Crenshaw – Katherine Applegate

As huge fans of The One and Only Ivan, our family was eager to see what Katherine Applegate would write next.  We were not disappointed!  Crenshaw is awesome!  Just as The One and Only Ivan was a book we opted to partner read with our daughter; Crenshaw was as well.  Dealing with serious topics is handled masterfully by Applegate, but with our daughter’s sensitive nature, reading the book together was the right choice for our family.

Homelessness is a challenging topic to read about at any age .  To create a book targeted to eight to twelve year-olds that tackles the topic is particularly difficult.  The use of an imaginary friend was a powerful tool in making this book age appropriate and highly enjoyable.

Fast Metabolism Food RX: Powerful Prescriptions to Feed Your Body Back to Health – Haylie Pomroy

Fast Metabolism RX was an interesting read.  Pomroy approaches food choices from a prescription point of view in order to address a variety of chronic health concerns.  She strongly advocates the importance of cooking your meals at home and staying away from processed foods.  This book will definitely make you think more critically about your own daily food choices.

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Random House Publishing, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.

Mealtime Devotions – Free Offer

If your family is like most, breakfast is rushed to get everyone out the door. Lunch is spent at school or work. So where does that leave dinner? Nourish your family's spiritual health as you eat supper together. Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club want to give you a free resource to help you begin your new dinner tradition of making the most of your family mealtime, beginning this Easter season. Please click on the link below for your free sample copy of Whit's End Mealtime Devotions.

FREE Sample of Whit’s End Mealtime Devotions

I Want It All: Exchanging Your Average Life for Deeper Faith, Greater Power, and More Impact – Gwen Smith

I Want It All doesn’t focus on ways to pursue attaining worldly things.  Rather, it explores the manner in which one can grow in faith and have a deeper impact.  The book is divided up into three sections – All the Faith, All the Power, and All the Impact, and it is written in a highly accessible manner. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I also felt challenged by it.  This text also includes a study guide section, and it would make a terrific resource for a small group study.

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Litfuse Publicity Group, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions

Easter Devotions and Activities for Your Whole Family

We're down to the final two weeks before we celebrate Easter and Jesus' resurrection. Do your children understand and grasp the full meaning of why we celebrate the holiday? Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club want to provide your family with a week of meaningful, fun Easter activities to help make the holiday come alive this year. Please click the links below for a free Easter Puzzle download and/or a free Easter Family Devotional and Activities download.

Easter Puzzle FREE Download AND Easter Family Devotional and Activities FREE Download

Brave Girls: Beautiful You: A 90 Day Devotional for Brave Girls Like You – Jennifer Gerelds

We love the Brave Girls series of devotionals.  This is the third in the series, and our daughter was very excited when it arrived in the mail.  These little devotionals provide a scripture verse and a few paragraphs about what that verse might look like in action at home, school, and beyond.  Each section also includes a short prayer pointer.  I have found this to be a great way for my daughter and I to start our mornings together over breakfast.  These devotional books are absolutely perfect for elementary age girls.

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Harper Collins Publishing, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.

The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation): The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics – Daniel James Brown

When I was reading the original version of this book, our daughter kept asking me about the story.  Although the book was a bit too much for a younger reader, I had some great conversations about the book with her and the roles teamwork and tenacity had in the story.  I was truly delighted to discover the young readers adaptation.  Our daughter could not put this book down once she started reading.  Brown has a tremendous talent in sharing non-fiction stories in a highly engaging way.  This one is really a winner in both the original version as well as the young readers adaptation!