Peasreads- Griefosaurus Helping Kids Name Big Feelings and Heal After Loss by Katie-Rose

Griefosaurus

Helping Kids Name Big Feelings and Heal After Loss

by Katie-Rose Fischer-Price

A children's book about grief. It was hard to read. But it was a good one. I was curious how the writer would address grief. This would be helpful for some kids. I cried like a baby, but I cry a lot lately with the loss of my dad and nephew these past couple of months.

It's hard to learn to sit with grief. You can't push it away. This helps as a reminder to sit with your grief because if you don't, it keeps being persistent 

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Thank you, NetGalley and Fischer-Price for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads- A Year Without Home V.T. Bidnia

A Year Without Home

Ages 10 and up

 A poignant middle-grade novel in verse about a Hmong girl losing and finding home in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. For fans of Jasmine Warga and Veera Hiranandani. For eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, home is the lush, humid jungles and highlands of Laos. Home is where she can roll down the grassy hill with her younger siblings after her chores, walk to school, and pick ripe peaches from her family’s trees. But home becomes impossible to hold onto when the communist government takes over after U.S. troops pull out of the Vietnam War. The communists will be searching for any American allies, like Gao Sheng’s father, a Hmong captain in the Lao Army who fought alongside the Americans against the Vietnamese. If he’s caught, he’ll be killed. As the adults frantically make plans – contacting family, preparing a route, and bundling up their silver and gold, Gao Sheng wonders if she will ever return to her beloved Laos and what’s to become of her family now. Gao Sheng only knows that a good daughter doesn’t ask questions or complain. A good daughter doesn’t let her family down. Even though sometimes, she wishes she could be just a kid rolling down a grassy hill again. On foot, by taxi, and finally in a canoe, Gao Sheng and her family make haste from the mountains to the capitol Vientiane, and across the rushing Mekong River, to finally arrive at an overcrowded refugee camp in Thailand. As a year passes at the camp, Gao Sheng discovers how to rebuild home no matter where she is and finally find her voice.

Inspired by author V.T. Bidania’s family history, A Year Without Home illuminates the long, difficult journey that many Hmong refugees faced after the Vietnam War. V.T. Bidania was born in Laos and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has an MFA in creative writing from The New School and is a McKnight Artist Fellow. She is the author of the ASTRID AND APOLLO series, the first children's book series to star Hmong American characters, and A YEAR WITHOUT A HOME, a fictionalized memoir in verse about her family's escape from Laos at the end of the Vietnam War.

Peasreads: Little Monk Writes Rain by Hsu-Kung Liu

 

Little Monk Writes Rain
by Hsu-Kung Liu
Translated by Rachel Wang Yung-Hsin

What a sweet story about a Monk who is kind, gentle, and not like everyone else. It's a beautiful story about blooming and growing at your own pace, in your own way, and keeping a soft heart in the midst of sadness and a world that can be cruel at times. 

I found this a calming read that can keep children and adults engaged. It is thought-provoking and encourages conversation about the characters and how they deal with adversity differently. The illustrations are so pretty also. 

Description

A Buddhist monk practices calligraphy every single day—calming his heart and bringing an unexpected gift to a nearby city.

As rain falls, Old Monk invites Little Monk to practice calligraphy. “Let’s write the character for rain!” he says. And with each brushstroke, Little Monk’s restless, anxious heart grows quiet.

For the next twenty years, as Little Monk becomes Big Monk, he sits down with his brush every day, meditating on and writing the character for “rain.” Until one day someone comes to the temple asking for help: the city has no water. All grown up now, Big Monk packs his things, hoping to do his part. But will a pile of calligraphy sheets make any difference?

This stunning book is horizontally bound, creating a vertical reading experience inspired by Chinese ink paintings and calligraphy hung on scrolls. With poetic text and watercolor art from Taiwanese author-illustrator Hsu-Kung Liu, Little Monk Writes Rain is an evocative tale of mindfulness, self-expression, and compassion. The simple, resonant story is sure to start conversations about how to find—and share—a sense of calm amid the storms of life. Translated from Chinese by Rachel Wang Yung-Hsin.

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Thank you, NetGalley and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company | Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Glass: A Cinderella Tale by Kathryn Lasky

 

From the Publisher:

Newbery Honoree and New York Times bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series Kathryn Lasky delivers an enchanting prequel to the Cinderella story from the perspective of a young fairy godmother.

In a grand glass house, there was a girl named Bess whose power would, one day, change the fate of her family. . . Bess Wickham has always felt like a bit of an outcast among her family of extraordinary glassblowers, but then an immense, magical power that’s lain dormant in her bloodline begins to emerge. So, when she suspects her family’s business has taken a sinister turn, Bess must find the strength to defeat dark magic and save a certain cinder girl. But will she shatter under the weight of such evil or get her happily ever after?

Peasreads: The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang

 

Description

At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school.

In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope.

My thoughts

This book is beautiful. It truly shows that kindness, understanding, companion can go a long way. My heart hurt for the author. Being a first generation Lao American the language barrier can make quite the chasm between people. I hope this book gives hope to those who need it and inspire those who can help lift others up

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Amazon reviews Katereviews.

Goodreads reviews.

I received this book from NetGalley and Lerner Publishing for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are on my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Percy Jackson Viewing Party

Confession. I have not read the Percy Jackson series. I want to but my to be read pile is very long. Maybe I'll read them this year. These photos were taken when we had a Percy Jackson viewing party Disney+ version.

The best sugar cookie recipe ever 

Recipe here.

I really enjoyed and have since enjoyed this series. My kids have read the books and they say the series is way better than the movies. 

My two oldest kids baked and set the party up while I was at work. All I had to do was come home with pizza. They did such an amazing job. I'm so happy that their friend's like to come over to our house and hang out. 

Coffee and hot chocolate bar ready to go 

The cutest cookies and cupcakes! 

 

Peasreads: Beyond the Game: LeBron James By Andrew Maraniss Illustrated by DeAndra Hodge

Beyond the Game: LeBron James By Andrew Maraniss Illustrated by DeAndra Hodge

I do not watch sports I knew the name LeBron James. I didn't know anything about him, not even the team he played on. 

I don't know why I read this book. It's 72 pages of Mr. LeBron James' life and the rest of the pages are Timeline, History, question and answer.

I learned a lot about Mr. James as a person and his character. This book and others in this series (if written similarly) will be encouraging to young readers. Challenging them also to develop strong character, and to face challenges with dignity and perseverance. This book also teaches the importance of a village and the need for help. 

I hope kids will have the opportunity to read this book. 

Description:

Beyond the Game is a new nonfiction chapter book series about athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author, Andrew Maraniss and illustrator DeAndra Hodge. This is the story of LeBron James and his social justice work.

Before he became one of the most famous basketball players on the planet, before he began speaking out for justice, LeBron James was just a kid.

In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss, illustrated by DeAndra Hodge, readers learn more about the life and work of LeBron James—from growing up with a single mother in Akron, Ohio, to his journey to the NBA and ten NBA championships, to his social justice work creating I PROMISE and speaking up for Black Lives Matter.

While known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, LeBron James has changed the world beyond sports.

Complete with black-and-white illustrations throughout, statistics, resources, and ways for kids to make a difference on their own—BEYOND THE GAME is a giftable and inspirational series for every reader.

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Amazon reviews Katereviews.

Goodreads reviews.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

On Wings Of Devotion- ( The Codebreakers Book 2) Book Review

Here it is! The second book in the Codebreakers series. I have to say, I was so excited to read this book because I had learned that we would get a glimpse into the lives of other characters from Roseanna M. White's books. Books I have thoroughly enjoyed and reread many times. Roseanna has a way of writing that makes you fall in love with each character, for their strength, grit, whit, weaknesses. Turns out that On Wings Of Devotion has given me more characters to love to get to know! 

Peasreads: The Number of Love (The Codebreakers Book #1)

Heyo folks, this review is written by the 15 year old daughter of peasreads. Just a heads up :) and apologies in advance T^T

This book really deserves every single one of those stars. Normally, I shy away from giving books a 100% because perfection's pretty hard to obtain. *The Number of Love* (asterisks stand for italics) got impressively close. I practically devoured this book like a black whole, so I hope this review gives it justice and doesn't bore you to death :)

Peasread: Nick The Knight, Dragon Slayer

Nick the Knight, Dragon Slayer! Nick is a brave little knight who has never fought a dragon before but he can't wait till he finally does! When he faces the dragon, some problems arise. But Nick is determined and persistent. This charming story about friendship in unexpected places, and childhood dreams is very sweet.

Nick is a determined little boy with big dreams. He is a persistent problem solver who doesn't give up. The dragon is this book is just tired of fighting, and he's quite lonely. Can he make friends with Nick? There are many ways to defeat a dragon, the fun twist at the end shows us just how it's done. It also shows us that being friends is the best.

Peasread: The Witch Of Blackbird Pond

I just finished this book last night. My ten year old was reading it so I snatched it up for a quick read. It's 249 pages.  So very good. The Witch of Blackbird Pond is about a 16 year old girl, Katherine/Kit who grew up in Barbados in 1867. Her grandfather dies and she crosses the ocean to go live with her Aunt Rachael in Connecticut to avoid marrying a much older man. On the ship to Wethersfield, Connecticut Kit jumps overboard to rescue a child's doll. This is met with suspicion because so few people in Connecticut could swim so well. She is warned by Nathaniel/Nat Eaton, the ship captain's son that she should be careful, when he drops her off at her aunt's house he leaves her with a warning that it is the belief that only witches could swim.