Book Review :: 100 Prayers God Loves to Hear, 100 Praise Songs

100 Prayers God Loves to Hear, 100 Praise Songs

Created by Stephen Elkins
Illustrated by Tim O'Connor

Published by Tommy Nelson, Inc.

Copyright 2010

207 pages

"Serenity, courage, and wisdom are really big words.  Let's bring them down to size.  Serenity means having peace, no matter what is happening around you.  Courage is doing what is right, even when you are afraid.  And wisdom is doing things God's way."

** BookSneeze graciously provided this book to me as a complimentary copy in exchange for my review. ** 

Goodreads' Summary:  In 100 Prayers, 100 Praise Songs, best-selling author Stephen Elkins brings an exciting and educational way for children to learn about prayer by teaching them 100 prayers to pray to God and providing 100 songs to sing Him praises. God loves to hear from His children and this book will help kids feel comfortable talking to God and singing praise to Him. ...  Includes two CDs with 100 new praise songs written and recorded by Grammy-nominated producer, Stephen Elkins.

This book is recommended for ages birth - 8 years.

Mary Elizabeth's Musings:  Lively, colorful, and whimsical illustrations are paired with beautifully crafted prayers and meditations just for children in this darling prayer book.  Written especially for children to pray and reflect on God's beauty and grace in their lives, 100 Prayers, 100 Praise Songs is a heartfelt gift for any small child.  Two CDs of praise songs accompany the text and are equally as gentle and delightful as the book! This prayer book is truly a treasure and a welcome addition to a child's religious book collection. 

Blog Book Tour :: Call Me Kate

Call Me Kate : Meeting the Molly Maguires

Written by Molly Roe

Published by Tribute Books
Copyright 2008

"Con caught me by the elbows. His blue eyes met mine. 'The coal face your father was working collapsed. His legs are pinned.  But he’s alive, Katie!'

I broke from his grasp and dashed out of the schoolhouse into the cold gray November morning, a day as bleak as Con's news."

Publisher's Summary:  Coming of age amidst the seething unrest of the Civil War era, feisty fourteen-year-old Katie McCafferty infiltrates the Molly Maguires, a secret Irish organization, to rescue a lifelong friend. Under the guise of “Dominick,” a draft resister, Katie volunteers for a dangerous mission in hopes of preventing bloodshed. Katie risks job, family, and ultimately her very life to intervene. A series of tragedies challenge Katie’s strength and ingenuity, and she faces a crisis of conscience. Can she balance her sense of justice with the law?

Mary Elizabeth's Musings:  Riveting, exciting, romantic, and informative, Call Me Kate is an amazing addition to the genre of young adult historical fiction!  Ms. Roe brings to life the turbulent 1860s in America through the eyes of Katie, an Irish teenage girl, who has hopes and dreams like any young person, despite her war-time circumstances. 
This novel was immediately engaging from start to finish, and Ms. Roe's gift of the written Irish brogue echoed the incredible talent of Frank McCourt.  Truly, this novel is a must-read for all fans of young adult historical fiction.

**I would like to thank Tribute Books for providing me with an unbound copy of this book, as well as inviting me to participate in my very first book blog tour!!**

To learn more about author Molly Roe, visit her blog, Conversations from the Side Porch.

Book Review Revisited :: The Seer of Shadows by Avi

** This is part of a post I originally published on 30 June 2010. **

The Seer of Shadows

Written by Avi

Published by HarperCollins Children's Books

Copyright 2008

202 pages

"I stood there in great distress.  My head fairly seethed. ... The next moment my mind went to the words on the cemetery gate:  The Dead Shall Be Reborn. ... Tears ran down my face as I had to accept the extraordinary fact:  I, Horace Carpetine, had somehow brought Eleanora Von Macht back into the living world."

Publisher's Summary:  In New York City in 1872, fourteen-year-old Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes entangled in a plot to create fraudulent spirit photographs, but when Horace accidentally frees the real ghost of a dead girl bent on revenge, his life takes a frightening turn.

Mary Elizabeth's Musings:  One-third ghost story, one-third historical fiction, and one-third history of still photography, The Seer of Shadows is truly mesmerizing and page-turning.  Avi's amazing ability to capture a specific time and place in history is remarkable, as evidenced throughout this novel.  The reader will find him or herself as entangled in this story as the daring protagonist, Horace Carpetine, as he (Horace) races against time to stop a girl's spirit from inducing terrible destruction upon her family.  Get ready to read this novel from start-to-finish in one sitting!

This book is recommended for ages 9 - 12 years.

More page-turners and spine-tinglers I recommend by Avi:

**For the comments section:  What are your favorite ghost stories? **

weheartit.com

Book Review #17 :: A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole

A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home

by Henry Cole

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Copyright 2010

"Celeste's newest basket was going to be of a design she hadn't tried before, with a side pocket and a fold-over flap to keep things from spilling out.  Her nook was dim, but Celeste was used to it.  From her pile of dried grasses she pulled another long blade and, using her teeth and nimble fingers, began twisting and weaving."

Publisher's Summary:  Celeste is a mouse who is looking for a home.  Is it nestled in the toe of a warm boot? In the shirt pocket of Celeste's new friend Joseph, who is Audubon's apprentice? Or is home the place deep inside Celeste's heart, where friendships live?

Mary Elizabeth's Musings: 
Heartwarming.  Inspirational.  Happy.  Cozy.  Absolutely delightful.
This story about Celeste, a sweet and gentle mouse, will leave every reader with a feeling of comfort and contentment in his or her heart.
Set on a Louisiana plantation in 1821, A Nest for Celeste draws the reader into the unique, artistic, and natural world of John James Audubon and his apprentice, Joseph. 
Both looking for a true friend and a comforting home, Joseph and Celeste form a tender friendship that forges its way through changes and events in both of their lives.
Henry Cole's whimsical, gentle, charcoal illustrations provide the perfect companion to this heartwarming tale of home and friendship.

I recommend this book for ages 7-12 years.


Other books by this author:




Visit Henry Cole's inspiring website to be a part of his incredible world of illustrations!

BBAW :: Forgotten Treasure

From the BBAW site: “Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction. This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book!”

And my choice is ...

Chasing Vermeer

Written by Blue Balliett

Illustrated by Brett Helquist

Copyright 2004

Published by Scholastic Inc.

Publisher's Summary:  On a warm October night in Chicago, three deliveries were made in the same neighborhood.  A plump tangerine moon had just risen over Lake Michigan.  The doorbell had been rung at each place, and an envelope left propped outside ... The same letter went out to all three:

Dear Friend:

I would like your help in identifying a crime that is now centuries old.  This crime has wronged one of the world's greatest painters.  As those in positions of authority are not brave enough to correct this error, I have taken it upon myself to reveal the truth.  I have chosen you because of your discriminating eye, your intelligence, and your ability to think outside of convention. ... Although you may never meet, the three of you will work together in ways none of us can predict.

If you show this to the authorities, you will most certainly be placing your life in danger...

The letter was not signed, and it had no return address.

Mary Elizabeth's Musings:  How can that summary possibly make a single, living soul pass up the opportunity to read this book??? Doesn't that letter make you ready to read this book cover to cover in one sitting??
Well, when I first picked up Chasing Vermeer as a fifth-grade teacher several years ago, I was completely spellbound! Filled with mystery, suspense, art history, mathematics, and the great city of Chicago as its setting, I would have to say that this book did not receive the type of recognition I felt it deserved. 
Ms. Balliett's literary style flows as beautifully as the story line.  She takes a seemingly complicated plot along with enormous character development, and successfully weaves it into a unique and extremely satisfying reading experience.

Chasing Vermeer was the first book in a series of amazing art mysteries! As you might have guessed, I highly recommend the other two books that have followed:

Have you read one or more books in this series? Did you enjoy them as much as I did?