Tag: Military Community

The Magical Envelope Book Review

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I love reading picture books because authors are able to convey powerful themes in simple ways to readers of all ages. I know I’ve read a good one when I walk away with all the feels. Today, I’m excited to share a book that gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling.

The Magical Envelope, written and illustrated by Nathenial and Delilah Adams, is a touching picture book about the importance of kindness and thinking of others.

I was scrolling through Facebook the other night, when I saw a post in a local moms group about two children who just published their first picture book. Being the book nerd that I am, I instantly messaged the mom and let her know I would be reviewing this new book. These two young authors are incredibly talented, and truly have bright futures ahead of them.

The book shares with readers the story of two twins, Nathenial and Delilah, who believe in helping others. Their Daddy is a soldier and is away, so the children send him cards with pictures and drawings. The twins decide to make cards for all of their Daddy’s friends and send them off with the mailman, only to discover that the card for their Daddy was still at their house! With a little bit of magic, the envelope goes on a journey to make sure Daddy gets a card.

First, I LOVE that this book has a little dash of magic. I felt this went along wonderfully with the plot because it truly embodies the hope and positivity that kindness can give others. The magic does not change the message or detract from the overall feel of the text.

The illustrations are engaging and highlight the important ideas in the story. I found myself looking at each one after I read a page. The magical envelope is whimsical and friendly, and reminds me of a character from Blue’s Clues.

The Characters

Nathenial and Delilah are so kind-hearted and thoughtful. They show children little acts of kindness go a long way. From helping to carry groceries, to making cards for our troops, no act is too small.

Kindness

The theme of kindness is seen throughout this children’s book in the actions of the characters. Helping others and spreading positivity are expressed constantly, showing readers how impactful our actions can be to others.

This book also offers a craft for readers! Kids can make their own magical envelope by folding a picture included in the back. I can’t wait to do this craft with Miss Molly.

Just like the characters in the book, the authors themselves have hearts of gold. They are donating 10% of all book sales to MSAWI Organization in honor of their brave fallen hero, Major Stuart Adam Wolfer.

I recommend this book for all families.

To purchase this book click here.

To read more about these amazing young authors, check out this article.

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading, writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information head to my website.

Project Dandelion: Resistance Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Being a book blogger over the last few years has given me some incredible opportunities to work with indie authors. I’ve had the privilege of following the developments of trilogies and series.

Project Dandelion: Resistance, by Heather Carson, is the third installment of a YA dystopian series that shows the importance of friendship and determination.

The story picks up where we last left off from Project Dandelion: Reentry (Book 2). Katrina is at the resistance base with her friends and her father. We witness the characters train and prepare for military missions to continue to fight in World War 3 to continue to defeat the enemy.

This book definitely has more of a military feel to it than the others. The setting is on a military base and the plot revolves around missions. The story also explores the reality of military life for children and significant others of soldiers.

This is the first novel that Katrina is not in constant survival mode, and readers see a different side of her. She’s in a state of transition. She’s not allowed to have an official boyfriend (until she’s 18), she has strong feelings for James but doesn’t feel comfortable in the role as a military wife (she won’t be baking anytime soon).  Personally, I feel as though she is trying to figure out her place in this new world. She doesn’t feel ready to be an adult and start a family, but she also doesn’t want to be a solider. Emotionally, Katrina is caught between being a young woman and her father’s daughter, which is by means no easy task.

The relationship between James and Katrina intensifies on an emotional level in this book. Like typical teenagers, they try to sneak in some alone time when they can, but they are never successful because Katrina’s dad is always around, or has his friends on the lookout. This was actually quite comical and made me smile whenever the two were interrupted.

Like the other books, this one also features the theme of friendship. Katrina and her friends have become like a family throughout their experiences together, and they continue to be loyal in their friendships. This loyalty contributes quite a bit to the action in the plot, making this book a total page turner.

Just like the first two books, I read this one in about 24 hours. There were a few plot twists that I honestly didn’t see coming, and I was unable to make any accurate predictions, which I loved. The writing style flows well with vocabulary that doesn’t feel overwhelming, which makes it perfect for a young adult reader. There are a few choice words used, and there is some mature content (a pregnancy), so I would recommend this book for grades 8-12.

To purchase the book click here.

Book review of Project Dandelion Book 1

Book Review of Project Dandelion Book 2

 

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading and writing tutoring services for students in grades 3-12. For more information click here.

The Ring Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Last week I connected with BLKDOG publishing, a new independent publisher. I’m super duper excited to read these amazing books and share my thoughts with all of you.

The Ring, by Sarah Anne Carter, is a military romance book that will take you on an emotional roller coaster of love.

In all honesty, I wasn’t crazy about the start of the book. The main character, Amanda, meets Lucas while she’s working at a coffee shop. She repeatedly says that she doesn’t want to get seriously involved with a military man, but doesn’t really discuss why too much. I would have liked for the character to dive deeper into her reasons and open up to readers a smidge more. I felt the first few chapters were a little rushed and it was hard for me to connect with Amanda because I wasn’t getting enough of her.

However, once Amanda and Lucas start dating there’s a shift and as a reader I was not only able to connect with Amanda, but I felt emotionally involved.

I was definitely drawn to the innocence and simplicity of the dating relationship between Amanda and Lucas. There was no mention of social media, no drama, or bedroom activity. It was refreshing to see love blossom between two characters in such an authentic and traditional way.

As a character, I really like how determined Amanda is. She has her own personal goals that are realistic and she will do whatever it takes to achieve them. She works two jobs to pay her way through school, which is NOT an easy thing to do. She studies her butt off to earn her teaching certification and get a full time job. I LOVE that she doesn’t stop pursuing her dreams just because she meets a guy.

Personally, no one in my immediate family has ever been in the military, so I don’t have personal experience with deployments. The author did a lovely job explaining all of the military jargon that Lucas used, and kept the events simple enough for someone like me to understand.

Carter also did a really great job of communicating how strong the military community is. I really loved how she included the different events that military wives created among themselves, like book club. As a complete outsider to this world, I was able to get a sense of how much of a family military life can be, and the incredible bond between all of those involved.

The longer Amanda and Lucas are married, the more we see the true sacrifices of being married to the military. This book had me in tears and took me on such an emotional roller coaster. The plot twists were crafted beautifully and implemented seamlessly. I can’t say any more than that because you just have to read it to appreciate the strength of the incredible women married to military men.

If you’re looking for a sweet story that takes you on an emotional roller coaster, this book is perfect for you.

To purchase this book click here.