GOODREADS | AMAZON

Sandra Meaders studied English and minored in creative writing and history at Southern Virginia
University and earned her master’s degree in literature from the University of Akron.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Author Sierra Wilson and illustrator Danika Runyan have come together, crafted, and brought to life the story of Jesus and the one lost sheep.  The story is cute and enjoyable and the pictures are bright and absolutely adorable.  This is a perfect book for the Easter season, as well as for teaching children about their personal importance and worth.  Another excellent picture book that especially young readers will enjoy.

Genre: children’s, religious, Christian
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Publication date: April 9, 2024
Number of pages: 32

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.​

Using read-aloud rhyme and relatable analogies, Revelation Is My Flashlight is an engaging story and teaching tool all about how to seek and follow personal revelation. The story includes adorable illustrations and extra resources for further study.

Sometimes life feels like the night.
I can't see where to go.
But God gave me a special tool
to help me see and know.
The tool is revelation.
It's like a shining light.
The Holy Ghost points the way,
showing me what's right.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Author Sierra Wilson has written a story using rhyme to explain to children about an abstract topic, revelation, that will help them better understand it.  Parents or church leaders will especially love the resources at the end of the book that are fabulous for enhancing learning, including scriptures, quotes from church leaders, discussion questions, and an activity.  Danika Runyan has illustrated some beautiful, bright, and colorful pictures that go along perfectly with Wilson’s narration for the story in the story.  Together, author and illustrator have created a story that young readers will enjoy.

Genre: religious, children’s literature
Publisher: Ceder Fort
Publication date: September 12, 2023
Number of pages: 32

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.​

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Author Sierra Wilson has written the cutest book about testimony.  It discusses how a testimony grows, as well as, how we all make mistakes and can ask for forgiveness.  The pictures in the book are bright and colorful and will capture the attention of children.  This is the perfect book to use as a gospel resource for children to better help them understand what a testimony is.  Teachers and young readers alike will enjoy this book.

Genre: religious, children’s literature
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: September 13, 2022
Number of pages: 32

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

GOODREADS | AMAZON

10 Little Disciples by Sierra Wilson is an absolutely adorable book.  It has bright and vibrant pictures that children will love and the counting combined with the story of the disciples is absolutely charming.  A quick and easy read, this story is perfect for youngsters just learning how to read, or for little ones who might just enjoy the engaging and bright pictures.

Genre: children’s, Christian
Publisher: Ambassador International
Publication date: August 10, 2021

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.​

GOODREADS | AMAZON | SEAGULL BOOK | DESERET BOOK

shorty, easy, and fun read, Nora and the Sacred Stones, is a simple story that readers will enjoy.  Although the characters in the story are teenagers, the story is written in such a way that it would be good for middle graders to read.  Although with the age difference between the characters and middle graders, they might not relate to it as much.  This story would also be a fun “mother and daughter” read or for a middle grade book club, in this short and easy to follow story that readers will enjoy.

Genre: fantasy
Publisher: Eagle Gate Publishing, an imprint of Covenant Communications
Publication date: June 1, 2021
Number of pages: 107

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.​

​Paige’s favorite family tradition on the farm is the annual bonfire where everyone tosses in a stone and makes a wish. This time, Paige’s specific wish is one she’s not sure can come true: Don’t let Mom and Grandpa sell the farm.

When Paige’s younger brother finds a wounded peacock in the barn, Paige is sure it’s a sign that if she can keep the bird safe, she’ll keep the farm safe too. Peacocks, after all, are known to be fierce protectors of territory and family.

With determination and hard work, Paige tries to prove she can save the farm on her own, but when a real estate agent stakes a “For Sale” sign at the end of the driveway and threatens everything Paige loves, she calls on her younger brother and her best friends, Mateo and Kimana, to help battle this new menace. They may not have street smarts, but they have plenty of farm smarts, and some city lady who’s scared of spiders should be easy enough to drive away.

But even as the peacock gets healthier, the strain of holding all the pieces of Paige’s world together gets harder. Faced with a choice between home and family, she risks everything to make her wish come true, including the one thing that scares her the most: letting the farm go.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

​Wendy S. Swore and her family are farmers. She writes part-time, particularly in winter when her farming chores give her time to plant seeds in her imagination. She is a member of SCBWI. She was named the Idaho Farm Bureau District 1 Woman of the Year in 2018.

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This story is about change. And how change is not easy. It's about having a dream. But sometimes our dreams can change and we have to let go of old ones to pursue the new ones. It's about moving forward in life after a loss of a loved one, even when it's hard. This story was a bit hard to get into, as the pacing didn’t seem to flow the same from beginning to end.  The story also seemed to be stretched out to three hundred pages.
 
Genre: children’s, middle grade, fiction
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publication date: February 4, 2020
Number of pages: 304
 
Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, and authors, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited OR pre-ordered/purchased for review.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

What an absolutely delightful read!  The reminiscence of being a little girl and childhood and trying on and wearing “Mom’s” shoes is the main highlight of this story.  The colorful and charming pictures introduce new shoes at the turn of every page, sharing in the little girl’s dream of all Mom’s shoes.  There is also rhyming on each page, which correlates with the types of shoes.  And the pictures are sweet, adorable, and colorful, bringing to life the story of Shoes.   Author Yvette Cragun and illustrator Myra Romano have come together and created the perfect read for every little girl or even those of us that are still little girls at heart and love our shoes!
 
Genre: children’s, picture book
Publisher: Pink Umbrella Books
Publication date: January 20, 2020
Number of pages: 32
 
Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, and authors, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited OR pre-ordered/purchased for review.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

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GOODREADS | B&N | AMAZON

Readers will be intrigued with the story of the cinema’s Golden Age in this fun picture book by Merry Gordon and illustrated by her husband Eddie Gordon.  The story is interesting and great fun with rhyming, as well as references to making money taking photos at Tinseltown and Hollywoodland and what to do when the theaters shut down.  But, it’s the amazing black and white pictures that helps make the story really come to life.  The idea of crafting the pictures in black and white to match the time period was genius.  Readers are going to thoroughly enjoy this marvelous book!
 
Genre: children’s, picture book, Golden Age
Publisher: Pink Umbrella Books
Publication date: January 14, 2020
Number of pages: 32
 
Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, and authors, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited OR pre-ordered/purchased for review.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.