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Category Archives: Children’s


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THIS MS Fiction Will Knock Your Socks (and Phone) Off

Alone in the Woods

By Rebecca Behrens (Sheridan Books, 2020)

Genre: Middle School Fiction/Children’s Friendship/ Children’s Action & Adventure 

Pages: 301 (Hardback)

Via: Library

Cold. Defenseless. Hungry. Bleeding. Sick. Lost.

It’s not a good day for two middle school girls lost in the vast untamed wildness of Wisconsin’s Northwoods during the shank end of summer. The two ex-best friends must find a way to put their differences aside and work together in order to survive. Can they? Will they?

Uh-Oh

Jocelyn (Joss) and Alejandra (Alex) have been BFFs since kindergarten. But after two weeks at summer Spanish camp with uber cool Laura Longbottom hanging on her every wood, Alex isn’t interested in brainy and “nerdy” Joss. But their families have been taking joint vacations to “Allard’s Roost” family cabin on Wisconsin’s Buttercup Lake for years. So Joss hopes that their upcoming trip will provide an opportunity to restore and rekindle the friendship.

Will it?

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A Sweet One for the Little-uns

Ailie’s Island

By Antal Khripko

(Indie author, 2023)

Genre: Children’s/Fiction

Pages (Kindle): 56

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well Yabba-dabba-doo and Glory Hallelujah! spake I, Kimber the Magnificent. That’s what I said when the author contacted us for a review request for his book about a little girl who lives on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Little’uns and a remote island off the coast of Scotland?! Does it get any better than that?! As in, these are a few of my favorite things..

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‘Magyk” a ‘Diamond in the Ruff’

Pssst! Yeah. You. Kimber the Magnificent here. Asking if you can keep a secret, bub? Cuz I’m gonna letcha in on one today. But first ya gotta promise not to tell She Who Must Obeyed, okay? Agreed? Pawsome. Here goes:

One of us – the one with opposable thumbs- started this here Magyk book under shall we say, less than optimal conditions?

Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk - Kindle edition by Sage, Angie, Mark Zug. Children Kindle eBooks ...

 

Via: Library

Pages: 564

Genre: Fiction/Children’s Fantasy

Okay, okay. The conditions were downright lousy. I’m talking ruff here. (Not a typo.) Cuz the one with opposable thumbs started reading this book while waiting for news about a sweet furry face we all know and love undergoing emergency care at the vet. Fur (also not a typo) background, see: The Patient Is Home & Resting Comfortably.

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We Didn’t Want THIS Book To End

Crown of Three: A Kingdom Rises

By J.D. Rinehart

Via; Library

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 432

Rheeta flew on. She was old. She was tired. But, like Toronia, she was at peace.

She was nearly home.

Ever turn the last page of a book, close the cover, and sigh? Feel like you’re saying goodbye to a dear friend? Wish it could go on and on? And you just don’t want it to end?

That’s what finishing the third and final installment in J.D. Rinehart’s Crown of Three trilogy is like. The third book is called The Kingdom Rises. It’s a little Lord of the Rings-ish. The three triplets also reminded us a little of the Pevensie kiddos of Narnia renown. And that’s pretty rarefied company, indeed.

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Professional Joy Spreading & 4 NEW Ones for the Little’Uns!

Kimber the Magnificent.

Hello Friends!

Your favorite furry face here. I’m jumping for joy today! Well, okay. I jump for joy pretty much every day. Cuz I’m what Her Momness calls a “Professional Joy Spreader.” No idea what that means. But Mom likes it. So I like it, too.

 

For more, click here.


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‘Maji-Muku’ Muddies – Or – How NOT to Pitch Us a Children’s Book

If you’ve been reading Pages and Paws for very long – say, twenty minutes or so – you know that Mom and I are pretty picky about what we do and don’t accept for review. We get tons of review requests. We accept less than half. Those that color outside our Submission Guidelines typically go straight to the Big Kitty Litter Box in the Sky.

But every once in a while we might be willing to bend if the review request is for a children’s book. Emphasis on might. That was the case with the Maji Muki Storybook for Children.

We knew when we got it that the requester hadn’t read our Submission Guidelines. (You’d be surprised how obvious this is. We always know who has and who hasn’t read our Guidelines. Always.)

Clues

Getting a request addressed to “Dear Children’s Books Aficionado” was a clue. Ditto the subject line: Something New in Children’s Books. Someone didn’t read our Submission Guidelines. And sent the whole book before we greenlighted it for review. Another No-No. But, hey. It’s a children’s book, right? So we decided to flex a bit.

Here’s the 4-1-1:

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‘The Memory Quilt’ Tackles Tough Topic With Grace

The Memory Quilt

By Lori Keating

Genre: Children’s/Picture Book

Publisher: Monarch Educational Services, January 2024

Target Audience: Children ages 5 to 10 years

Pages: 34

Via: Monarch

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

When Grace’s neighbor and friend Jason dies unexpectedly, Grace isn’t sure what to do. She wants to let the Davidsons know she’s thinking about them and feeling their loss. Should she make them a card? Pick them a daisy bouquet? She decides she wants to do something more. Something special.  

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2 Woof-Worthy Reads (I’d Grab ‘Em Now ‘Fize You)

“Mom! Mom! I like THIS one!”

Kimber the Magnificent here. Telling you about how I nudged Her Momness in the direction of a book that looked really good the other day. “Oh, and this one , too!” I mean, hey. Who can resist these covers? We’re talking Serious Sweet Stuff here, right? Like, Canines R Us.

So I talked Mom into grabbing two woof-worthy titles. (It wasn’t hard, if ya know what I mean.) Here’s the 4-1-1:

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New Children’s Book: “The Treehouse” Gets High Marks!

The Treehouse

By Sophia Bella Errico

Publisher: Bowker (June 2023)

Genre: Children’s Fiction (Ages 7 to 11)

Pages: 154

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Remember that jerk in elementary school whose favorite indoor sport was Making Your Life Miserable? Who made picking on you and bullying you his/her favorite past-time?

Mom does. His name was David J. Yes, Mom remembers his last name. We’re intentionally omitting that. Cuz even though this was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, some jerks you never forget. 

Well. Children’s author Sophia Errico has come up with a great new book that addresses the topic of bullying in a fresh and meaningful new way. This eminently engaging and clever children’s book is called The Treehouse.

Mom wants to know where it was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I, Kimber, want to know if I can bite David J. the Jerk retroactively? Cuz nobody messes with Mom on my watch! (Mom says No. She’s just funny that way.)

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. The Treehouse. Climb in for more and let’s get started. Like this:

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“I Can’t Wait to Love You Forever” Warms Hearts

I Can’t Wait to Love You Forever

By: Patricia Eckerman Ambas

Illustrated by: Amira Daaboul

Publisher:

Publisher: WordLife Press, 2022

Genre: Children’s

Pages: 36

Via: Blog Tour

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A new baby is exciting. But what if you’re the baby in the family? How will the imminent arrival of a younger brother or sister effect you?

While awaiting the arrival of a new brother or sister, young Benjamin plays a “baby package” game with his mom in this sweet and gentle story by Patricia Eckerman Ambas. Benjamin first pretends he’s a new package that has just arrived for mom. The package arrives in forms shapes and forms – a blanket, a basket, an imaginary box. But each package comes with an unspoken question: What about me when the new baby comes?  

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