We've all seen these step by step guides to drawing. I thought it would be a fun project with my kids for spring break to see how many characters we could master drawing. We'll see if they go along with my plans. We have some dragon lovers in this household, so...

I'm posting a review of the book Twilight Child, by Sally Warner In keeping with a faerie theme- since it's March, the month of St. Patrick's Day- the land of the faeries and all that. The closest this book comes to Ireland is Scotland, but as I well know from...

Many of us avid readers know the basic story of the Princess and the Swans, but for those who need a refresher, here’s a summary: Like so many classic fairytales, this one begins with a princess who’s mother has died, and her father remarries a wicked woman who is a witch. She is determined to get rid of the king’s 11 sons and 1 daughter. Zahler’s book only has 5 sons and the faerie’s in her story are evil, rather than good, but it’s a great re-telling. Zahler clearly knows her folklore and fairytales well.

Winner of the Mom's Choice Gold Award! Sea Lions are adorable, and Astro is the perfect poster boy for his species- Steller Sea Lions. Many, if not all of us love stories about chubby round baby animals, and little Astro will pull on anyone's heart strings. Here's a...

Darth Paper and Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger are full of fun origami and middle school drama. A great fun read. If you liked the Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I think you’ll like these too.

Mercy Carter is amazing. She survives an Indian attack in the middle of freezing winter temperatures, only to find herself confronted with constant ethical dilemmas. After a grueling march and incredible trek, Mercy wrestles with how to reconcile her anglo upbringing...

The voice of Sophie sucked me right into this story! The lyrical text had me riding my own waves as I read the story. Thank goodness sea-sickness can't follow you into a story! Sophie is sailing with her cousins and Uncles to England to visit her Bompie. She has many...

The mostly True Story of Jack is another compelling, debut children's book. I seem to be reading a lot of these lately. There is a mystery that pulls you along from the very first page. I think that many younger readers will find this to be a little bit spooky and...

The 2002 winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in Young Adult literature. Young Ju comes with her family to America. As they fly in the plane, Young Ju thinks they must be going to Heaven. Her Uhmma seems so happy to go to this America, it must be as...

I met Debra Terry Hulet this summer during an author event at our nearby Kuna, Idaho library. She has an amazing story and if you ever get a chance, you need to go meet her! Her debut novel, Independence Rock, is somewhat unusual in Mormon Fiction because it deals...