Winnie's reviews: The Adventures of Loriel the Wood Fairy

Loriel is worried about Grandfairy Cyce . She hasn’t heard from her in a while. Loriel gets the news that Grandfairy Cyce has been kidnapped by a goblin! Will Loriel ever see her again?

I liked this book because I love fantasy! My favorite part was when Padra (the house mouse) thought the dragon was going to eat him. There was a problem though. Some characters' names were similar to one another and the author sometimes used the wrong names on the characters. It was a bit confusing. For this reason I rate only 3 ½ stars.

Author: The back of the book flap reads, "I have always been a reader and I loved reading to my children as well as my grandchildren. I hope that comes through in my writing. Opening children's eyes to the world of books is awesome. Seeing their eyes light up to an exciting passage is so special. Computers are wonderful but holding a book and relying on your own imagination is special and individual to each one of us."

Linda's Review: Loriel's Grandfairy Cyce has been kidnapped by smelly goblins. She must figure out a way to rescue Cyce without putting Cyce in more danger.
This is a fun little story with cute pictures. I think some of the words could be difficult for children and not easy to figure out in context. However, great opportunity to learn to work a dictionary. ;) The story moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged. Occasionally, I had to go back and reread sections because I didn't catch it well the first time. That may have been me though. Overall, I'd give this book three stars. ***
It was fun! It'll be a fun read aloud to my children this year too.

Disclaimer: This was a complimentary copy of the book given to me in exchange for an honest review.

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From Tragedy to Triumph: The Story of John Tartaglio by John Tartaglio and Andrew Chapin

Perseverance. This is a great adjective to describe John Tartaglio. When John was seventeen he developed a rare bacterial infection which led to the loss of both of his legs and his left bicep. He didn't let that stop him. Despite the negativity of his doctors, he was determined to walk across the stage at his graduation.

He continued making goals -- cycling, swimming, running. If a person with legs could do it then he was determined to find a way to do it as well. his attitude throughout all of this is completely inspirational. I felt privileged to read about something that could be so personal.

This story was amazing. I was pulled into John's life and found myself crying tears of joy when he accomplished a goal, laughing at his jokes, and cheering him on. My children and husband got to hear about the story. My six year old daughter was especially excited about it.

I recommend this book. There was some strong language in it but it didn't occur often. I give this book 4 stars. ****


To learn more about this author go here.

Here are some videos. If you search his name on youtube, you'll find quite a few more.

Disclaimer: This was a complimentary copy of the book given to me in exchange for an honest review.

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