Product Description
Kirstie Scott lives, breathes, and sleeps horses. She lives with her family at Half Moon Ranch. Undaunted by the wild and dangerous terrain, she loves nothing more than riding through the tall forests and deep canyons of the Meltwater Range. For Kirstie, things are never dull at Half Moon Ranch.

In her first real adventure after moving from the city out to the horse ranch with her family, Kirstie is leading a pony trek through Miner’s Ridge when a sudden storm causes a landslide. She is trapped alone in Dead Man’s Canyon with a herd of wild horses whose leader-a proud, black stallion-has been hurt by falling rocks. Cold, wet, and alone in the gathering storm-can she find a way out and help the injured stallion?

My Review: This is a great read for girls ages 8-12.  All the elements of an engaging book are within the book’s 153 pages – love for animals, mystery, and strong female characters.  Problems which face children today occur or are alluded to – such as divorce, single parenting, a major move, and living with grandparents.  There is some minor language  which might offend some parents and children.  The themes of setting goals, hard work, and loyalty make this a worthwhile book for young girls. Many girls will relate to the feelings of Kirstie, and cheer her on in the quest to find the injured, black stallion.

Earlier this season we reviewed two great Christmas books for kids. Now we’d like to give you a chance to own them!

One person will win both We Believe in Christmas by Karen Kingsbury and The Gift of the Christmas Cookie by Dandi Dailey Mackall. (click on the titles to read our reviews) Due to the heavy nature of these books, this giveaway is open to United States residents only. To enter, simply leave a comment with a valid email address and tell us what your favorite Christmas cookie is! We’ll close comments on Friday at midnight and draw a winner on Saturday.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Product Description
Kids will have tons of fun with BOZ and the Baxters as they prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth! 

From the Back Cover
BOZ and You and Christmas Too Provides children a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. Children will love helping BOZ, Drew and Gracie get ready for Jesus’ birthday. The book comes with three erasable markers, allowing kids to interact with BOZ on the wipe off pages throughout the book. 

My Review:  

Another great book for preschoolers!  This is an interactive book including three markers (red, green and blue) so that your child can help BOZ decorate the house for Christmas.  There is also a maze, a shape match, a connect the dot by number, and a search for decorations.  This is a board book and could be used several times.  

If you are participating in “Buy Books for the Holidays,” this would be a perfect book for the preschooler in your life.  My granddaughters will be getting a copy from me!

“BOZ and You and Christmas Too” is published by ZoderKIDZ and available at your local Christian Bookstore and Amazon.com.

Product Description

Every year millions of letters to Santa reach the North Pole. Many are requests for presents. And many letters have questions about Santa, the elves and workshops, the reindeer, and, of course, the North Pole.

Now Mrs. Claus has her own gift for you - for the first time ever, she’s taking a break from her very busy schedule to answer real questions from children of all ages. Join her on a tour of the North Pole and learn some of the best kept secrets of Christmas from the person who knows it all – Mrs. Claus!

* How does Santa get into my house if we don’t have a chimney?
* What is Santa’s favorite kind of cookie?
* Where do elves come from? 
* Can all reindeer fly?

Beautifully illustrated by David Wenzel, bestselling illustrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, this picture book reveals the answers to the questions children always ask – and they’re all answered by the woman who knows the most: Mrs. Claus!

My Review:  What a fun book!  This book answered all of MY questions and then some.  When a child really starts asking questions about Santa Claus, this is a great resource.  Ms. Love has thought of EVERYTHING. This is a book you can read a little each day for several days.  It is also a reference book to help you answer those difficult questions your child will come up with.  I took three days and read a little each day to my second grade class.  The format is letter/answer; letter/answer etc., so it is very doable.  The illustrations are quite magical and support the text well.   This is a great book to read during cuddle time those weeks before Christmas and those are my favorite kinds of books.

Product Description
Jack helps his mother bake special Christmas cookies and learns about how people long ago used Christmas cookies to tell others the story of Jesus’ birth. This story inspires families to share this important tradition with others.

My Review: This is a great book for reminding your children of the real meaning of Christmas and being more “others-centered.”  The story takes place during the great depression.  With economic times the way they are today, I would say many children could relate to the story.  Children could also relate to the feelings Jack has during the story – he misses his dad and wants to keep the cookies for himself.  The story is simple and to the point.  The illustrator, Deborah Chabrian added beautiful illustrations.  The author even provided a cookie recipe at the end of the book, similar to the one used in the story.  The book ends on a positive note.  This book is a great children’s book for the holidays!

Product Description
Everyone remembers the friendly beasts of the stable at Christmas but what of the creatures of field and forest? From her perch in the rafters a small bird’s heart fills with love. Out over the countryside she flies carrying the glad tidings. Bunny and fox mole and mouse hummingbird and tortoise spider and ladybug all hurry to the stable to welcome the new baby. And what a noisy greeting they give! In lilting lyric verse and magical watercolor paintings Laura Krauss Melmed and Jane Dyer give us a Christmas treasure sure to be a family favorite year after year after year.

My Review: This is a very sweet, very beautifully illustrated Christmas story.  The story is not particularly Biblical, however.  The beautiful poetry never calls the baby by His name.  I never thought there would be snow in Bethlehem.  However, all this said, the book is gorgeous and fun.  It will appeal to the little ones who love all types of animals.  The poetry makes the book interactive when reading to little ones.  I think this book is particularly appropriate for preschoolers sitting on Mom or Dad’s lap during the holidays.  It lends itself to wondering and discussing what it was really like when Jesus was born.

From the Back Cover
“If we want the perfect star to shine upon our tree, 
Look and see that Brightest Star, and there will Christmas be.”

On Christmas we give and get presents, we sing songs, and we decorate our homes. But what is Christmas really about? Is our happy holiday a Holy Day?

Find out why we place the star on the Christmas tree. Imagine Christmas guests as travelers of long ago. And let the beautiful song “Silent Night” fill your mind with pictures of the night Jesus was born. Because Christmas is God’s gift to us—and if we look around and remember, we’ll learn to see the real Christmas.

This endearing story by bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will capture the hearts of children and parents and grandparents will appreciate the applications they can share.

My Review:  This is a fun repetitive book for young children.  The book lends itself to children “chiming in” while being read to because most pages end with the phrase “and there will Christmas be.”  The illustrations are gorgeous!  The illustrator helps to capture the theme of the true meaning of Christmas.  Children will relate to this book and it can be used as a springboard for a family discussion on celebrating the birth of Christ.  Included are many of the symbols of Christmas such as the tree, the star, the Salvation Army, angels, Santa, Christmas programs, and carols.  This is a great book for young and elementary aged children.  This is a great addition to a child’s holiday library.

Product Description
All over America, kids are losing their teeth. And who is there to gather them up, leaving coins in their places? The Tooth Fairy, of course! A self-described “action kind of gal” with plenty of attitude, she reveals her secrets at last. Learn about her amazing Tooth-o-Finder. Marvel at her ingenious flying machine. Watch her in action, dodging dogs and cats and gerbils. You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? is the essential guide for every kid about to lose a tooth. And don’t forget, February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.

My Review:  This book is funny!  Bell-Rehwoldt begins by telling us what the tooth fairy is NOT, she goes into what she IS and then she gives us rules for leaving teeth!  Children who at the tooth-losing age and their parents will love this book!  The illustrations by David Slonim are colorful, imaginative, and do a great job supporting the text.  I look forward to more books written by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt.