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:  Not even a blizzard can keep Rex Graves from Swanmere Manor, a secluded Victorian hotel in the English countryside owned by the eccentric Dahlia Smithings.  But instead of Christmas cheer, the red-haired barrister finds a dead guest.  Was it a stroke that killed old Mr Lawdry?  Or an almond tart laced with poison?

When more guests die, all hopes for a jolly holiday are dashed.  Snowbound and terrified no one can escape the cold-blooded killer.  Rex takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery.  A biography of President George W. Bush found charred in the fireplace might offer a few clues.  Could the killer be the sherry-swilling handyman?  The gay antiques dealer with the biting wit?  The quarreling newlyweds?  Sure it’s not Helen D’Arcy, the lovely lass Rex seems to be falling for.

My Review:  Christmas is Murder is the first book in a new series featuring Rex Graves as barrister and sleuth.  The book is an enjoyable and quick read.  The setting is great, a Victorian hotel in England in modern times, the characters are interesting and the mystery is engaging.  I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was – any of the guests could have done it!  This is not a very “Christmasy” book.  It could be read just about any time of the year.  I look forward to more books in this series.

About the Book: Two weeks before Christmas, Duncan Wagner gets into his car for another attempt at kidnapping the son of his most despised enemy, State Representative Win Booker. When he drives into the wealthy Boston suburb, he is surprised to find the boy hitchhiking.

So begins Wagner’s quest for revenge as he finds himself face to face with a real boy, and without a clue about how to run a kidnapping. Wagner, a self-styled charity Santa Claus, comes to realize that eleven year old Gabriel Booker is truly a runaway, much more curious than scared. Gabriel has no idea who Duncan Wagner is—or could be.

My Review: I love holiday themed books so I jumped at the chance to read and review this. It’s a very unique book. In some ways, it’s a bit of a crime novel, since it’s about a kidnapping, but all the usual elements of this sort of novel are missing, perhaps since it’s told from the perspective of the criminal.

I couldn’t help but feel that Duncan wasn’t too bright. Even so, it was possible to feel some empathy for him. He doesn’t seem entirely evil. This is helped by the child’s indifference to being kidnapped. Even though he experiences many things I think would be terrifying, he seems to have tremendous empathy for Duncan and interested in bringing hope and healing into his life.

The ending is a bit predictable, but this is an enjoyable and hopeful read…perfect for the holiday season.

You can visit Stephen’s website here.

Product Description

This is Thanksgiving, a time to remember the friendships and freedoms we all share together.

When the Pilgrims embarked on their legendary Mayflower voyage in 1620, they couldn’t predict what lay ahead of them. In search of religious freedom and a new life, the settlers faced hardships including harsh storms, illness, and unfamiliar terrain. Thanks to their natural perseverance and the help of their neighbor Indians, the Pilgrims survived their first year. And when the harvest the next fall was plentiful, the Pilgrims and the Indians joined together in a three-day celebration, the first Thanksgiving.

Diane Z. Shore’s lyrical, rhythmic verse and Megan Lloyd’s lively, joyful illustrations bring the Pilgrims’ harrowing experience to life and demonstrate the strong bonds for which we give thanks every year.

My Review:   This is a beautiful book which parents and teachers could easily use to teach children about the first Thanksgiving.  ”Feast” is great for building background information and vocabulary development.    I think this book would be great for upper elementary school students as well as primary.  The rhythm and rhyme provide an added bonus.  I would love to see families make the reading of this book a yearly family Thanksgiving tradition.  From reading, we get  great insight as to what the pilgrims suffered for religious freedom.  I appreciate that the author did not gloss over this part of history.  I recommend This is the Feast for great and informative holiday family reading.

Product Description
Mary is a modern pilgrim girl whose family came to this country for religious freedom. Her family faces hardships, but through the story of the first Thanksgiving, Mary recognizes her blessings. 

From the Back Cover
Most days, Mary loves her new home in America. But now it’s Thanksgiving time, and her family has little food. Mary begins to wish she could go back to Ireland. Life isn’t fair. Even the gift of a pumpkin pie from a kind neighbor doesn’t cheer her.
So, Father tells Mary a story of how the Pilgrims struggled when they first came to America. The seeds they brought with them wouldn’t grow. Native Americans showed the new settlers how to make the soil grow crops. That instruction helped, but the Pilgrims still faced hardships. There were times when they had barely enough food. But five kernels of corn helped the Pilgrims survive and made their faith stronger. 
Will the legend of the five kernels help grow a new faith in Mary too?

My Review:  This is a good book in keeping with the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday.  As Americans we can find ourselves feeling “entitled,” instead of thankful and this book touches on that in the life of a little girl who is a newcomer to the USA. She tends to look back instead of looking ahead.  I think this is a timely book for this year especially as many are facing financial hardships.  The book reminds us to be thankful for what we DO have and to have hope for the future.  Mary’s father gives her (and us) the message of hope by sharing the experiences of the pilgrims.  One of the greatest blessings we have in our country is religious freedom – many people still want to live here for that reason beginning with the pilgrims.  The pilgrims did not have it easy either.  I think children will relate to this book.  Children have tender hearts and will easily understand Mary.  I enthusiastically recommend this book for children ages 4-10.  ”Mary’s First Thanksgiving” is published by Zonderkidz and is available at Christian bookstores and Amazon.com.