“Monsters Are So Much Fun”, by Danny Pettry II, is written for pre-school to First Grade ages. It is a colorful book using rhymes and a variety of non-threatening “monsters” to teach basic fundamentals of reading, spelling, counting, and learning numbers 1 through 10. Pettry...

The "Tide of Destiny" by Nigel Patten is as excellent an example of historical fiction as you are ever likely to get. Set in the Napoleonic era in southern Switzerland and then north-eastern Italy, it is the story of Damien André Berry, one of the...

Readers everywhere have heard of Russia's famous empress, Catherine the Great, but not everyone knows of the events in her life that led up to her heading the Russian empire. Catherine was originally Princess Sophie from one of the German principalities who was married by...

Kitty Klepaki is originally from Saint Augustine, Florida, but after her parents and two college age brothers, Andrew and Arnold, are lost at sea in her father's 49 foot ketch, Kitty is traumatized and goes on the run. She ends up as a card dealer...

I was eager to delve into "101 Hymn Stories: The Inspiring True Stories Behind 101 Favorite Hymns" by Kenneth W. Osbeck because I grew up in a traditional church that sang hymns. Today I admit I enjoy worshiping with contemporary music but the old favorites...

"Mahinder’s Grand Tournament: The Jade Blade Legacy" by Thomas J. Black reads much like an ancient Chinese story. The setting is The Kingdom of Jade (aka the Ninth Kingdom of Ruby) which had been conquered by The Kingdom of Ruby. For many years the people...

Hidden secrets, the ones that never escape, would explain a lot of things if only shared. But then again, those same secrets could make matters even worse. Cousins Jenny and Jade endure a hell on earth life as they battle real monsters on a daily...

! “HEADACHE” by Crystal Marcos continues the whimsical adventures of Peter and Lina and the Candonite people that she introduced in her first book “Bellyache”. Peter and Lina were hoping to never see the villain again, but unfortunately he shows up, and this time in their...

Marci is scared. Her father is home, and yet another time he is drunk, mean, and beating her mom. So Marci decides it is time to climb out of the window to keep from getting in the firing line of her dad. She runs to...

"A Truck Named Travis," written by Tim Shockley and illustrated by Denis Proulx, is a well-written children's story highlighting the importance of every individual and every job, no matter how small or meaningless it may seem. Travis is a trash-collection truck and while he is...

Camy De Mario's children's book "The World of Happy - Let's All Be Friends" is a cute book teaching that friendships can be formed across cultures. Happy, a red sea star, is bored and his friend helps him to fix up a boat and he...

"View from the Edge" by Michael Kasenow is the sort of novel that smacks you in the face. It is an immensely powerful book, yet the hero is a gentle, damaged academic, who adores his son, and just wants one adult in his life to...

“Cinders Over the Junction” by J.P. Kenna is an intimate tale of a family’s history, from the mass exodus of Irish emigrants during the potato famine of the 1840’s to the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001. The story begins with a chance meeting...

I love murder mysteries. Totally love them. So, when I look for a good murder mystery, it has got to have all the elements: complex characters, roller coaster twists and heart stopping turns and who-dun-its that will surprise the heck out of you. Sitting down...

The world created by H. L. Watson in "World of Ryyan: Birth of the Half Elves (Elven Age Saga)" is one filled with magic, enchanted forests, humans, elves, violence and prejudice. In "World of Ryyah" we meet Donovan who lives in a fishing village. Donovan’s...

When you think of a singing nun, visions come to mind of a habit-clad woman dancing in a field of wildflowers on a hill, spinning happily with palms up, belting out a healthy hymn. But the story of the singing nun is anything but that...

Danny Rorro lived in the neighborhood in Queens where he has lived all his life. Danny made life fun and interesting for himself and enjoyed making others laugh. “The Domino Effect” is the story of Danny’s life and the series of painful defeats that left...

"Professor Googols Flying Time Machine and Space Capsule Math Primer" by Samuel W. Valenza, Jr., is the answer to the dreaded MathPhobia! Valenza is a genius; he makes learning math fun and easy. Kids love comic and graphic books. This one fits both descriptions. This...

"Finding Redemption in Everyday Life" by Lela Gillow Buchanan will bless many people. In the Introduction Buchanan speaks candidly about her doubts, her despair and her desire to stop hurting. She reminds me of one point of my life. Her words are descriptive of the...

"Holy Spirit Who: Discovering and Getting to Know the Person of Holy Spirit" by Alexys V. Wolf is a spiritual journey to discover who the Holy Spirit is and the role the Spirit plays in our lives. Much like the author I grew up in...