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Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the lower middle grade book "Axel & Theo: My Dog is The Emperor of a Faraway Galaxy" by Amberly Kristen Clowe from June 22 to 28, 2015. This one is a great choice for reluctant readers!   About the Book     Title: Axel & Theo: My Dog is the Emperor of a Faraway Galaxy | Author: Amberly Kristen Clowe | Publication Date: November 15, 2014 | Publisher: Smooth Sailing Press | Pages: 44 | Recommended Ages: 6to 10 Summary: Theodore Howard wants a white flag. The kind of white flag that will show Riverwood Elementary’s biggest bully, Theo’s given up on ever surviving the fourth grade, and achieving his dream of becoming a real-life astronaut. But, Theo’s seemingly pathetic future gets a glimmer of hope in the form of a very talkative weenie dog named Axel. Theo learns that his best friend on four legs, is actually an alien from the planet Doglin, and just when he begi...

I recieved a free pdf copy for the purpose of review. I have not been otherwise compensated. All thoughts and opinions expressd herein are entirely my own. Ginnie West leaps before she looks when the school bully Pierce Owens tries to pick a fight with her twin brother. Besides getting suspended for fighting, and the consequences that brings from her dad, her brother is less than happy at her chivalry. Not to mention how angry Pierce is after being bested by a girl in the middle of the cafeteria. Ginnie and Toran come face to face with some big choices. What makes a bully? Can a bully change? Do they deserve a second chance? I like the character development in this second Ginnie West Adventure, all the main characters are faced with difficult choices, and navigate some very harsh realities. There are some intense scenes between Pierce and his dad. But, this book can be a really good way to open up a dialogue between kids and parents/teachers about subjects like violence, bullying, and...

I received a free pdf copy for the purpose of review. I have not recieved any other compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own. I finished reading the first book in the Ginnie West Adventure series a couple of weeks ago.  The basic plot: Ginnie and Tillie are BFFs, but they would love to also be sisters. So they hatch a plot to try to get Ginnie's widowed dad and Tillie's divorced mom to fall in love. Along the way their own friendship is tested, and Ginnie begins to question the plan when she finds her mom's old journals. When her dad suddenly takes the journals away, she feels like she looses the mother she was only just beginning to get to know all over again. Operation Secret Sisters just might be over soon no sooner than it began! My thoughts: First off, I really like the characters, Ginnie, Tillie, Ginnie's Dad, and Tillie's mom especially. The girls are well written. They are flawed, they have big...

I recieved a complementary pdf copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own, however. I was very excited to sign up to review this book as I am always on the lookout for books written for children pertaining to Autism/Asperger's. This book was interesting and different than I expected it to be. I like the approach of learning to accept oneself rather than trying to change to fit in. "No matter what I did, I could not change what made me uncomfortable...I decided to go to the river, the place where I knew I could be happy, and learn how to be myself...Rosie, a pink hippo." That sentence is so very powerful. That lesson was, to me the most profound, and I relates to it both as someone who has struggled to "fit in" many times in my life, but also as a mom to kids on the Autism Spectrum. I felt the illustration of the river choosing it's own path was not as clear or concise as the...

Hi guys! So excited to let you know that you can get a great deal on this wonderful book right now! Scroll down for details under the subheading "Purchase"! We love this book and had so much fun trying out recipes for our Secret Garden Tea Party . Hope you find it as fantastic as we do!   Title: A Year in the Life of the Secret Garden | Author: Valarie Budayr | Illustrator: Marilyn Scott-Waters | Publication Date: November, 2014 | Publisher: Audrey Press | Pages: 144 | Recommended Ages: 5 to 99 Book Description: Award-winning authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters have co-created A Year in the Secret Garden to introduce the beloved children’s classic, The Secret Garden to a new generation of families. This guide uses over two hundred full color illustrations and photos to bring the magical story to life, with fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts, designed to enchant read...

We are still buzzing with excitement from this weekend. Our house was transformed Saturday afternoon into a dazzling venue for our Mid-Summer Indoor Garden Tea Party in November.  Confused?  No worries. I'll explain. First, allow me introduce an amazing book: A Year in the Secret Garden by Valarie Budayr & Marilyn Scott-Waters I recieved a beautiful paperback copy for review, but otherwise I have recieved no compensation. All thoughts and opinions of the book are entirely my own. Inspired by and written as sort of a companion and activity guide for The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this book is divided into twelve month sections. Each month highlights traditional activities, recipes, life in that era, and a character study. It is a wonderful, hands on, practical way to take kids on a journey back in time and see how children and families lived in another era. The illustrations are colorful and whimsical. The photogr...

Another very neat book to tell you about! I received a free copy (pdf version) for the purpose of reading it and writing my honest review. So, here goes, ready or not... Quick Overview: Life on the peaceful farm soon becomes heavy and fearful when a cruel crow becomes the barnyard bully. Despite their clever and laborious efforts to stop the crow, it seems his iron rule is simply the new way of life. The source of relief surprises even the chickens themselves!  I really like that this story incorporates unique cultural elements while being completely relatable to any family.  The illustrations of the chickens are so cute and colorful, and I like that the chickens are portrayed as clever, smart, and brave (because they have sort of been dumbed down in many books and movies).  I would love to see an introduction page that lists the names, how to pronounce them, and significant meanings (if they have any). That, to me, would help me give my kids a richer experience with a cu...