaf since birth, as a blight on his Aryan bloodline.

Once courted by Schlick, Rachel knows he’s as dangerous as the swastikas that hang like ebony spiders from every government building in Berlin. She fears her father’s files may hold answers about Hitler’s plans for others, like Amelie, whom the regime deems “unworthy of life.” She risks searching his classified documents only to uncover shocking secrets about her own history and a family she’s never known.

Now hunted by the SS, Rachel turns to Jason Young—a driven, disarming American journalist and unlikely ally—who connects her to the resistance and to controversial theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Forced into hiding, Rachel’s every ideal is challenged as she and Jason walk a knife’s edge, risking their lives—and asking others to do the same—for those they barely know but come to love.

My Review:

I was worried that this was going to gloss over the real aspects of the war and become a love story.  I am pleased to say that I was wrong.  Gohlke does a phenomenal job of bringing the atrocities that were inflicted during the war to life in a personal way.

Although Gohlke walks the reader through the fears that many citizens faced, and the bravery of others, she leaves a lot of questions unanswered.  Whether this was done to open the door to a second book, or because much of the questions truly do not have an answer I will not speculate.  I will say that this book has been added to my daughter's required reading list for the WWII time period, along with Anne Frank's Tales from the Secret Annex.

a Father's Love review

A Father's Love (I Can Read! / Adventure Bible) Description:

A Father’s Love is a level two I Can Read! based on the NIV Adventure Bible. In it, young readers learn about how great a father’s love can be for his child. At this read-alone level, newly independent readers follow a young man who decides to go out on his own, with his inheritance. He wastes his money and makes bad choices but eventually realizes that home and family are more important than anything. When he goes home to make amends, his father welcomes his son home with open arms and joy.

Written for the newly independent reader, vocabulary and content is at a more advanced reading level, making this series appropriate for children almost ready for their first chapter books.


This I Can Read! series of Bible stories makes use of the unique features found in the NIV Adventure Bible such as “People in Bible Times” and “Words to Treasure”.

My Review:

As a fan of the NIV Adventure Bible I was eager to take a peak at this book.  It is my first expose to an I Can Read book based upon a Bible story and after going through this, I doubt it will be my last.

My youngest is probably at a level 1, simple sentences for eager new readers according to the back of the book, yet she was able to read this book with some help from mom or dad.  There were about 20-25 words per page and the words were spaced well to make reading easy.  The illustrations by David Miles fill the entire page, including the area where the words are written on some of the pages.  I was worried that this might be a distraction but my princess managed without a problem.

I liked that it included a key Bible verse at the end (Luke 15:32) and I especially liked the "words to treasure" section which helps to the reader on God's plan.  I do wish that the story had included the Bible reference for the story since the story is written with developing readers in mind.  This to me indicates independent readers and I am big on referring them back to the actual Bible text whenever possible.

That being said, I found that the story remained true to the Biblical account, and was written in an engaging way.  I like that this is a way to get God's stories in the hands of a child without handing them the complete Bible, which would definitely overwhelm young readers.