Reviewed by Chris Fischer for Readers' Favorite

In a delightful and engaging children's book about a difficult and scary period of time, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Nola the Nurse Remembers Hurricane Katrina by author Scharmaine Baker is a wonderful new addition to the field of children's literature. In it, we find our titular character, Nola, a little girl who dreams of becoming a nurse practitioner, just like her mother. Nola loves to care for her dolls and pretend she is a nurse. She and her mother discuss Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, and her mother, Dr. Eden, talks about how she and her friends helped to fix dolls and toys that had been damaged in the storm, and then returned them to the children they belonged to.

Nola the Nurse Remembers Hurricane Katrina is a book that deals with a subject that may be scary for children, especially those who remember Katrina or who have been through similar natural disasters, and it is an excellent resource for parents to have a jumping off point to discuss such issues with them in a non-scary way. The illustrations are wonderful and Nola is a spunky and fun character. Author Scharmaine Baker and illustrator Marvin Alonso have reason to be proud of this book. This book is a part of a series featuring Nola in the She's On the Go series, and I can definitely see a child wanting to collect all of these books. This is a charming book about dealing with the aftermath of a very tough time, and it is highly recommended to any parent looking for a great resource in talking with their children about these situations.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Mr. Wackenteach Teaches First Grade is the first volume in The Wackenteach Series written by J.C.M. When summer was finally over, there were a lot of students who were wondering what first grade would be like. They would ask their parents all sorts of questions about school, but one of the most popular questions was whether first grade would be fun. All the moms and dads were ready for these questions. They knew that first grade was a happy and special place, and each set of parents told their child that they had nothing to worry about. When the next morning arrived, the children were ready to start first grade. They went up to the classroom door and heard a voice telling them to come inside, but when they entered, they found an empty room. The boys and girls searched everywhere until they heard a loud snoring noise emanating from underneath the teacher's desk. When they realized the source of the noise, they all ran over to check -- and there he was. Their teacher was curled up on his side and taking a snooze as they watched.

There's an air of mystery, magic and suspense that pervades each page of J.C.M.'s children's book, Mr. Wackenteach Teaches First Grade. Mr. Wackenteach reminded me a lot of Willy Wonka, though I was relieved to discover that he was not quite as dark a character as Wonka sometimes got. I found myself wishing I could do first grade over again with the kind of teacher Mr. Wackenteach is. This is an entertaining and beautifully written story about a first-grade teacher who delights and beguiles his class as they begin their academic careers. I loved the way anything basically goes with Mr. Wackenteach as long as his Specialists remember that each of them is special and none of them are bullies. The drawings that accompany the story are lovely, minimalist sketches that give enough detail to keep the imagination working to fill in the blank spaces. Of course, there are the drawings of that very special teacher as well, and those I couldn't help but examine rather closely. Mr. Wackenteach Teaches First Grade is a marvelous introduction for kids who are getting ready for first grade. And as long as Mr. Wackenteach is the teacher, it's guaranteed to be a fun and special place indeed. Mr. Wackenteach Teaches First Grade: The Wackenteach Series, Volume 1 is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Jeffrey Hickey is sick, very sick. But he's not sick enough for his wife to pack up the family camping trip and head home. He is, however, sick enough to be miserable and grumpy, so his family leaves him alone to sleep in the tent. It's while he's alone at Wages Creek Campground that Jeffrey meets three ducks - three talking ducks: a father duck, a daughter duck and her fiance duck. The father doesn't like his daughter's fiance because he looks different. Jeffrey tries to point out to the father that one shouldn't discriminate because a person looks different. Jeffrey suggests a horseshoe toss to decide the young couple's fate. The father duck is much better at this game than Jeffrey, but in the end, he realizes that his daughter's happiness is more important than his prejudice. It's a happily-ever-after type of story with a new twist. Jeffrey recovers from his sickness; his wife gets sick and they decide to pack up the campground, only to discover that by leaving early they'll be missing a wedding - the daughter duck's wedding, of course.

It's unusual to have a children's story centered with an adult as the protagonist, but author Jeffrey Hickey and illustrator Karen Kiser have really brought this story together. The language is simple and the humor carries the plot along. It never hurts to allow young readers to see the comical nature of adults and to point out that adults need to learn just as much as children do. A good story with a lesson on the importance of accepting others as they are. Well done.

Reviewed by Katelyn Hensel for Readers' Favorite

ABC, Adoption & Me - a Multi-cultural Picture Book for Adoptive Families is a must-have for families who have adopted a child or are considering adopting. Gayle H. Swift and Casey Anne Swift have crafted a sweet and fun book that shows that it's okay to have a family that isn't "traditional." It raises important questions that need to be addressed by adopted families and showcases that love and acceptance are huge parts of what brings families together.

As someone considering adoption very carefully, ABC Adoption and Me seems like a great read for an adoptive family. Adopted kids can be very sensitive to their situation, even if they were adopted from birth. There is a lot of potential stress there that can be avoided if you just talk to your kids about the issues.

The illustrations by Paul Griffin were very nice. Though they seemed like they were done digitally, I still really liked his artistic choices. The colors were bright and beautiful and matched the text perfectly. I especially loved how different nationalities were represented and shown so that many kinds of families could relate.

Gayle H. Swift and Casey Anne Swift clearly have done their homework with this book. I especially appreciated the "How to Use ABC, Adoption & Me" section which clearly notes how adopted children may be feeling and why the book is important. I'd say it's a definite must-read for adopted families and regular families alike as it has a sweet storyline and great meaning to it.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

We are all nervous at one time or another. It's not surprising that children are nervous, too, even when they put on a front and look brave. Going to a new school, meeting new friends, trying out for baseball ... the list goes on. Everything in life has the potential of making all of us nervous. Yet, we must face everything in life.

In Just Breathe by Annette Rivlin-Gutman, a little boy must learn to face a classroom full of students that he doesn't know, and a teacher he doesn't know. Calmly, before he leaves for school, his mother gives him the best advice ever: "Just breathe!" As the little boy hesitantly confronts the new classroom full of strangers, he remembers his mother's words and takes a deep breath: "Instead of retreating, I trust how I feel. I take a deep breath and my fear starts to heal." The little boy has already learned a valuable lesson and throughout the story he remembers his mother's words: "Just breathe!"

Annette Rivlin-Gutman has written a charming story, completely (and very cleverly) told in rhyming verse. With illustrations by Melissa Bailey, the story takes the reader through the challenges of a little boy's first day at school. It's not unlike the challenges that any boy or girl might face on their first day of school.

This is an important story for young people, told in verse and with colorful illustrations. We all need to face nerve-wracking situations and, like the little boy in the story, we just have to remember to breathe deeply and carry on. We can't hide from the world, so we may as well face it head on. Well done!

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

The Sorrow of a Crescent Moon by J. Wagoner is a thought-provoking story about an eight-year-old boy, Jamie, and his trip with his family to New Orleans. The story takes an unexpected turn when Jamie is gifted with a unique worry stone. The stone has instruction to be kept under his pillow when he sleeps. With that, Jamie goes on an exciting journey and helps him discover New Orleans in an unusual manner, soaking up the essence of the place which is not that tangible to normal visitors. It's a story that teaches Jamie many lessons in life; that of fear, depression, anxiety, regret and emotional pain.

The book is deep and profound. Jamie meets the shadow version of everyone and he learns that each shadow has its own issues, troubles and emotional problems. As he gets into the emotional space of others, he also learns about his own issues. The book has many light and dark moments and I recommend this book for adults too. Jamie finds himself in different challenging situations every day, but realizes that whatever the problem and situation, there is always hope. The black and white sketches complement the story well. The author's depiction of New Orleans is interesting. The story, though written for kids, delves into deeper concepts like depression, pain and anxiety. The creepy hotel and the mysterious woman give a spooky vibe to the plot. The book ends on a positive note, in spite of all the challenges Jamie encounters.

Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

I just know young readers are going to love the story of The Lost Mermaid. This delightful book is written by Jan DiRuzzo and tells an entertaining tale of a mermaid named Lily. Lily got separated from her family, and is all alone in an unfamiliar part of the sea. She asks a group of clams if they know where her family is, but they are afraid of her and “clam up,” slamming their shells on her. Lily asks a school of fish swimming by, but they are also scared and hastily swim away. Poor Lily doesn’t look like other sea creature, and that is what frightens everyone whenever she asks for help.

I was very impressed when I read this book. Jan DiRuzzo obviously has a flair for creating stories to attract younger kids. The Lost Mermaid is creative with a good plot and lovable characters. One can’t help but like Lily, and understand why she is so sad. The author’s writing skills are wonderful, as she was able to write a lovely story that included a valuable lesson both kids and adults can learn from. I thought the story was cleverly written with its fun, upbeat rhyming structure of presentation. The illustrations are awesome. The vibrant colours of the book cover and characters were beautifully created and nicely complemented the story. It is eye catching and makes the book even more appealing.

Reviewed by Joy Hannabass for Readers' Favorite

Happy! Happy! brings readers back to a small town in France and our friends Gaston the dog, Gregorie the Parrot and Mr. Marceau, their owner. Gaston and Gregorie loved each other and they loved playing together outside, and sitting in the fruit tree orchard. Gregorie sleeps in a cage on the table in the dining room and Gaston sleeps on a rug beside the table, so they won't be alone. Their favorite time is Christmas, because they get to listen to music Mr. Marceau plays on the music machine and Gaston loves to hear his parrot friend sing, "Sing! Sing!" And at Christmas, Mr. Marceau has a Christmas tree, reads Father Christmas stories, and these two friends love to listen. They were so excited about the story Mr. Marceau read to them on Christmas Eve that they waited until he had gone to bed, and then they did something very special with shoes that would make them all happy on Christmas morning. What are these two friends up to this time?

Jackie Ferrell has written another amazing and precious little book featuring a dog named Gaston, a parrot named Gregorie and a man named Mr. Marceau. I love these two little critters and was so happy to read this latest book, Happy! Happy! Gaston and Gregorie always have something up their sleeve and this time it has to do with pulling shoes out of the closet and putting them around the Christmas tree. What do empty shoes have to do with Christmas or a Christmas tree? Well, believe it or not, these two have something very unique and interesting in mind. I think this is the cutest idea, and my favorite so far in this series of children's e-books. Illustrator Scott Ferrell does a fantastic job with the illustrations. I love the illustrations, and they are created in a way that they don't take a lot of space on your e-readers. I highly recommend Happy! Happy! to everyone, because this story is just too cute. And don't wait until Christmas to download it; you can read it any time, along with the other books in this series. Be sure to check them all out on Amazon.com.

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Little Nani is a witch who likes to help people. However, she is still learning to use her magic and sometimes her spells won’t work the way she wanted them. She accidentally turned her friends into ostriches and made a horse into a bookworm. Will she manage to get her spells right? Written by Cinta García de la Rosa, “The Funny Adventures of Little Nani” is a collection of fun short stories of Nani and her special friends.

To begin with, the cover art and the illustrations are beautiful. I read this book with my 8-year-old nephew on my tablet and he loved the story very much. He looked forward to every ‘Drawing Time!’ section; he could barely contain his delight every time his saw those colorful stars, which adorned the drawing exercise segments. His reading skills are still considerably weak even in our native language, thus he tends to shy away from English books. Nevertheless, he really enjoyed little Nani’s stories so that he was more willing to improve his reading skill and even read certain chapters on his own. This is an excellent book that provides wonderful opportunity to teach children and have fun at the same time. It even brought out the inner child in me again. Cinta Garcia de la Rosa is undeniably a writer with exceptional creative gift. All her characters, especially Nani, are lovable. A wonderful children’s book for kids and their parents to enjoy. Little Nani’s magic will work on you!

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

I just finished reading The Battle of The Grandmas by Anthonette Klinkerman. I absolutely adore this book! The premise of the story is one little girl with three sets of grandparents all vying for her love and attention. As so often happens, the little girl is wiser than the adults. They shower her with gifts of clothes, toys, and trinkets until her home is overflowing with stuff. She doesn't want clothing; she doesn't want toys; and she doesn't want trinkets. The little girl wants her grandparents to spend time with her, to take her to the park, to read to her, to show and tell her they love her.

We live in a world of blended families. Rarely do children have only 2 sets of grandparents the way we older folks did when we were growing up. This can cause a sense of competition between grandparents, which can result in spoiled kids and hard feelings. I am the grandmother of twelve precious grandchildren. Yes, we are a blended family. They all crave and love one-on-one time. Children need to know that, no matter at what age they came into a grandparent's life, they are loved. Sometimes you receive the precious gift of a child as a newborn and sometimes it is as a half grown or fully grown child; it doesn’t matter because they are all precious.

Anthonette Klinkerman is a talented and wise author. The illustrations are whimsical as is the rhyming text. I loved the beginning:
“There once was a little girl who couldn’t live in a shoe;
She had so many relatives she didn’t know what to do…"