Reviewed by Samantha Rivera for Readers' Favorite

Seven children made terrible mistakes in their past that cost others their lives and now they are paying for it with their own. These seven children have spent the last five years in reform schools and are now being sent on a pilot program to make a pilgrimage that is intended to change their lives for the better. But with so much baggage and so much hatred within the community, this story presents problems for these children at every turn. Each one is willing to change and each one is struggling to do so but the world around them seems to have other ideas.

I actually read this entire book in one day because I just couldn't put it down. I really liked the way that the characters were all very real. They had made mistakes and they definitely had problems but the things that they had gone through were things many people go through. These kids made the wrong decision to solve their problems but it was easy, reading along, to relate to what they suffered and why they did what they did. Charlie Canning was able to take the story of seven very different kids and turn it into one cohesive novel that really had me intrigued. "The 89th Temple" is a real coming of age story with a great plot-line and some very interesting peeks into the past of some terrified children. I liked the way the characters changed and really grew throughout the story since that made everything even more believable as if these things could really happen to anybody.

Reviewed by Ulrika Nilsson for Readers' Favorite

How do you write a book about God but not the God you learned about in Sunday School, but about the God in each of us – and how this makes us Gods ourselves? Although it might not be the easiest task to undertake, this is exactly what Betsy Jo Miller has done. In her book "Ye Gods! How the world REALLY Works" the author has put into writing the words of Kaju, an entity from what the author calls another realm. As Miller channels Kaju, we as readers get to take part of Kaju’s insights about such subjects as consciousness, purpose, inner strength, happiness, karma, love, life and after-life.

The content of the book “Ye Gods! How the world REALLY Works” reminds me very much of the work of the well-known Abraham, an entity channeled through Ester Hicks. Just as with Ester Hicks works of Abraham, the author Betsy Jo Miller manages in a very personal, humorous and inspirational way to share not only her own personal life story and thoughts but also Kaju’s wisdom to the readers. Miller’s style of writing, with a dialogue between her and Kaju, makes this book very easy and interesting to read. I am also deeply impressed by the fact that the author manages very well to keep a red line throughout the book as she shifts through a huge variety of profound life questions. Very well done! For someone who’s on a spiritual journey this book will surely be a great source of inspiration and encouragement.

Reviewed by Stephanie Dagg for Readers' Favorite

This book, according to its subtitle, is a tasty romantic comedy, and it's exactly that. And also brilliant. Lively and likable Alexandria D'Agostino, the youngest child in a close, hectic Italian-American family, is a fabulous cook as well as a hard working marketer. However, her love life leaves a lot to be desired so she tries the old fashioned approach of winning a man's heart through his stomach. If she puts her wonderful cooking into a guy, surely he'll give her his heart in return. She tries cooking her dates' favorite foods. But there's another saying - too many cooks spoil the broth - and Alexandria gets rather too much advice from well meaning friends and family. Will she find ever the recipe for love?

Love on a Back Burner has all the ingredients for the perfect romcom. It's peopled by fascinating characters who spring from the page with their energy. There are interesting settings that are clearly depicted for us. There's lots of fun, dollops of anguish, and a well thought out and executed plot. Being a romcom, we know our heroine will probably eventually find happiness but we still get swept up by the frustrations and setbacks that life throws at her. You have to give it to Alex - her family would drive lesser people insane! She has big decisions to make but remains strong and in control, and never loses her sense of humor. The book ends with a generous and delicious collection of recipes of dishes mentioned in the story. And, so you know, the butterscotch pie is to die for. Just like you won't put this book down till you've finished it, you won't be able to stop eating that pie until it's all gone!

Reviewed by Dianna Skowera for Readers' Favorite

Carla Ohse’s "Into the Hand of a Woman" is a captivating read for anyone keen on adaptations of historic tales and epic biblical battles. Deborah Miller, a successful New York judge, tries a case that compels her to further investigate the tale of the plaintiff. When Deborah discovers that the atrocities against a group of women in Northern Israel are true, she finds the courage to right the injustice she sees by enlisting the help of her government assigned guide, Lieutenant Barak Cohen. Deborah and Barak become ensnared in dangerous circumstances when they realize the crimes they uncover lead straight to the top of the Israeli Army. Yet what is right is right and our two heroes’ journey of finding the fortitude to overcome these odds is a page-turning tale that would amaze even the most uninspired. Ohse brilliantly spins a modern version of the biblical story of Deborah without inundating the reader with religious opinions. Akin to Joseph Campbell’s journey of a hero, this modern Deborah is the epitome of what anyone would want to achieve in their lifetime.

Ohse masterfully unites history, modern conflicts, and the resiliency of the human spirit in “Into the Hand of a Woman”. Never has a modern tale so poignantly proven the struggles and joys of self-conviction. “Into the Hand of a Woman” may borrow attributes of historical characters, yet be prepared to laugh, love, and go to modern day battle. If humanity read this book and took notes, the world would be a better place. “Into the Hand of a Woman” fights human trafficking the way the Spartans did for Sparta. Ohse’s characters inspire with their dedication to morality in spite of the overwhelming odds in our world today. I haven’t felt so much inspired by a book in years!

Reviewed by Darin Godby for Readers' Favorite

Dusty Rhoades Heer pens a beautiful piece of work in the book "The Forest That Rains Frogs." It is not only a masterful story but there are wonderful pieces of artwork displayed among its pages. The author takes us deep within the forest in Puerto Rico where the frogs are singing their songs and enjoying the moment. This moment is known as "The Big Leap." it is the time for them to jump from the trees to the earth below. Many sit in fear while others make the leap below. Below on the forest floor those who are still to jump are encouraged by those who has made the jump. One by one they each take turns leaping to the forest ground below until one day there is a great journey ahead for one of them. This journey takes himm on a cruise line to Hawaii where he enjoys his surroundings. Soon other frogs appear to take him back home where he belongs and the return journey begins.

If you enjoy children's books that are filled with animals and nature then you will enjoy this book and find it entertaining and fulfilling.
This is certainly a well-written book and one that should be in school and public libraries everywhere. It takes the reader on an adventure allowing one to see moments of fear, as well as the joy of a beautiful journey. I encourage you all to read this book and enjoy the journey.

Reviewed by Robert Rose for Readers' Favorite

Jeannie Davide-Rivera spent most of her 38 years alone in her mind. Her insensitivity to others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions kept her from making meaningful emotional connections. One grandmother was an exception. She understood one aspect of her hyper-sensitivity. She took her to the yarn store and let her pick out - by smell and touch - the fabrics that she used to make her clothes. Otherwise, as the title suggests, she’d wear only her birthday suit. This was one of the ways her sensory system reacted badly to what was ‘normal' to others. At school the sounds and sights that others found helpful in learning were, to Jeannie, chaotic and confusing. Being sent out to sit in the hall was a relief to her and she could read and do her schoolwork in peace. She had taught herself to read at age 4. Her hyper-memory made it easy for her to be an “A” student in any type of academic setting. She managed to get through junior high despite her hypo sensitivity to others, but her high school days were spent anywhere except in school. She probably went to class for a total of one year. Yet at 17 she passed the GED, missing only 3 questions and made 1400 on the SAT. Like many who are seen as “different” she followed her own path without regard what others thought. She was attractive so she used men as well as they used her. She pursued her husband and he deserves a medal because beside her autism, they have 3 sons with varying degrees of it. They together read widely and 'discovered' her autism.

Jeannie has written an autobiography that is well-organized, well-crafted, filled with honest gut wrenching drama, and reads like a good mystery. It shows the glaring problems of our health delivery system. It demonstrates the problems of inattention (not listening to patients) of health professionals, their tendency to jump to quick conclusions based on inadequate information (misdiagnosis), and to prescribe treatments and drugs that often don’t work or make the patient worse (patients’ and drug companies’ pressure on doctors.). These are compounded by our education system's inability or refusal to teach each individual how his complex body and mind works and how these functions affect himself and others. "Twirling Naked in the Streets and No One Noticed" is a book that could be life changing for anyone with any medical condition and for all of us who will face some or be the caregivers of those afflicted. Thanks, Jeannie.

Reviewed by Christine Nguyen for Readers' Favorite

"Shelly Goes to the Zoo" is based on a series of children’s books that teach parents and their children American Sign Language. In this installment, Shelly takes her friends, Maria and Kasey, to the zoo with her dad. Shelly is very informed about each animal they come across and explains the background information on each animal that they see in addition to showing the readers the sign language that is associated with the animals. There is a picture and a short description attached to each sign language where it makes it easy for the readers, parents, and children alike, to follow along. Shelly and her friends go through many animals in the zoo. There is even a sign language alphabet chart at the back of the book.

Author Kentrall Martin combines education and fun in her innovative new series of books on Shelly expertly. Parents and children can learn sign language while they read, making this a very interactive means to learn about sign language. Parents and children can use what they learn in this book to develop further games later on with the sign language they learn. Illustrator Marco Luperon accompanies the story with cute, instructional pictures throughout the book that enhance charm of the storyline. This book is such a great learning tool for all children that I highly recommend buying these books. I love the unique concept that the author incorporates into all her books. It is education and learning at its very BEST! I can’t wait to read these books to my nephews and nieces so that we can learn sign language together and develop a game out of it together which we can enjoy for hours. We can take the sign language everywhere we go!

Reviewed by Michelle Robertson for Readers' Favorite

"The Lost Crew" (sequel to "The Pirate Bride") was written by Ryan McKinley and illustrated by Jerry Bennett. This book is uniquely created with an adventurous, mysterious, fictionally historical story. It is appropriate for readers of all ages. Having a big family can be hard on the eldest of 13 and having young, loud, obnoxious, and forever on the go brothers is particularly so. It is almost entertainment for those around to view a big family on vacation. This is when Rachael decides to escape her family for a while and take up surf lessons. William, her surf instructor, is but 2 years older than she, and a native to the island. Rachael enjoyed her surf lessons with William that week, but little did she know this particular night's lesson would change her and his life forever.

Having beautifully illustrated pages and a descriptive imaginative story line, it allows the readers to let their minds drift into the different periods of time. Historical fiction and children's books are my favorite of all to read. The genre allows the reader to understand the historical nature of what they are reading but also let their minds be drawn into the story. That is a fun and creative way to learn without knowing you are doing so. With each turn of the page and jump in storyline within each chapter of this book the reader gets a descriptive picture of what each time period and culture would have been like, from the surroundings, clothes, and even from the dialogue of persons.

Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

"The Year of the Horsetails" was first published in 1967. It is a brilliant historical novel that is most probably set in the vast Eurasian steppe, during the early Dark Ages, or late Middle Ages. The novel unfolds as Bardiya, a Saka tribesman, escapes from the feared Tugar army. He encounters some members of the Drevich tribe, in the rugged steppe landscape, and ends up living with them. Subsequently, he falls in love with Marissa, a beautiful tribeswoman. Under the threat of invasion from the dreaded Tugars, Bardiya trains the pastoral Drevich tribe in war techniques that he learned from the Tugars themselves. He has been a soldier in the Tugar army and was sentenced to death for desertion when he escaped. The description of the battle between the mighty army of the Tugars and the peace loving Drevich tribe is certainly the highlight of this novel.

Written by R. F. Tapsell, "The Year of the Horsetails" is a historical fiction novel that surely belongs to the list of timeless classics. There has been a lot of speculation about the time frame of this story and it is believed to be between 406 AD and 1162 AD, which is between the birth of Atilla the Hun and the rise of Genghis Khan. Those were interesting times when ancient warfare was perfected by great warriors. The author's amazing description of the steppe landscape and the battle scenes can bring the reader back to these interesting times. The plot of the story may not be that original but the author's descriptive style is nothing short of brilliant. There is no doubt that R. F. Tapsell is a gifted writer with a rich imagination, as he brings the reader to a time when survival and victory almost always belong to the strongest tribes. This is a book that not only provides the reader with important lessons in history, it is also a highly entertaining read.

Reviewed by Steven Daws for Readers' Favorite

In "Raegan and RJ in Space", Alpha Centauri Mini-Adventure, we discover that after recently colonizing the planet New Bethlehem in the Alpha Centauri star system three months ago, this group of intrepid explorers prepare to travel on a mission to the planets three suns in order to release satellites to monitor the solar flares. This graphic novel is one of a series of books written by Richard Collins and deals with the events of this group, all of whom are Christian. There is a pastor on the team, who leads the group in prayer and blesses the missions. Will they make it and deploy the satellites?

These stories are aimed at children and it pitches it very well, being informative but not overly complicated. There are elements of sharing, teamwork and healthy eating, along with a description of the star system and the colony. The artwork and illustrations throughout are very good with vibrant colours and a good level of detail. The main characters are well-developed and will be easy for children to relate to, especially as Christianity is shown as part of their lives but not the main point of the story. Children are part of the crew, and you get the feeling that there is no danger of them coming to any harm. The stories are mini-adventures and are only approximately thirty pages in length. That is enough to complete a well-rounded story without the reader losing interest. Overall, a very good story, well-written and illustrated.