Lessons from the Sticker Patch: Recognizing God’s Immeasurable Love in Everyday Life by Shari England is a collection of devotional stories taken from Shari’s personal life. She starts the chapters by sharing an experience from her life. As she explains the circumstances of the situation, she then moves to share a parallel in the Christian life and walk. She explains how God seeks to move and work in our lives to mold us and shape us into the person that He wants for us to be. The chapters close with an opportunity to respond to God through a prayer of commitment. I love the use of scripture throughout the stories.…

Fern Valley is a quaint little town with lots of possibilities for its young inhabitants. This collection of short stories by Aileen Stewart tells of the goings on of the animal children in this little community. Kimmy Curlytail the pig, Betsy Woolridge the sheep, and all their friends have stories to tell and adventures to experience here in Fern Valley. The characters are cute and likeable. The stories are well thought out and teach moral and relationship lessons to the readers. The writing would be able to be read by most 8-10 year olds, but even younger children would enjoy having the colorful characters and exciting stories read to them.…

As time moves on and we all age, we sometimes find ourselves in unexpected circumstances. My Mother My Child is the experiences Susie Kinslow Adams experienced when she and her husband took in her aging mother to live with them. Susie describes in careful detail the emotional journey that she went through as she watched her once strong, independent mother shift, because of illness, to a state of dependence like a child. Susie is quick to explain that this book is not meant to be a manual on how to give care for the elderly. Instead, she wanted to share her experiences as a way to relate to anyone who…

Faced with terrible danger and an unknown prophecy, Josun must decide what to do next. In The Myths of Dymos, author David Glenn has created a mythical world that parallels our own. Forced to flee our world, all the magical creatures like wizards, elves, and dwarves, slip through an opening into another dimension where the dinosaurs had escaped to long before man. There they learn to live in relative peace with the dinosaurs for many centuries. Their world erupts into chaos when member’s of the Magic’s Bane group find a way to follow them into the alternate dimension and continue their goal of the eradication of magic. Josun is young…

What can someone small do? For Tiddles in Pamela Miller-Ray’s children’s book, Tiddles’s Journey to Hoot Owl Canyon even the small mouse Tiddles can accomplish big things. Tiddles makes the decision to go on the long, dangerous journey in order to visit family. He encounters difficulties along the way, but with each difficult comes an opportunity to learn a new lesson. Tiddles’s Journey to Hoot Owl Canyon is a beautifully illustrated children’s story to stimulate the imagination. This book is perfect for helping children see how even someone small can accomplish big things, how to dare to dream big, and the importance of looking for and accepting help when needed.…

I just couldn’t put it down! The Price of Trust by Amanda Stephan introduces us to a 24 year old, Carly, who is trying to desperately outrun her past. Trusting in God has become easy for Carly, given her past circumstances, but trusting in other people is almost impossible. When she finds herself in a small town with no job, no place to stay, only two suitcases to her name, and the problems from her past following fast on her heels, she has to learn how to trust the other people that God has placed in her life. I was drawn to the characters and found them to be well…

A fantastic journey awaits, but Henley isn’t interested in it at all. In Jane H. Smith’s book Henley and the Book of Heroes we’re taken on an adventure into The Living Book with Henley, a young boy with a problem. A problem that he doesn’t even realize he has and a future he couldn’t ever imagine. Jane has created a wonderful story that transitions back and forth between the Henley’s everyday world and the world of The Living Book. Henley must learn why “every good story needs a hero” and how he can become the hero that he was created to be. Lots of parallels can be drawn to the…

What are the first thoughts that go through our head when we see a homeless person? For Toni Nelson she sees a child of God. In A Beggar’s Purse Toni details her life growing up living around “hobos” and ultimately her mission to care for the homeless all the while learning that every life is important and precious to God. Toni’s book is challenging and reaches out to the audience to bring them with her on her journey toward loving compassion for all people. Toni explains how the changes in her life impacted both her perception of people and also her perception of God. This is a great book to…

You never know what the next day will hold for Tomato Turtle in Thomas Strock’s Tomato Turtle: A Trip to the Park. Tomato is a happy turtle who discovers that he can learn to play several different ways and that it’s OK to try new things that might be outside the ordinary for a young turtle. He also recognizes the importance of learning and playing the regular turtle game. He learns the need to balance the new things he tries with the old things he’s used to doing. A beautifully illustrated, colorful book that both my kids (2 and 4) really enjoyed. Great story and fun to read.To find out…

Ears to Hear by Ann Correll is a beautifully crafted story about two young boys, Tommy and Timmy. They experience adversity, which forces them to be left alone, and they both have to learn what it really means to listen to the Father. As Tommy and Timmy struggle with the very real difficulties that they have been placed in, they come face to face with what they have learned about God, the Father. They are challenged to trust Him and encouraged to listen for Him no matter what the circumstances they are faced with. I greatly enjoyed reading this book and found myself eager to turn the next page. This…