Running for my life was a wonderful story about a child stolen from his family in Sudan at the age of six only to find him running in the 2008 Olympic Games by God’s providence.  Lopez’s faith in God shines through every page of the book.  He sees God’s hand on his everyday life, something that most Christians take for granted.  It was captivating, waiting to see where God was going to take this young man next.

Lopez Lomong, the young man the story centers on, wrote Running for my life with the help of Mark Tabb.  Between the two, they did an amazing job.  I found myself rooting for Lopez to succeed in every aspect of his life.  I even had to go check to see how he did in the 2012 Olympics.

The book is full of situations that may not be suitable for younger children, like when the solders yanked little Lopez out of his mothers arms in the first chapter or when Lopez tells of the poor treatment of his sister in the epilogue.  I would suggest, if you want a mature child to read it, that a parent reads the book with the child.  And you might need a box of tissues (I know I did!)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I was so excited to review a book about teaching children to use money wisely.  I expected it to be a step by step instruction book.  Three Cups was definitely not!

I was so pleased to receive a complimentary copy of Night Night Blessings by Amy Parker from BookSneeze.  Our family loves to have books around the house to remind our children of God’s love and/or His blessings, and this book fits perfectly.  Night Night Blessings is a padded board book that reminds little ones to see God’s blessings in everything around them.  From thanking God for a new day to Mommy’s kisses and Daddy’s prayers, children ages 2-5 are pulled into this book with it’s cute little rhymes, colorful pages and artful way the words flow over the pages.

Best selling author, Amy Parker did an adorable job showing multiple ways God blesses us everyday.  She takes the reader through a day of blessings – starting at waking up to the sun shining through the window and going all the way to bed that night – making a great bedtime story.

The illustrator, Marijan Ramljak, did a beautiful job, with almost a child-like way about it.  The colorful artwork looks to be oil paintings that capture your attention while still stimulating your imagination.  The publisher calls it snuggly art, and it truly is.  We snuggled on the couch and read this book 3 times as soon as we received it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I was elated when I was offered the chance to review the ebook Hermie, a Common Caterpillar by best-selling author Max Lucado.  My children love to watch the Hermie DVDs, but this is the first of the books we have been able to read.   I decided to read it aloud, but as a level two reader, it is a great book for a Reader in Training, roughly ages 5-8.

The story helps to remind children that they are special,  that God has a plan for their life and that they can always talk to Him.  It lays out these truths in a colorful, fun story of two caterpillar buddies who are sad because they see themselves as ordinary and everyone else as extraordinary.  The author did a fantastic job of reiterating how even though Hermie and Wormie may seem ordinary to the onlooker, God sees them as special.

The illustrator, Daniel Howarth, did a stupendous job – focused art that looks like what I can only describe as beautifully done watercolors.   My only very minor complaint was that some of the artwork was not on the same page that it was designed for – sometimes being a page after.

Overall, this piece of literature was a nice little read and sent my children into a flurry of coloring pictures of butterflies and discussions of what God might have planned for them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.