Dive into these Picture books

Dive into these Picture books that I spy from a distance

When his sugary dreams don’t go according to plan, Oliver learns that the wide world around him might just be the sweetest thing of all.

Oliver finds the perfect lollipop on his birthday trip to the zoo, and it’s all he can think about! Forget riding the carousel–he might drop his precious treat. No point roaring at the lions with his brother or engaging with any of the animals. After all, who needs the peacocks’ beautiful feathers or the flamingoes’ brilliant hues when there’s a colorful swirly lollipop to admire?

But when one particular zoo animal threatens to ruin the fun, Oliver learns that there’s plenty more to see than the candy he’d been coveting. And sharing the day–and his sweets–with his brother might just be the most special treat of all.

Ramadan has come to an end, and Amira can’t wait to stay home from school to celebrate Eid. There’s just one hiccup: it’s also school picture day. How can Amira be in two places at once?

Just the thought of Eid makes Amira warm and tingly inside. From wearing new clothes to handing out goody bags at the mosque, Amira can’t wait for the festivities to begin. But when a flier on the fridge catches her eye, Amira’s stomach goes cold. Not only is it Eid, it’s also school picture day. If she’s not in her class picture, how will her classmates remember her? Won’t her teacher wonder where she is?

Though the day’s celebrations at the mosque are everything Amira was dreaming of, her absence at picture day weighs on her. A last-minute idea on the car ride home might just provide the solution to everything in this delightful story from acclaimed author Reem Faruqi, illustrated with vibrant color by Fahmida Azim.

A whimsical tale in which family lore inspires newfound daring, told by Argentina’s sleepiest ant

Juan Hormiga, the greatest storyteller of his entire anthill, loves to recount his fearless grandfather’s adventures. When Juan and his fellow ants gather around for storytime, he hypnotizes all with tales of his grandfather’s many exploits – including his escape from an eagle’s talons and the time he leapt from a tree with just a leaf for a parachute. When he’s through telling these tales, Juan loves to cozy up for a nice long nap. He’s such a serious napper that he takes up to ten siestas every day! Though well loved by his ant friends, Juan decides telling tales and sleeping aren’t quite enough for him – it’s time to set off on his own adventure. 

A parenting book

I saw this book and thought it would be beneficial to those out there that are juggling it all.

It’s not easy.

As more parents work from home than ever before, there are unique challenges when it comes to meeting the demands of their job, helping their kids thrive, and finding even five minutes to take care of themselves. Parenting While Working from Home offers tips, strategies, and reflections to help parents balance their careers, connect with their kids, and establish their inner strength over the course of a year. Parenting experts and founders of the popular website, Adore Them Parenting, Karissa Tunis and Shari Medini share actionable tips, heartfelt insight, and planning strategies to help you enjoy your own parenting journey while working from home.

Building on the authors’ own experiences and the most common challenges they hear parents voicing today, Parenting While Working from Home encourages parents to make intentional changes that will result in happier families and thriving careers. This practical guide will teach you how to:

  • Manage your time so that both your kids and your job get the attention they need
  • Build a professional network and maintain your productivity from home
  • Create a kid-friendly environment that encourages independence and strong sibling bonds
  • Consistently tune in to your own needs so that you can meet your true potential
  • And so much more

While it isn’t always easy, working from home while raising a family can (and should) be an incredible experience. Parenting While Working from Home offers comfort in shared struggles, new solutions, and calmer days ahead!

Reading update

I just finished this book tonight – so a review on it will be coming!

I have two library books that I need to read which are:

Then I checked out two more library books today which are:

Then my kiddo forgot the book needed for homework this weekend so I picked the book up from the library. Gotta love libraries!! I might read it.

I spy some more Picture Books

Check these lovely Children Picture books out.

Which one will you pick up today?

One girl. One spark. Faint and fading in the dark.
Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Glow. Tiny ember. Burning low.

Inspired by the global movement to empower girls through education, this lyrical story tells of one small girl who reads a book that lights a spark. She shares what she learns with her class, and the spark grows. The girl is then moved to write her own story, which she shares with girls around the globe, and it ignites a spark in them, lighting up the whole world. This heartwarming and moving narrative shows how books and education can inspire change and how one child can make a huge difference.

A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It’s there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?

Having struggled with anxiety for as long as she can remember, Nadiya Hussain has written this heartfelt story to ensure that no child suffers in silence—no matter what shape their worry monster may take.

From prima ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland comes the story of a young Misty, who discovers her love of dance through the ballet Coppélia–a story about a toymaker who devises a villainous plan to bring a doll to life.

Misty is so captivated by the tale and its heroine, Swanilda, she decides to audition for the role. But she’s never danced ballet before; in fact, this is the very first day of her very first dance class!

Though Misty is excited, she’s also nervous. But as she learns from her fellow bunheads, she makes wonderful friends who encourage her to do her very best. Misty’s nerves quickly fall away, and with a little teamwork, the bunheads put on a show to remember.

Featuring the stunning artwork of newcomer Setor Fiadzigbey, Bunheads is an inspiring tale for anyone looking for the courage to try something new.

In this empowering ode to modern families, a boy and his father take a joyful walk through the city, discovering all the ways in which they are perfectly designed for each other.

I spy Non-Fiction for Adults

I spy Non-Fiction books for Adults.

Check them out to see if they spark an interest!

Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter—and many places beyond.

In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places—in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable.

Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.

For veteran travelers, armchair enthusiasts, and those in between, World Travel offers a chance to experience the world like Anthony Bourdain.

What does it mean to be an adult? In the twentieth century, psychologists came up with five markers of adulthood: finish your education, get a job, leave home, marry, and have children. Since then, every generation has been held to those same markers. Yet so much has changed about the world and living in it since that sequence was formulated. All of those markers are choices, and they’re all valid, but any one person’s choices along those lines do not make them more or less an adult.

A former Stanford dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising and author of the perennial bestseller How to Raise an Adult and of the lauded memoir Real American, Julie Lythcott-Haims has encountered hundreds of twentysomethings (and thirtysomethings, too), who, faced with those markers, feel they’re just playing the part of “adult,” while struggling with anxiety, stress, and general unease. In Your Turn, Julie offers compassion, personal experience, and practical strategies for living a more authentic adulthood, as well as inspiration through interviews with dozens of voices from the rich diversity of the human population who have successfully launched their adult lives.

Being an adult, it turns out, is not about any particular checklist; it is, instead, a process, one you can get progressively better at over time―becoming more comfortable with uncertainty and gaining the knowhow to keep going. Once you begin to practice it, being an adult becomes the most complicated yet also the most abundantly rewarding and natural thing. And Julie Lythcott-Haims is here to help readers take their turn.

Beautifully written and deeply personal, this book follows the struggles and triumphs of one single, immigrant mother of color to raise an American feminist son. From teaching consent to counteracting problematic messages from the media, well-meaning family, and the culture at large, the author offers an empowering, imperfect feminism, brimming with honest insight and actionable advice.

Informed by Jha’s work as a professor of journalism specializing in social justice movements and social media, as well as by conversations with psychologists, experts, other parents and boys–and through powerful stories from her own life–How to Raise a Feminist Son shows us all how to be better feminists and better teachers of the next generation of men in this electrifying tour de force.

Chances are you’ve spent the past few months cooped up inside, buried under a relentless news cycle and work that never seems to switch off. Millions of us worldwide are overworked, exhausted, and trying our hardest―yet not getting the recognition we deserve. It’s time for a fix.

Top career coach and HR consultant Laurie Ruettimann knows firsthand that work can get a hell of a lot better. A decade ago, Ruettimann was uninspired, blaming others and herself for the unhappiness she felt. Until she had an epiphany: if she wanted a fulfilling existence, she couldn’t sit around and wait for change. She had to be her own leader. She had to truly take ahold of life―the good, the bad, and the downright ugly―in order to transform her future.

Today, as businesses prioritize their bottom line over employee satisfaction and workers become increasingly isolated, the need to safeguard your well-being is crucial. And though this sounds intimidating, it’s easier to do than you think. Through tactical advice on how to approach work in a smart and healthy manner, which includes knowing when to sign off for the day, doubling down on our capacity to learn, fixing those finances, and beating impostor syndrome once and for all, Ruettimann lays out the framework necessary to champion your interests and create a life you actually enjoy.

Packed with advice and stories of others who regained control of their lives, Betting on You is a game-changing must-read for how to radically improve your day-to-day, working more effectively and enthusiastically starting now.

World-renowned authors Dr. Edward M. Hallowell and Dr. John J. Ratey literally “wrote the book” on ADD/ADHD more than two decades ago. Their bestseller, Driven to Distraction, largely introduced this diagnosis to the public and sold more than a million copies along the way.

Now, most people have heard of ADHD and know someone who may have it. But lost in the discussion of both childhood and adult diagnosis of ADHD is the potential upside: Many hugely successful entrepreneurs and highly creative people attribute their achievements to ADHD. Also unknown to most are the recent research developments, including innovations that give a clearer understanding of the ADHD brain in action. In ADHD 2.0, Drs. Hallowell and Ratey, both of whom have this “variable attention trait,” draw on the latest science to provide both parents and adults with ADHD a plan for minimizing the downside and maximizing the benefits of ADHD at any age. They offer an arsenal of new strategies and lifestyle hacks for thriving with ADHD, including

• Find the right kind of difficult. Use these behavior assessments to discover the work, activity, or creative outlet best suited to an individual’s unique strengths.
• Reimagine environment. What specific elements to look for—at home, at school, or in the workplace—to enhance the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit inherent in the ADHD mind.
• Embrace innate neurological tendencies. Take advantage of new findings about the brain’s default mode network and cerebellum, which confer major benefits for people with ADHD.
• Tap into the healing power of connection. Tips for establishing and maintaining positive connection “the other Vitamind C” and the best antidote to the negativity that plagues so many people with ADHD.
• Consider medication. Gets the facts about the underlying chemistry, side effects, and proven benefits of all the pharmaceutical options.

As inspiring as it is practical, ADHD 2.0 will help you tap into the power of this mercurial condition and find the key that unlocks potential.

Pantry to Plate collects 50 staple ingredients in the cupboard, fridge, or freezer, and features 70 recipes that use only those ingredients.

Recipes like Black Bean Burgers and Slaw, Chipotle Chicken Tacos, and Spicy Noodle Soup are just the beginning of the versatility and variety of this tasty and practical cookbook.

• A trusty cookbook-meets-guide filled with flavorful and hearty recipes for meals
• Includes a fully stocked shopping list for you to take to the store (yes, even the salt, pepper, and oil are included)
• Staple ingredients range from Greek yogurt, olives, and lentils to coconut milk, bread crumbs, and fresh ginger.

Readers will have everything they need to satisfy cravings and feed hungry mouths with little to no advance planning.

With its streamlined message and organization, this book helps new cooks get started in the kitchen, and experienced home cooks get dinner on the table.

Youth Series – Azaeleah Lane

Check these out!
I have briefly glanced at these books and they’re awesome!

Azaleah can’t wait for her class field trip to the National Zoo in Washington D.C., especially when her teacher announces the chance to earn extra credit. But when Azaleah gets home, she quickly realizes extra credit isn’t as easy as she thought. Azaleah’s younger sister Tiana can’t find Greenie, her stuffed animal, and she’s sure he’s been stolen. With Mama at the restaurant and Daddy at work on a big case, it seems Azaleah is the only one available to track down the stolen stuffie. Can Azaleah get to the bottom of the mystery in time to finish her extra credit?

Azaleah’s big sister, Nia, has been cast as Willa Wonka in the school musical, and the entire Lane family is looking forward to the show. Azaleah has even helped plan a surprise dinner party for Nia at Avec Amour, Mama’s restaurant. But then the real drama starts. At the first rehearsal, all sorts of things go wrong: missing batteries, sets falling over, props misplaced . . . It’s so many things, in fact, that Azaleah suspects “foul play.” And when the special effects on Nia’s costume don’t work at dress rehearsal, Nia is a nervous wreck. To top it all off, the high school journalism class is covering the performance for the school blog, and the director doesn’t have time to replace Nia’s costume. Nia has to wear it without the special effects. Azaleah becomes determined to make sure the musical isn’t ruined for Nia. Azaleah has to get to the bottom of the mysterious rehearsal troubles, and finish party preparations, before the curtain goes up.

Youth Series – Finn Caspian

Eight-year-old Finn is the first kid born in space and he spends his days looking for a new planet to call him with his three best friends and his robot, Foggy.

He’s used to wild, galaxy hopping adventures. But when Explorer Troop 301 gets stuck on a planet that’s about to explode, Finn and his friends will have to face giant aliens, a leader with mind control powers, and one evil, fluffy bunny rabbit in order to save the planet . . . and themselves.

Blast off into a brand-new adventure inspired by the popular award-winning kids’ podcast! Like the podcast, the books are sort of like Scooby-Doo meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in space. The story centers on Finn Caspian, an 8-year-old boy aboard The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. He and his friends Abigail, Elias, and Vale are Explorers Troop 301, taking off from the Marlowe to explore uncharted planets, help the occasional alien, and solve a mystery that threatens to destroy the Marlowe.

Finn Caspian, his three best friends, and his robot Foggy are excited to explore a brand-new planet . . . until Finn’s mom makes them bring along an annoying new robot named Voltronix Zu.

Putting up with Voltronix’s bragging is bad enough, but when he accidentally turns the planet inside out, the Explorers get attacked by angry rock giants! Can the four friends find a way to save the planet—and the bubble aliens who live there—before Voltronix causes a volcanic disaster?

Finn’s best robot bud, Foggy, comes down with a weird virus while exploring a planet full of dancing robots. But he won’t let Finn help him. Foggy only wants to dance the Hokey Pokey with his new robot friends!

Now Finn and Explorers Troop 301 have to find a cure before the robots attack. But can Finn also fix his friendship with Foggy? Or will his robot BFF stay on the two-stepping planet forever?

Explorers Troop 301 has explored a lot of planets hoping to find a place to call home. But their latest mission feels like the most boring ever—until they get chased by giant ANTibodies straight into the planet’s open mouth! Uh-oh! This planet is really a ginormous, planet-sized alien and the explorers are her lunch! 

Can Finn and his friends make it through all thirty-five stomachs, battle an army of ants, out-whiz a super-computer in a deadly game of trivia, and find a way out? Or are they doomed to be part of the planet’s balanced diet?

I spy Youth Fiction

Both these books which cover some pretty important topics!

Regina Petit’s family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government signs a bill into law that says Regina’s tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes “Indian no more” overnight–even though she was given a number by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.

With no good jobs available in Oregon, Regina’s father signs the family up for the Indian Relocation program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She’s never met kids of other races, and they’ve never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.

Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it’s not that easy. It’s 1957 during the Civil Rights Era. The family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.

In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis’s own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian? Is she American? And will she and her family ever be okay?

The bed creaks under Santiago’s shivering body. They say a person’s life flashes by before dying. But it’s not his whole life. Just the events that led to this. The important ones, and the ones Santiago would rather forget.

The coins in Santiago’s hand are meant for the bus fare back to his abusive abuela’s house. Except he refuses to return; he won’t be missed. His future is uncertain until he meets the kind, maternal María Dolores and her young daughter, Alegría, who help Santiago decide what comes next: He will accompany them to el otro lado, the United States of America. They embark with little, just backpacks with water and a bit of food. To travel together will require trust from all parties, and Santiago is used to going it alone. None of the three travelers realizes that the journey through Mexico to the border is just the beginning of their story.

Youth Series Books – Lolo

I am going to try to post series of books because I think it is important!

Keep reading!!

For Lolo, every day’s a new adventure. Whether it’s earning gold stars at school or returning a lost ring, she’s ready for anything. Follow along with Lolo as she learns lessons about sharing, being brave, and being a good friend. In these easy-to-read stories, we meet the curious, fun-loving, adventurous Lolo, a girl living in South Africa with her mother and grandmother, Gogo. Woven with heart and humor, and illustrated with charming black-and-white drawings, these stories are perfect for the beginning reader. In Here Comes Lolo, Lolo gets a gold star at school, longs for a cute floppy hat, finds a missing ring, and helps to rescue a dog, all with her trademark humor and quirky style.

Hooray! Hurrah! Hurray! for Lolo, the energetic, curious, and fun-loving girl at the center of Niki Daly’s series of books for beginning readers. She’s thoughtful, funny, and always ready for anything. Whether it’s helping to babysit baby Bongi or learning all about the library, she’s sure to do it with kindness and humor.

In this collection of easy-to-read stories, we meet Lolo, a girl who lives in South Africa with her mother and grandmother, Gogo.

I spy Spanish Picture Books

Today I spy — Spanish Picture books!

It is the future, so it is not unusual for a group of elementary students to go on a trip to the Moon. They leave the space station in their school ship and disembark to play and eat their lunch on the satellite. But while the others explore and have fun on the lunar surface, there is someone who stays away from the group, drawing with her crayon box, and who will fall asleep without realizing that the ship is leaving and nobody has noticed its absence! Luckily you will soon meet some lunar beings who have great interest in their colors. And that is not the only surprise that awaits the reader.

Discover the lost art of the high five and improve your slapping skills just in time for the annual high five contest! From hand-limbering stretches to lessons on five-ing with finesse, readers are guided through a series of interactive challenges, each goofier than the next.

When Miguel and his parents move from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland, Miguel misses their home, his grandparents, and his pet frog, Coquí, but he soon realizes that New York City has more in common with back home than he originally thought.

Little Donkey loves to eat grass. And only grass. Nothing else. He has grass for breakfast, lunch and dinner. YUM. Will his mum ever persuade him to try some new food?

Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat. Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father. Jolly piragüeros, mischievous cats, and costumed musicians color this tale of love, family, and the true meaning of home.

Zonia’s home is the Amazon rain forest, where it is always green and full of life. Every morning, the rain forest calls to Zonia, and every morning, she answers. She visits the sloth family, greets the giant anteater, and runs with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the rain forest calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer?