Plain Proposal, by Beth Wiseman

Paperback: 296 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: March 29, 2011

Language: English






This story, Plain Proposal, is about a young Amish girl who is going through some changes in her life to see where she really truly wants to be. Miriam is on her rumschpringe and is really enjoying it. The one thing she hasn't done is left her small little community. She loves it there and doesn't plan on leaving. One thing she does know for sure is that her heart belongs to a young Amish boy named, Saul. She has liked Saul for many many years. Even though he is shy and hardly ever speaks to her, she knows that he is the one for her. He is also known as the community "bad boy", but she doesn't let that faze her. Nor does she believe all the rumors going around about him saying he is not going to be baptized and will be leaving the community.


Saul has issues of his own that Miriam doesn't know about. He happens to care for her also, but tries to veer from her so that leaving will be easier for him. On top of that, his father has become an alcoholic, since his sister and mother were killed. He also is caught up with having to help or practically raise his two younger brothers. The one silver lining for him is that he has been offered a job in another city as an apprentice chef. Cooking is something he enjoys a lot and that job would be a dream come true.

Shelby is Miriam's cousin and is an English person (someone who isn't Amish) and has been sent to stay with Miriam and her family for a while. Shelby's parent's divorce has been hard on her and the fact that her boyfriend broke up with her left her getting into all sorts of trouble. What better place for one to go and stay and get one's life situated, an Amish community. At first she doesn't seem to like it much, but then realizes that there is a family unity that they have that she has been missing with hers. She also starts to enjoy the company of one of Saul's friends. Unfortunately, Shelby gets blamed by Miriam's mother for her daughter's new behavior. And for a slight minute, she thinks that maybe this place isn't for her.

Once Miriam and Saul realize that they do honestly care for each other and nothing can or will stand in their way. They do whatever possible to make it happen. Of course, once their parents are on board, they also help them out.

I really enjoyed reading Plain Proposal. Beth Wiseman does a really good job of writing and getting the reader involved in the story. At the beginning of the book, she has a list of Amish words and their English meanings and at the end of the book are a couple of Amish recipes. One could really immerse themselves in the Amish culture while reading the story. If you love Amish stories, I recommend this one for your bookshelf.

This book was given to me for my honest review.

When I Grow Up I Want To Be... a Teacher! - Wigu Publishing

 Title: When I Grow Up I Want To Be... a Teacher!

Age Range: 6 and up  

Series: When I Grow Up I Want To Be... 

Paperback: 60 pages 

Publisher: Wigu Publishing

About the book: Carlee always wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, until her mother is hired as a teacher at her school! Some of her friends are even in her mother's class. Carlee is worried. What will her friends say? Will her mother do something to embarrass her? Carlee vows never to become a teacher like her mother, but as she journeys through the first day of school with her own new teacher, Carlee makes some surprising discoveries.

My review: When I was younger, my mother taught at my school. Unlike Carlee, I actually loved her being there. But it does make me wonder what my daughter has thought about me going to her different classrooms and volunteering. Seeing how I am in the room she is in and not just on the campus. 

Off the bat, I can tell you my daughter absolutely loved this book. When she saw the book after I had pulled it out of the mailing envelope, she immediately said, "Wow, can I read that?" and sat down and started to read it. The illustrations on the cover with the young girl and her backpack, I believe is what drew my daughter's attention to the book. It made it relatable for her. The illustrations inside the book follow the same pattern where Carlee and her friends are in cartoon form and other things are real. Another thing that I felt made this book very interesting is that it has little sections of information on actual people. For instance, when Carlee's teacher is speaking about geography, there is a page about different travelers and all of their information, i.e. Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, and Lewis and Clark. Each time Carlee learns about something new, the reader also is treated to learning something new with a page showing historical people and what made them famous. Whether the reader realizes it or not, they are taken on a learning journey with Carlee.

When I Grow Up I Want To Be... a Teacher! is part of a series of books that let children know that there are an endless number of things waiting for them to explore in their future. I believe that every family should have this series in their home so that their children can be able to understand that there are options out there and other kids (like the girl in the book) are going through the same thing as they are when trying to decide what their future holds. As I stated before, the book is exceptionally illustrated and wonderfully written.

This book was given to me for my honest review.

Missy Mila Twisted Tales Vol. 1 Review + Giveaway

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Mila is an 8-year-old quirky, energetic tomboy who loves to tell you traditional story-tales but with her own twist. Kids will be inspired to use their imagination and to become storytellers themselves. Audience participation is triggered by Mila's direct-to-camera asides all along the episode; her questions and games bring kids right into the story. Join Mila, laugh at the zany dialogs and fresh art in this innovative series which explores the world of classic tales.
        Traditional tales are timeless stories that everyone loves to delve back into, generation after generation. Far from old-fashioned clichés, the series “Missy Mila: Twisted Tales” revamps this cultural heritage through the imagination and spontaneity of a present-day little girl. Mila’s stories are peppered with spicy anachronisms and offbeat re-interpretations. So, don’t act surprised if you see a prince applying hair gel before setting out to rescue a princess, unless the latter is a kung-fu champion, that is! As for the dreadful Minotaur, Mila prefers to picture him as the Toupouloupou, a sweetie pie with a sweet tooth. And why do the wolves always have to be depicted as the bad guys? And, in her very personal adaptation of the Three Little Pigs, Mila swaps the awfully shy big bad wolf for an affable bull that… rocks!

Missy Mila Volume 1 includes the episodes: The Hidden Princess, The Toupouloupou, Baba Yaga the Witch, Djoha’s Last Lie, Piboule and the Bear, Strabiwolf the Telltale, the Donkey and the King, The Houses of the Pig Brothers, Elvis, Captain Bloody-Nose the Pirate, The Leprechaun’s Treasure, Aurel the Mocker, Pancho Pimento’s Riddle.

My views: My child is a little older than the age for this particular DVD, but that didn't stop her from wanting to watch it. The first thing that grabbed her attention was the color of the DVD. Second, were the titles of the stories. Since she is older, she was able to read the titles for herself. As she was reading them, she was getting excited to actually watch to see what the different stories were going to be like compared to their titles.

Mila really grabs your attention with her happy hyper self. She really attracts the attention of your young one and will have them watching for hours, or at least an hour and forty minutes. She engages your child by asking them questions about the particular episode they are watching. She moves around just like a young person would, so your child can identify with her and stay more interested.

I highly recommend this DVD for you and your child to sit and watch together. Like I stated before, the stories are very engaging and they will fall in love with Missy Mila and enjoy watching her pop up in each of the stories.

Entry-Form

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Safe With Me, by Amy Hatvany

 

Author: Amy Hatvany

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Number of Pages: 352

Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches

ISBN: 978-1476704418

Official Release Date: March 4, 2014





 How long has it been since you picked up a book and found out that you just couldn't put it down until you came to the last page? Well, that just happened to me over the weekend with Amy Hatvany's new book Safe With Me. It has been a while since I have been able to get a book and read it and not care about what was going on around me except in the pages that lay ahead.

 Safe With Me examines the lives of three females (Hannah, Olivia, and Maddie) that have been intertwined through some unfortunate events. Hannah is a strong independent woman who will not let anyone get in her way of doing what she wants. Not being able to control every aspect of her life, she chooses to have a child on her own. The day that starts it all is when her only child is killed in an accident. She then makes the decision to allow her daughter's organs to be donated to other recipients. Olivia is also just as strong, but in her own way. She is willing to go through whatever it takes to make sure her daughter gets the organ transplant that she needs, even if that means staying with a person who is not so good for her. This brings me to Maddie, a young girl who just wants to have a normal life. She has had the unfortunate circumstances of needing an organ transplant and the fortunate event of receiving Hannah's daughter's organ.

 I know I didn't say much about the book. But for once in my life, I don't want to give too much away. Amy Hatvany's style of writing draws you into the book, first page I might add, to where you are actually feeling as though you are right there with them every step of the way. I could actually picture each character in the book and their surroundings. When I saw that the chapters were divided by the character's names, I was a little hesitant. But after I started reading, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen or how the character felt later on in the book. I have never read any of her books before; by have vowed to get her other ones based off of this one. So, my recommendation is to get this book and curl up on the couch and not plan on moving until you have come to the last page.

I want to thank Kathleen Zrelak for giving me a copy of this book for my honest review.

Amish Prayers, by Beverly Lewis

If you are a lover of prayers and the Amish culture, then I have the perfect book for you, Amish Prayers by Beverly Lewis.

About the book:

The Amish and other Anabaptist groups have treasured the same book of prayers for centuries, turning to it for inspirations during times of peace as well as persecution. Now a selection of prayers from Die Ernsthafte Christenpflicht is readily available in English. This exclusive, authentic translation from the original German-with an introduction by bestselling author Beverly Lewis-pairs each prayer with a Scripture passage and offers insights into the rich spiritual foundations of the Plain people. Whether used for personal devotions or in a group setting, this beautifully illustrated collection will help draw you closer to God.

About the author:

Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, has more than fourteen million books in print. While Lewis's own family heritage is Old Order Mennonite, she has many dear friends among Amish communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Her award-winning stories have been published in eleven languages and have regularly appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times and USA Today.

My take:

I love this book. Beverly Lewis is a really great writer. Anytime I read anything by her, it takes me deep into the book and I visualize as though I am right there with the characters in the story. Of course with a prayer book, it is quit different.

At the beginning of the book is a verse from the Bible that was left in the original German form. I really like this idea. To be able to see how it is originally written, compared to the translated verses in the rest of the book, is awe inspiring.

There are twelve different sections in the book:

Prayers For A New Day
Prayers For Divine Guidance
Prayers Of Gratitude
Prayers Of Repentance
Prayers For Comfort
Prayers Of Praise
Prayers For Strength

O Lord, help me! Weak and anxious
Prayers For Purity of Heart
Prayers For Unity
Prayers Of Humility
Prayers Of Submission
Prayers In The Evening

Horses: Kids book of fun facts & amazing pictures on animals in nature (Animals of The World Series), by Kate K. Garcia

When offered a chance to write a review on this book, I quickly accepted. I knew my daughter would be thrilled to be able to sit and read a book about horses. Of course, every little girl loves horses and some little boys too. So, if you are one of them, you are going to want to check out a great children's book called Horses: Kids book of fun facts & amazing pictures on animals in nature (Animals of The World Series), by Kate K. Garcia.

     The book starts off with a basic history of horses. It goes as far back as when the first horse was domesticated and where. She then breaks it down into different sections like, eyes, nose, tail, teeth, legs, body color, and caring for the horse. With each section, she has multiple pictures to help your child or you follow along. And under each picture is a small synopsis to help you understand even more about each topic.

     I must say, I really enjoyed the book. One thing I'm not too keen on is the length. It is really short. I know it is for young children, but if all the pictures were taken out, there wouldn't be much to the book. I felt as though she could have elaborated a little more on the information that she presented.

     So, if you are looking for a great introduction book on horses this is a good one to include in your collection. You don't have to be a horse lover to enjoy this book. If the pictures alone don't draw you in, all the information she has to go with them will keep you interested.

Vegetarian Cookbook: 90 Healthy, Delicious & Balanced Recipes Ready for Eating All Through The Year!, By Lisa M.K.

I was recently given the opportunity to review the Vegetarian Cookbook: 90 Healthy, Delicious & Balanced Recipes Ready for Eating all Through the Year, by Lisa M.K. Being a vegetarian myself, I was quite happy to review it. It isn't always easy to find great cookbooks for vegetarians, especially ones that heave interesting options to choose from. Here in this cookbook she gives you plenty of options to pick from.

I really love the way the author decided to break the recipes down in portions for one, two or four people. Most of the times you have to figure out how to break the recipes down yourself. Another thing that I liked about the cookbook is that most of the ingredients are cupboard friendly recipes and are ones that your child will also enjoy. For breakfast you could have a blueberry power boost or a 'Wake me up' smoothie. Some lunchtime options would be Veggie-lover's Dream Sandwich, "Chill-Out Chili or Tomato Asparagus Bruschetta. A couple of dinner options would be Ravioli Alfredo, Garlic Baked Zi-Ziti or Traditional French Onion Soup. The author also took the time to give a brief message before each recipe.

The one thing that I have to say I'm not too keen about is the amount of pictures the author decided to put in the book. I like to see a visual of what I am creating and without many pictures, I am just going to have to guess how it is suppose to look.

All in all, I would say that Vegetarian Cookbook, by Lisa M.K. is a cookbook worth vesting in even if you are not a vegetarian. There is something for everyone.