Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Readers' Favorite

Tears course down Sullie’s cheeks as he looks at his once pristine beach now littered with plastic. His granddaughter was left crippled by the abominable stuff. Sullie called a meeting of his bird friends and shared the dreadful acts humans have committed. They bring their dogs to run on the beach leaving the dog poo behind. They smoke cigarettes and leave the butts behind. The vilest thing humans do is leaving behind plastic bags, plastic rings and other plastic items. The dog poo is poisonous to the ocean as are the toxic cigarette butts. When plastic is washed into the ocean creatures become entangled in it leaving them injured and often dead. Baby turtles and birds often eat the plastic beckoning their own death. Not all humans are so thoughtless. Many are horrified by humans who are inconsiderate, rude and uncaring. Emotions were stirred by Sullie’s accusations. The birds formed a plan to teach the humans a lesson.

"Sullie Saves the Seas" is a delightful read for elementary and middle school students. Author Goffinet McLaren’s characters are appealing, creative and generally engaging. The message in this book is one we humans have to learn. McLaren combines humor and action in a manner that will grab readers' attention and keep them smiling to the very end. He also offers tips on how to protect our environment, such as not using plastic bags, not using straws or Styrofoam cups, properly disposing of trash, cleaning up after your dog, and cutting up rings of plastic six pack holders. Thank you, Mrs. McLaren, for teaching our children the importance of taking care of our environment.

Reviewed by Molly Edwards for Readers' Favorite

Have you ever had a dream that you just wanted to stop everything and chase? Or perhaps you chased that dream only to reach a different destination along the away? That is what Peggy Strack's new novel "A Stop in the Park" is about. This book is emotionally heart-wrenching and wholly captivating and will take you through a world of twists like no other novel. Books like this generally leave me reflecting long after I have read them, making it truly hard to move on to another book. I love books like this and can honestly say that I will not forget this book any time soon. Michael Stolis longs for the time when he and his wife were young and in love, devouring each other with passion. But, he is having a hard go of it, having long stressful days as an attorney. His wife Jamie longs for something more than just his anger and constant work habits. Then Michael meets Rufus, a man who will help him open his eyes and see the world for what he truly wants it to be. After visiting with Michael, he finds what his heart really wants, but the question he asks himself is is it too late? Can he set aside all he has worked for, all he has ever known, and strive for what his heart wants, the dreams he has always had? Or will Jamie give up and Michael lose all he knows?

This is a truly romantic, emotional drama of chasing dreams and finding true love. From start to finish, the reader is taken into the realm of the Stolis' as they reach out to others, and themselves, to find where they truly belong. I highly recommend this 5 star book to all who are looking for that dramatic escape into a poignant and beautifully written novel! Well done, Ms. Strack!

Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

Author Tammy Jordan has written a truly inspiring book in "The Door to Fruitfulness". It is not long, just under eighty pages, but it gives a message that many readers will love and can apply in their own lives. The author begins by telling the reader to turn to God for salvation, but what she writes in the next chapters is truly unique. In giving God our first fruits, we must be willing to allow God to prune from our lives what we don't need just as the tender of an arbor prunes back unnecessary branches from a fruitful vine. If we don't understand God's ways or what has been eliminated from our lives, we must trust His wisdom. If we feel depleted, needing water and nutrients like a vine, we must understand that God sees the bigger picture and knows just how our talents and the gifts of our time are best used.

"The Door to Fruitfulness" is a unique and well-written book in an age where religious self-help books abound. It is for the Christian believer to read and follow. Tammy Jordan guides the readers into how they can accept God's plans, not their own, and then giving their talents, their time and their compassion even for those who have hurt them, so that we all can be used as God sees fit. "The Door to Fruitfulness" is beautifully illustrated and at the end of each chapter there is a section for the reader to write down their own "First Fruit Thoughts". Christian readers everywhere will want to read and also own this delightful book.

Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

Ira Milligan who has served God since 1962 writes "The Master's Voice: A Practical Guide to Personal Ministry" for the deeply devoted Christian who is ready to minister to others. He admonishes the reader to only do "what God specifically moves you to do" (page 25) and advises that a prophet does have the gift of prophecy but does much more than that. Author Milligan offers sensible counselling throughout this book such as using common sense and privacy when speaking the word of God to someone. That there are false prophets out in the world is something that the author understands all too well. He counsels the reader to be beware of covetousness, of using God's gifts for personal gain, of witchcraft which would manipulate and control someone's life, and of hypocrisy which pretends that the information imparted is from God when it is definitely not. Author Milligan strongly urges the reader to judge a prophecy's authenticity and to fully cooperate and participate if a prophecy is from God. On page 108, Author Milligan stresses that "Without faith and full cooperation from those who receive them, many prophecies will not come to pass even if they are issued straight from the throne of God."

"The Master's Voice" offers many, many suggestions for the devoted reader who is ready to serve God as a prophet. The author writes well and seriously and cites numerous Biblical stories as evidence for what he writes. He also advises on page 60 about how to go about beginning life as a prophet: "When properly supervised by mature leaders, small groups provide a safe haven for many people to learn how to minister in spiritual gifts and then grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ." "The Master's Voice" is a great book for the serious Christian believer.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

"Gerry the Giraffe" is written by Melissa Northway and illustrated by Jennifer Mercede. The first thing that jumped out at me when I saw this book was the delightful colors of Gerry. The illustrator has given him orange, giving him the look of a quirky personality. In the thirty two page book we learn that, like other young giraffes in Africa, Gerry likes to play volleyball. Gerry was left at home while the Super Sonics went to Volleyball Camp. Gerry was very sad; he wasn’t invited to go because Gerry was small and the other giraffes did not think he could play. Gerry couldn’t force himself to grow but he could practice every day and become the best player possible. That summer Gerry ran, bounced the ball on his nose, jumped, and raced. Each day he became stronger and faster. He also grew; when the other giraffes came home from camp he was taller than they were. Now everyone wanted Gerry on their team.

As I mentioned earlier, I love the illustrations. The colors are cheerful and eye-catching. The story teaches perseverance, as Gerry wakes up early each morning to practice and train. This book is just the right length to hold a child’s attention without taxing their attention span. The end of this book has facts about giraffes. I never knew that giraffe’s patterns are unique and help them to blend into their surroundings. Their tongues can reach 18 inches. I like this book and highly recommend this book for children from preschool through third grade.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

'The Six Saviors' is a new series focusing on six men on a mission to retrieve twelve murderers that escaped planet SR44 to Earth. Noah, Hudson, Talin, Cohen, Rayner and Jovan were handpicked for their training and special abilities. Noah is the lead in "The Light Within Me", the first book in Carly Fall’s new series. This tale takes place in Reno. Criminal reporter Abby knows something is missing from her life; she isn’t sure what. She contacts Noah, who is posing as a criminal profiler, for an interview. Perhaps Noah can fill the void in her life. There is a strong attraction between the two but both are resisting the magnetic pull. Noah must decide between immortality and his alien soul or his love for Abby. When he discovers she is the next intended victim of one of the criminals, Noah will stop at nothing to protect her. Noah is an alien from planet SR44. He has taken on the form of a human so that he can live and interact with humans and procreate. Criminals from his home planet have taken refuge on Earth where they continue to commit horrendous crimes. Noah and the Saviors have to destroy not only the criminals but also their progeny. The Saviors are determined to complete their mission although it has taken more than two centuries.

The first part of this book sets the groundwork for the series. This book is a combination of science fiction, action, humor, romance, paranormal and fantasy. Though Noah is over two hundred years old, he is a very appealing and desirable character. Carly Fall has a talent for creating strong male leads who are tall, strong, handsome and hunks. The character of Abby worked perfectly with Noah. She comes across as rather innocent and naïve. Fall allows her characters to be realistic. They have flaws that make them life-like and likable. The Saviors are amusing when they were interrelating. Abby is at the center of a surprising twist. The plot is well done. For the most part it is easy to see where this plot is going but that does not detract from the entertaining element of this book. The author throws in plenty of twists and turns to keep the plot interesting. This is a highly entertaining book. Beware of some sensual scenes that could be objectionable to some.

Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Readers' Favorite

Susan Williams receives a call from her friend Mari. Mari says she needs to see Susan because she thinks someone is trying to kill her. Susan asks her friend Casey Shenk to go with her. Also at the deli that morning is police officer Paul Giordano and his pregnant wife Emily. There is an explosion outside the deli. Paul's wife in injured and they lose their unborn son. Mari is also injured and dies in the hospital. Both Paul and Casey are astounded when the attack takes place. That and the attacks at the same time on St. Patrick's Cathedral and a Jewish Synagogue are said to have been carried out by Middle Eastern terrorists. Both Paul and Casey saw the bomber of the deli and he was an American. They decide there is some kind of cover up going on and set out to find who exactly ordered the death of Mari and the bombings. When Casey writes a post on his blog titled "The Complicity Doctrine", he is warned off the story by his boss and Paul is asked to back off as the the police have their answer. Neither one can and as the story develops Casey believes both of their lives are in danger.

This book grips us from the beginning and does not let us go till the end. Though some parts are pretty easy to predict, the author keeps surprises on the horizon with unexpected twists and turns. The story flows well throughout the book. There were no slow parts at all and it is full of high energy. All of the main characters are very well rounded and strong in their own right. They are supported by superb minor characters like Casey's boss Jim, and fellow co-worker Andie. There is a glimpse into the workings of a political campaign thrown in too. This book is an excellent read and I would highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Bernadette Acocella for Readers' Favorite

"The Red Wrath" is a poignant read highlighting the plight of the people of Afghanistan. Despite the oppression of the Communist Regime the people maintained their bravery and courageously sought their independence. The rule of the communist was harsh but the rule of the Taliban was much worse. The people that resisted the loss of independence were considered dissidents and were imprisoned, tortured and put to death. "The Red Wrath" demonstrates the rich and colorful culture of the Afghans. The women were oppressed by society; they lived under the strict rule of their father until marriage at which time they became the property of their husband. The characters in this tale are fictional but realistic. Their actions demonstrate their strong will and desire for self-rule. In "The Red Wrath" we meet Asif and follow his journey from childhood to adulthood. He witnessed the takeover by the Communist Regime and the Taliban. He experienced the loss of his soul mate early in life. Although his mother attempted to force him into a loveless marriage Asif resisted. After his father’s arrest for protesting the communist takeover, Asif took a change of clothes to his father but was denied access to him. On his final visit he discovered that his father had been executed.

"The Red Wrath" was written by Hatef Mokhtar. I found it impossible to put this book down once I began reading. I was quickly caught up in Asif’s life. Mokhtar is a master at bringing his characters to life. Many books have a strong plot or strong characters but this book is unique in that it has both strong, well-developed characters and an amazing plot.

Reviewed by Kristie Ingerto for Readers' Favorite

"Exploring the Garden with the Little Rose," written by Sheri Fink and illustrated by Mary Erikson Washam, is a fun, beautiful, and educational book to share with young children. This book teaches the alphabet and identifies different objects throughout the garden whose names begin with each letter. Each page of the book is devoted to a different letter. The page for letter "C" asks the reader to point out the caterpillar, cardinal and cricket while the objects for letter "G" are goose, gnome, grass and gate. The illustrations include each of the objects listed for each letter.

This is a great book for teaching the alphabet as well as identifying different things whose names begin with different letters of the alphabet. The objects that are included are what one may see while being outside in a garden and therefore are different from the objects typically included in a "learning the alphabet" type book. As the books asks "can you find, " "where are," or "do you see," this book becomes very interactive. It helps children to identify what different objects look like. Therefore, this is a great book not only to help teach the letters of the alphabet, but also to introduce gardens and the things in them and what can be enjoyed while being outdoors. The illustrations are beautiful and soothing and fun for children to look at as they are filled with many details.

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

"The Seneca Scourge" by Carrie Rubin was impossible to put down. The story takes place in a normal hospital but it is told with a touch of science fiction and a hint at romance. Dr. Sydney McKnight is forced to deal with a killer influenza. Dr. Casper Jones is the new virologist at the hospital arriving at the start of the pandemic. The influenza is spreading through the States and reaching across the ocean to Europe and has the ability to kill billions of people. Everyone is affected including nurses that Dr. Sydney works with, small children, teenagers and parents. In fact, the pandemic is touching all walks of life and everyone is frightened they will be the next victim. Sydney begins to think Dr. Casper is hiding something and becomes concerned when she finds him injecting some strange substance into one of the dying patients. She begins to check him out and watches him very carefully. What she discovers is both amazing and scary. How she deals with her discoveries is admirable, dangerous and life changing.

"The Seneca Scourge" is a page turner that will keep you reading late into the night. Carrie Rubin grabs your attention on the first page and keeps it through all of the twists and turns of "The Seneca Scourge". If you enjoy reading medical novels, science fiction novels or just a good thriller, this is the book for you. Carrie Rubin has written a very realistic, believable book with strong characters and plot. I really liked this book and highly recommend it. "The Seneca Scourge" has all the markings of a best seller.