Dad of Divas' Reviews: July 2018

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Book Review - Peppa Pig: The Safety First!

Peppa Pig: The Safety First!



About the Book

Police Officer Panda and Police Officer Squirrel are visiting Peppa's class for an important lesson on safety!

This Level 1 beginning reader includes a sheet of stickers.

Based on the hit Nick Jr. television show!


My Take on the Book
This was a quick book that was an easy read for a young reader. The book has a great message about safety that all kids should learn! This was a great book that all young kids should read with their parents!

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Book Review - American Girl Forever Friends Keiko’s Pony Rescue

American Girl Forever Friends Keiko’s Pony Rescue



About the Book
When Keiko's aunt invites her and her friends Madison, Jasmine, and Sofia to spend two weeks on her farm, the girls are thrilled. They can't wait to milk a cow and help take care of the farm animals, including a horse who's expecting a baby! But when the foal is born with a leg problem, the girls aren't sure how to help. Will the new foal be okay?


My Take on the Book
This was a fun book with a great story. The book was a quick read and the characters were ones that you could connect with. My girls love going out on the farm and they loved seeing Keiko and her friends there too. You get to see these characters working together to solve a problem too which was a great moral to the story too. This was a great book!!

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Book Review - Thea Stilton: The Secret of the Crystal Fairies

Thea Stilton: The Secret of the Crystal Fairies



About the Book
The Thea Sisters are just about to head off on their separate family vacations when they receive a call from Will Mystery. Once again, there is trouble in one of the imaginary kingdoms! A crack has been discovered in one of the maps in the Hall of Roses.

The girls head to the Crystal Kingdom to help uncover the mystery. There, they find that a dragon has been wreaking havoc all over the kingdom. He has been turning all of their precious gems into stone and leaving a path of destruction where ever he goes. The sisters figure out why and help break the spell.


My Take on the Book
This is another great book in the Thea Stilton series. My girls have loved this series for some time, not only for the story, but also for the great artwork throughout the book. The book was a ton of fun to read and the story was one that really gave you adventure and humor throughout. This was a book that was a ton of fun to read together with my daughter and I know you will love it too! 

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Book Review - The Phoenix Colossal Comics Collection, Volume Two

The Phoenix Colossal Comics Collection, Volume Two



About the Book
A collection of different comics content taken from the issues of The Phoenix, this bind-up pulls together different humorous, informative, action-packed, and brain-teasing stories into one mega-comic bind-up!

A practical buffet table for kids to enjoy, brought together in a tailored format and with in-house favorites like Bunny vs. Monkey and Mega Robo Bros alongside all-new characters and properties for them to love. The Phoenix Colossal Comics Collection provides the unique experience of reading a great comic or magazine... but with loads more material!


My Take on the Book
This was filled with great humor, action and a lot more. The art was remarkable and as you read through this you will be brought into the book further and further. This was a great book that was well written and I simply loved the myriad of different characters throughout the entire book and you will too!

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Book Review - The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century


The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century



About the Book
Neal Bascomb, author of The Nazi Hunters, returns with his next thrilling work of narrative nonfiction about a group of Allied POWs who staged an escape for the ages during World War I. Illustrated throughout with incredible photographs and published on the 100th anniversary of the Holzminden escape!At the height of World War I, as battles raged in the trenches and in the air, another struggle for survival was being waged in the most notorious POW camp in all of Germany: Holzminden. A land-locked Alcatraz of sorts, it was home to the most troublesome Allied prisoners--and the most talented at escape. The Grand Escape tells the remarkable tale of a band of pilots who pulled off an ingenious plan and made it out of enemy territory in the biggest breakout of WWI, inspiring their countrymen in the darkest hours of the war.


My Take on the Book

This is a great book that that brings in great research of a great escape. I loved learning about this amazing escape. It was an exciting book that you will be completely drawn into from beginning to end. The characters, the setting and more, you will be transported back in time and you will be as transfixed as I was. This was an amazing read and allowed me to learn so much. Each page made me want to read more!!

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Sunday, July 29, 2018

Book Review - Kendall's Snow Fort

Kendall's Snow Fort



About the Book
There's a storm coming! The other WellieWishers promise to help Kendall build a snow fort to keep the animals warm. But there are so many other fun things to do in the snow. Will Kendall get the help she needs before the storm arrives?

This Level 2 beginning reader is based on the bestselling American Girl WellieWishers characters and the charming animated series. Includes a collectible paper doll of Kendall to dress up!



My Take on the Book
For any fan of the Wellie Wishers this is a great book for younger readers. It is a shorter book but perfect for kids in 2nd-3rd grades, depending on their reading ability. I loved how the book brings in messages about friendship and more. The plot of the book was fun and the characters were engaging. The book was a quick read but my youngest daughter enjoyed it and asked for more after it was done! I loved how the story brings in the other Wellie Wishers into the story itself! If you are an American Girl or Wellie Wisher fan you will love this book!

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Book Review - Ashyln's Fall Fiesta

Ashyln's Fall Fiesta



About the Book
Ashlyn's fall fiesta is going perfectly. . .until the wind comes and ruins everything! Can the other WellieWishers help Ashlyn have fun at the party, even when things don't go as planned?

This Level 2 beginning reader is based on the bestselling American Girl WellieWishers characters and the charming animated series.



My Take on the Book
For any fan of the Wellie Wishers this is a great book for younger readers. It is a shorter book but perfect for kids in 2nd-3rd grades, depending on their reading ability. The plot of the book was fun and the book was a quick read but it is a book that you really get drawn into because of the characters. I loved how the story brings in the other Wellie Wishers into the story itself! If you are an American Girl or Wellie Wisher fan you will love this book!

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Saturday, July 28, 2018

Book Review - Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust

Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust



About the Book


Bestselling author and father of organizational culture studies, Edgar Schein and Peter Schein trail-blaze with a creative perspective on leadership that encourages vulnerability and empathy as a form of strength.

The Future of Leadership

Leadership is a relationship--but that relationship must change, say legendary organizational scholar Edgar Schein and former Silicon Valley executive Peter Schein. The vertical hierarchy, with its emphasis on formal, transactional relationships, professional distance, and all guidance coming from the top, is hopelessly inflexible and outdated. In a complex world, leadership must rely on high levels of trust and openness throughout the organization, and that can be achieved only by what they call personization and Level 2 relationships, which build the agility to make course corrections quickly. This book shows how such humble leadership has built effective cultures in a whole range of sectors: health care, government, the military, tech and innovation, and more.


My Take on the Book
This is a great book that makes you think about the relationships that you have in the workplace. As a leader you have to understand the relationships and learn to use empathy, trust and collaboration to be able to be a positive leader for the future. This book shares how you need to interact with peers and work collaboratively on the relationships that they have to show trust and respect in all that they do. I loved that the book had case studies that shows how the humble leadership approach works. Through these case studies you get to have a better feel for how you can incorporate the approach in your own workplace.


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Book Review - Baby-sitters Club: Kristy's Big Day

Baby-sitters Club: Kristy's Big Day



About the Book
Kristy's mom is getting married, and Kristy is going to be a bridesmaid! The only problem? Fourteen kids are coming to town for the wedding. Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, Stacey, Dawn, and Mallory think they can handle it, but that's before they spend a week changing diapers, stopping arguments, solving mix-ups, and planning activities. It's the biggest job the BSC has ever had, but they'll work together to make sure Kristy's big day is a success!


My Take on the Book
I love how the book really ties you into it and how it connects to the rest of the series. The story line is very well made. I love that Kristy was going to be able to be a bridesmaid and as you can probably guess with her having to take care of kids and when I say kids, I mean a ton of kids - kids from 14 guests! This was a funny book with a great plot. I look forward to the next book in the series coming out! If you have never read this series before I highly recommend this book and the entire series!

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Book Review - Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume III: Grim Grinning Ghosts

Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume III: Grim Grinning Ghosts



About the Book
Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume III: Grim Grinning Ghosts

As told by mansion librarian Amicus Arcane

The eerie Amicus Arcane has returned from beyond the grave to share more spooky stories from inside the Haunted Mansion. What frightening fictions does this once-living librarian hold in store? And will you, foolish reader, be brave enough to listen to them all without going mad...or dying from fright? Join Phineas, Ezra, and Gus-otherwise known as the Hitchhiking Ghosts-as they venture into Amicus Arcane's lonesome library for more terrifying Tales from the Haunted Mansion!



My Take on the Book
I am a huge fan of the Haunted Mansion and I have been loving all of the great books and stories that have been coming out in the series of books. This book continued with the great storytelling that is definitely spooky and sometimes a bit macabre. The book itself is beautifully bound and you really get pulled into the story itself! I hope that Disney keeps bringing forth these great stories!


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Book Review - Walt's Imagination: The Life of Walt Disney

Walt's Imagination: The Life of Walt Disney



About the Book

Walt Disney's name is synonymous with family entertainment. Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, Disneyland, and numerous other creations have inspired generations of children the world over.

From his childhood in rural Missouri to his legendary stature as a film and television icon, Walt governed his life with imagination, ingenuity, and scrupulous attention to detail. Faced with both public failures and massive success, he revolutionized the art form of animation, always seeking innovative solutions, cutting edge technology, and new ways of storytelling. Devoted to perfection, Walt was not always easy to work with, but no one can deny his profound talent and impact.

Charting Walt's progression from farm boy to actor to artist, animator, director, and entertainment celebrity, Walt's own words are presented and contextualized within Doreen Rappaport's signature compelling prose. Illustrated with vivid authenticity by animator/painter John Pomeroy, this stunning entry in the award-winning Big Words series reveals a man of deep and varied passions with a constantly evolving vision, and a storyteller above all.



My Take on the Book
The book is very well put together and written well. I love how the illustrations look real and are very well made. The book allow you to better know and understand who Walt Disney was and for me that was one of the best parts of the book. This was a great celebration of a man that I highly respect for all that he created and did in his life!


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Monday, July 23, 2018

Book Review - I Lost My Tooth!

I Lost My Tooth!



About the Book
Mo Willems, creator of the revolutionary, award-winning, best-selling Elephant & Piggie series, is back with another breakout beginning-reader series. This time, an ensemble cast of Squirrels, acorns, and pop-in guests host a page-turning extravaganza! Each book features a funny, furry adventure AND bonus jokes, quirky quizzes, nutty fact formats, and so, so many squirrels!

In I Lost My Tooth!, Zoom Squirrel has lost a front tooth! The Squirrels leap into action when they discover the missing tooth is a baby tooth! Do you know more about teeth than the Squirrels do? You will by the end of this book!



My Take on the Book
This was a funny book that looks at losing a tooth in a whole new way. From the brilliant mind of Mo Willems, you get a very fun story with squirrels that seem to not know too much about teeth. Once you get to the end keep reading as there are jokes and educational content that you will not want to miss. Overall, this was a very fun book that all kids will love!

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Book Review - Space Number Crunch: The Figures, Facts, and Out of This World Stats You Need to Know




About the Book
This book about space gives kids all the facts, figures, and amazing information they want to know.

It's bursting with colorful infographics, high-impact artwork, and includes:
  • Space Record Breakers: random record setters such as the Sputnik orbit, Halley's Comet, and space tourist Dennis Tito
  • Astronauts: first spaceman and woman, most time spent in space, the first moon landing, astronaut records in space, and more
  • Galaxies: information that ranges from the oldest galaxies (13 billion years old) to the sheer number of galaxies in the universe (at least 100 million)
  • Telescopes: the first, the biggest, the most expensive, and the most powerful
  • Space Technology: robots, rovers, satellites, probes, and special space tech
  • Sun: fascinating facts about its size, temperature, and power
  • Number Crunch quiz, and so much more

Each piece of data is based around a number, creating an entire book of easy-to-understand information that will delight even the most reluctant readers. The comprehensive coverage includes key space facts, from the International Space Station to the planets, animals in space, the weird and wonderful, and beyond.




My Take on the Book
This book was filled with so many amazing facts about our solar system and space in general. If you have a child that loves to learn and loves outer space then this book will make them the go to expert for all of their friends! I read through this and learned so much!!

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Book Review - Dinosaurs and Other Beastly Beasts: Facts to Discover, Pictures to Color

Dinosaurs and Other Beastly Beasts: Facts to Discover, Pictures to Color



About the Book
Here's a book that transports you back to a time and place filled with incredible winged creatures, enormous sea monsters, ground-shaking carnivores, and more prehistoric beasts!

The incredible creatures in this book have been compiled and categorized into four chapters, each focusing on amazing creatures from these different time periods:

  • Devonian, Carboniferous & Permian, 419.2 million years ago-358.9 million years ago-298.9 million years ago-252.2 million years ago: from the Giantoscorpio (a crab-like creature that was as big as a house cat) to the Diplocaulus (a lizard-like creature with a boomerang-shaped head)
  • Triassic & Jurassic, 252.2 million years ago-201.3 million years ago 145 million years ago: from the massive Liopleurodon (one of the largest animals to ever inhabit the Earth) to the Geosaurus (a member of the crocodile family)
  • Cretaceous, 145-66 million years ago: from the Spinosaurus (the largest land animal ever found) to Tyrannosaurus (the most famous dinosaur of all time)
  • Tertiary & Quaternary, 66 million years ago-2.6 million years ago - present day: from the Megalodon (with jaws so big that a fully grown human could stand inside of them) to the Gigantopithecus (the largest primate to ever walk the land), and much more.

Color in each striking illustration, and then turn to the back of the page to discover intriguing information about the ferocious and fascinating creatures that once roamed the prehistoric wilderness.



My Take on the Book
This was a great coloring book that both educated, informs and allows you to go through all of the intricate drawings to make some very amazing prehistoric pictures too. All-in-all this is an amazing coloring book that is so much more than just a coloring book!

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Book Review - I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967

I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967



About the Book
No grizzly has ever killed a human in Glacier before . . . until tonight. Eleven-year-old Melody Vega and her family come to Glacier National Park every year, and it's always been a place where she can forget her troubles. But this year is different. With Mom gone, every moment in the park is a heartbreaking reminder of the past.

Then Mel comes face-to-face with the mighty grizzly. Now her only thought is one of survival. Mel will soon be a part of one of the most tragic seasons in the history of America's national parks - a summer of terror that will forever change ideas about how grizzlies and humans can exist together in the wild.



My Take on the Book
This was an exciting book that really makes me not want to meet up with a Grizzly Bear. The book was an exciting read and definitely walked you through the scary experience. My daughter is a HUGE fan of these books. She learns a ton and loves the characters within the book as well. The book really makes the experience come alive with everything that happens within the book and you are kept on the edge of your seat from beginning to end!

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Book Review - The Homework Strike

The Homework Strike



About the Book
Gregory K. has too much homework.

Middle school is hard work, and Gregory tries to be a good student. He participates in class, he studies for his tests -- he and his friends even help each other with their assignments. But no matter what he does, there's never enough time to finish all his homework. It just isn't fair.

So Gregory goes on a total, complete homework strike. No worksheets, no essays, no projects. His friends think he's crazy. His parents are worried about his grades. And his principal just wants him to stop making trouble. Can Gregory rally his fellow students, make his voice heard, and still pass seventh grade?

Find out in this book for anyone who thinks school is stressful, gets headaches from homework, or just wants to be heard.

My Take on the Book
I think every child has probably thought about doing something to stop all of the homework and this book does just that. The book is a fun, action-packed story that even shares some great messages about homework itself (that are positive in many ways). I also have to say that the main character was great and I loved that he was a poet. It was fun to see how Gregory protests in a "nice" way. The characters were fun, diverse and more. The author even has characters with learning disabilities which was a nice addition tot he book itself. The book is a ton of fun for all ages!

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Book Review - Field Tripped

Field Tripped



About the Book
The fifth graders of Liberty Falls Elementary might be the worst fifth graders ever, but they still get to go on a field trip! They're going to visit the Edward Minks Mansion to learn about the eccentric inventor and founder of their town. Legend has it, there are some undiscovered inventions hidden in the house. The students are eager to find them, and they convince Principal Klein to let them out of writing their essay on Minks if they do.

But as Aaron, Eddie, Jessie, and Chloe explore the Minks Mansion, it seems like something strange is going on. Like the adults are missing and someone might be stealing the inventions. But in order to save the inventions and their teachers, the kids might just have to pull some serious pranks to stop the bad guys. Even if it means risking a lifetime of detention.

Can the fifth graders save their field trip and the mansion . . . or will this be the last field trip ever in school history?



My Take on the Book
This was an epic field trip. Talk about a fifth grade class that I would not want to be in charge of. That being said though these students become quite the detectives to try and see if they can stop the bad guys. The book was a fun read and the characters were even better. This is the type of book that keeps you reading from beginning to end and in fact I did not want to stop!

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