Fair Play by Deeanne Gist

Fair Play is a historical fiction that has a combination of romance and suspense throughout.   It takes places in 1893 at the Chicago World Fair.  

Billy Jack Tate is a determined young doctor in a society where only men are supposed to be doctors. She waits for patients to enter her door, but no one ever comes to see her.  When she is approached by someone to work part-time as a doctor at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, she decides  she needs to take the position.  

Hunter Scott is a Texas Ranger who has been sent on a temporary assignment in Chicago.  While there, his duty is to be a watchman of the Women’s building at the fair.   When he suddenly has a medical problem, he finds himself being treated by Billy Jack Tate.  He is definitely not comfortable having her or any other woman for that matter,  as his  doctor.  In his opinion, women should be at home and definitely not be a doctor!

Although they have different and strong opinions about many things, they find themselves working together to help underprivileged children.  They work together to building a playground for these children.  As the project progresses, so do their feelings that they have for each other. 

Their future together seems to be unmanageable for various reasons.  Their careers are important to each of them, and they are aware that neither one of them will be willing to give them up.

Will one of them give up their dream so they can be together?   You definitely need to get this book to find out what happens to these two opinionated characters. 

I received a free electronic copy of Fair Play from NetGalley and Howard Books in exchange for my honest review of this book. 

The Sagebrush Singers by Herb Kernecker

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When a burro realizes that he has been replaced with a red truck, he feels very useless.  He eventually decides to leave and begin a new adventure which involves him becoming a singer. 

Along his journey towards becoming a singer, he encounters a skunk, a coyote and a raven.  This rather odd combination of animals are somehow able to comfort each other and soon realize that they fit together very nicely as a group. As they travel towards their destination they encounter various situations.  The interaction that this group of animals have with each is quite comical. 

The story is a retelling of the familiar “Bremen Town Musicians.”  However the setting for this story is in the Southwestern Region of America. 

As a teacher, I look for books where students are able to compare similar books.  This book will work beautifully when we read the Bremen Town Musicians and compare the different versions of the story.

I received a free electronic copy of The Sabebrush Singers  from NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Claude on the Slopes by Alex T. Smith

Alex T. Smith is absolutely brilliant when it comes to writing and illustrating books.  The illustrations in his books are somewhat unusual and have a wonderful sense of happening years ago feel to them.    The reader will also enjoy the humor the author throughout the book with his play on words and phrases.  When I read his books I just have to keep on reading until I finish the book. My students are the same way, they beg me to keep reading because they enjoy the books so much.     

The characters are Claude and Sir Bobblysock and it definitely will not take the reader long to fall in love with both of them.  Claude is a pudgy, little dog who wears a unique beret.  Under this beret there are some pretty unusual objects.   Bobblysock is Claude’s best friend … and is ... well...  a sock! 

As this adventure begins, Claude finds himself looking at a blanket of snow that has covered virtually everything he sees.  This was Claudes first experience at ever seeing snow before, so he wasn’t sure what to do.  He quickly finds out how much fun that can be had in the snow.  After he follows people to the ski slope, he is in awe of how much there is see.  Before he could participate in all the activities, he knew he needed to dress for the part, and so he started getting things from his beret.   The adventure continues with their day on the slope.

To find out what happened that day, you’ll have to get your hands on this book.  J

 This book is an excellent read aloud to be used during writing workshop.  I also think some of my first grade students will enjoy reading it independently.  

I received a free electronic copy of Claude on the Slopes, by Alex T. Smith and published by Kids Can Press from NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review of this book. 

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

     The book begins with a young girl wanting to create the most magnificent thing.  She of course needs an assistant which who also happens to be her best friend that is a dog.  She makes her first creation, but she realizes that it’s just not right. She makes another object.  She is still not satisfied with her piece as well as several more that she makes.  She is a perfectionist and finally she gives up!  As a reader, I was disappointed that she gave up on the project that she had wanted to complete with such enthusiasm.  After a walk around the neighborhood, she starts to feel differently about the things that she created.  You need to read this book to see what happens to her creations. 

     If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy how the dog is so helpful throughout the book. If you are someone who likes to invent or tinker with things, this book will also appeal to you. 

     This is a perfect book for a read aloud when students that are frustrated for any reason.  This book would hopefully help children understand the frustrations that we all have at different times and how it’s okay to step back and look at their issues/frustrations in a new way.  The ultimate message of Don’t Give Up!

I received a free electronic copy of The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires and published by Kids Can Press from NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review of this book. 

Starring Me and You by Genevieve Cote

This is such a cute book! 

Small children will enjoy listening to this story being read to them while looking at the pictures  illustrated so beautifully with watercolors. 

The two characters are a bunny and a pig.  This adorable book begins with bunny and pig are getting ready to perform a play.  However, bunny is too shy to come out from behind the curtain. Pig tells bunny he is shy too, but when he is shy he always smiles a fake smile.  The story continues showing how each character handles situations and emotions in their own individual way.  The ending of the book is priceless! 

As a first grade teacher, I will be adding this book to my library.  Children need to know that that there’s not a set reaction/emotion for everything.  This book will encourage them to discover their own individuality.

I received a free electronic copy of Starring Me and You, by Genevieve Cote and published by Kids Can Press from NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review of this book. 

Distortion by Terri Blackstock

This is the 2^nd book in the Moonlighters series written by Terri Blackstock.  I love how her series always entwine so nicely.   

Juliet Cole’s husband is murdered one evening right before her eyes.  At first, she thinks it is a random act of violence because of the location there were at.  She is questioned by the police to recall every detail possible.  She finally goes home to break the news to her two children. As she tries to deal with the sudden death of her husband, she quickly realizes that his death was not the random shooting she first believe.  After listening to the voicemail of the demands from the killer, she fears for the life of her children and herself.   Her sisters want to help their sister find out the truth about what happens.  They begin to use their investigative skills to try to discover the truth about the murder.  As the novel unfolds, there are many twists and turns that they have to continually untangle.  Juliet begins to question the truth about the last 15 years that she had been with her husband.  Did she even know who he was?   She sets out to uncover if her husband is really innocent or if he is indeed the person the evidence is pointing to.

As always with Terri Blackstock’s book, I appreciate the faith that is always depicted in her novels.  As Christian bad things can happen to us too.  How we deal with those circumstances is different for all of us because we all have our own individual walk with the Lord.



Disclosure:  I received a copy of Distortion in exchange for an honest review of this book. 

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

Terri Blackstock has such a wonderful knack of drawing the reading into her books.  Within a few short pages…I found myself totally hooked.    The author makes everything so believable and the suspense is almost unbearable at times.   I wasn’t sure which direction the story was going to go when I first started this novel.   

Cathy Cramer is a writer/blogger who has thrown herself into her blog informing her readers the truth about the crimes the way she believes it them to have happened.  Her passion for exposing the truth of the crimes to the public has caused her to receive threats.  Her brother, Jay becomes a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife.  Cathy and her two sisters are convinced that their brother would never have murdered his ex-wife.  So… they set out to prove that their brother is innocent.    

If you would like to find out all the details about whether he really did kill his ex-wife or if he had a dark side that no one was aware of, you will need to read this novel for yourself. 

Terri Blackstock’s books always make think about my relationship with God.  There were moments in the book that brought me to tears and I loved how the characters all reflected on their relationship with God. 

Disclosure:  I received a copy of Truth Stained Lies  in exchange for an honest review of this book.