Bring On Lemons

Book review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto with the help of Carmen Otto: I read Danny Chaucer’s Flying Saucer  - by Christopher Peter, and also asked my 10 year old daughter, Carmen (in 4th grade) to read it and help with the review as well. It didn’t take me long to get through the book and it took my daughter 3 hours. It’s a quick read and fabulous for the young reader in your life. As a mom, I appreciate the well written characters and the moral of the story. Keeping secrets is a sticky wicket in the parenting world. You teach your children that keeping secrets is bad and then they ruin their brother’s Christmas surprise by spilling the beans…(yes, that happened at our house more than once). I appreciate that secrecy, friendship, and loyalty were all addressed in an enjoyable read. Carmen thought the book was fun, easy to read, and she mentioned it reminded her of some Veggie Tale books we read when she was younger. After some thoughtful discussion, what she meant was that she...

April 18 th Can’t Come Soon Enough!!! What’s happening May 15 th you ask? Book Two in a Children's Steampunk Series Takes Flight! The Ice Orphan of Ganymede Sets the Course for The Jupiter Chronicles Here’s the Scoop: Nashville, Feb 3, 2014/Leonardoverse/- Ian is dying and no doctor on Earth can save him. The war has been won, the Jovians are free of the tyranny of Phobos, but the planet now lies in ruins. The Sinu and the Fiegan Firelords are threatening a civil war and the people of Jupiter are going hungry. First Petros has failed as their protector and General Ardor wants him replaced. To make matters worse, the Castillos face a new challenge. Ian is sick and no doctor on Earth can help him. When Ian and Callie return to Jupiter to find a cure, they discover that the secret may be found in the Book of Ganymede. But now, the book is missing. Left with no answers they are forced to face a painful truth. Ian is dying. "The Jupit...

Book Review: Bethlehem’s Baby By Sheila Deeth Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto Bethlehem’s Baby is the sixth volume of short bible stories written by Biblical author, Shelina Deeth. This volume includes stories following the birth of Christ (including the story of Caesar Augustus, Herod, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, and many more). Bethlehem’s Baby includes more than 40 short stories aimed at middle school readers. Bethlehem’s Baby was an interesting read for our family. I am quite traditional (I’m actually a traditional church organist complete with the thee’s and thous of the King James Version) and some of the non-traditional references in Bethlehem’s Baby caught me off guard initially. My children really enjoyed the present day spin Deeth placed on the bible stories of old. I can certainly see how this style of story-telling appeals to children and teens as well as many adults. The stories are the perfect length for a quick pre-bedtime read with additional ...