This is my monthly roundup of books that were added to my shelves in the last month. I also share an update with you on other things going on in my life.

Now on to the books! I have some really great books to share with you this month including children’s and adult titles. I hope that you are giving books as gifts this holiday season and finding some time to read a few yourself!

I’m still subbing in Junior English and will be continuing, unexpectedly, until Christmas break. So, my personal reading time will be very limited due to grading, lesson planning, and all of the kids’ activities during the month of December. I’m hoping I can sneak in a few books on audio at the very least. If you have missed any of my recent book reviews, you can see all of them by clicking, HERE.  Or you can stay up to date with my monthly Quick Lit Roundup.

If you choose to make a purchase through any of the links I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighborly Words of Wisdom from Mister Rogers (Movie Tie-in)

By: Fred Rogers

Published: November 5, 2019

Publisher: Penguin Books

Non-Fiction

Format: Paperback

I purchased this at our school’s Scholastic Book Fair. I grew up watching and loving Mr. Rogers and couldn’t resist this book. I am also anxious to go to the movie, hopefully over Christmas break.

Tom Junod’s Esquire profile of Fred Rogers, “Can You Say… Hero?,” has been hailed as a classic of magazine writing. Now, his moving story of meeting and observing the beloved host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is the inspiration for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, directed by Marielle Heller and written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster.

Here, Junod’s unforgettable piece appears for the first time in book form alongside an inspiring collection of advice and encouragement from Mister Rogers himself. Covering topics like relationships, childhood, communication, parenthood, and more, Rogers’s signature sayings and wise thoughts are included here. Pairing the definitive portrait of a national icon with his own instructions for living your best, kindest life, this book is a timeless treasure for Mister Rogers fans.

WHEN LESS BECOMES MORE

Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good

By: Emily Ley

Published: November 12, 2019

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Non-Fiction

Format: Hardcover

Since I am a huge fan of Emily Ley, getting her newest book was a no-brainer for me. Plus, I really am feeling the need for less in my life. Less stuff, fewer commitments, less responsibility, less worry…I could go on. I can’t wait to dive into Ley’s new book. As a side note, her Simplified Planner is my favorite planner to keep my life somewhat organized. Check out her book GRACE, NOT PERFECTION.

Statistics don’t lie. People today are more fatigued, burned out, and overwhelmed than ever. Smartphones constantly ping and alert and demand our attention. And social media can eat up hours of our days with mindless scrolling and tapping while leaving many feeling empty and lonely. Add to that family commitments, work that is accessible around the clock, and overscheduling, and you have a life that can feel unmanageable and frantic . . . even running on empty.

Emily Ley, author of bestselling Grace, Not Perfection and A Simplified Life, is here to tell you that there’s more—so much more. In this book, Emily Ley takes readers on a journey out of that empty place and shows them how to fill their wells with the nourishment that only true connection can provide. She also presents some radical concepts that push against the tethers of modern life, with the promise that more of the good stuff comes when we say yes to less of what keeps us empty:

Less Rush, More Rhythm
Less Liking, More Loving
Less Noise, More Calm
Less Distraction, More Connection
Less Frenzy, More Soul Rest
Less Fake, More Real
Less Fear, More Community
Less Great, More Good
Less Chasing, More Cherishing
Less Stuff, More Treasures

Getting to more might require some outside-the-box changes, some unraveling of the patterns readers have adopted, some reworking of the day-to-day so that they can build a life based on their core values instead of slipping into a life dictated by society or what’s “normal.” Because we weren’t made for normal. We were made for more—for a life of fullness, dreaming, and lasting joy.

THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS DINNERTIME

Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-Minutes Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper

By: Ree Drummond

Published: October 20, 2015

Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks

Non-fiction

Format: Hardcover

We had our first family Christmas in November and I luckily ended up with this cookbook as my gift from the gift exchange. I was super excited as it’s been on my list to purchase. I’ve been watching for her cookbooks at second-hand bookshops and now I have a brand new one!

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I adore breakfast. I love lunch! But dinnertime definitely tops them all. It’s the time of day when we reunite with our sweeties, our kids, our friends, our parents . . . and catch up on the events of the day over something mouthwatering and delicious. Dinnertime anchors us, nourishes us, and reassures us. It’s the greatest meal of the day!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime is a beloved collection of all the scrumptious supper recipes that make their way through my kitchen in regular rotation, from main dish salads to satisfying soups to hearty casseroles to comfort food classics . . . and everything in between. I lay out all the different ways I tackle dinner in my house, from super-quick 16-Minute Meals to make-ahead Freezer Food to irresistible pastas and a bundle of brand-new favorites of my crew.

You’ll want to immediately dive into surefire hits like Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Baked Ziti, and Shrimp Scampi. But just wait till you try the Cashew Chicken, French Dip Sandwiches, Chicken Marsala, and Beef Stroganoff. And don’t even get me started on the Tomato Tart, Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce, and Pan-Fried Pork Chops. You’ll have a very tough time deciding on a favorite!

To take away the guesswork, I made sure to include all the step-by-step recipe photos I love to share, and I packed as much deliciousness into each chapter as possible. My hope is that you will turn to this book regularly to solve your dinnertime dilemmas, and that you will use these recipes to feed your family time and time again. The more stains, smudges, and smears on the pages, the better!

THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS THE NEW FRONTIER

112 Fantastic Favorites for Everyday Living

By: Ree Drummond

Published: October 22, 2019

Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks

Non-Fiction

Format: Hardcover

So, even though I had just received the Dinnertime cookbook, I decided to purchase her newest one from our Scholastic Book Fair. I love supporting this book sale because it helps the school purchase more books for their library. So, now I have two of her cookbooks to read over the holidays and mark all the recipes I want to try!

Welcome to Ree’s new frontier! So much has happened on Drummond Ranch over the last couple of years: The kids are growing up, another left for college, Ree’s schedule is crazier than ever…and through it all, her cooking has evolved. While she and her family still love all the hearty comfort foods they’re accustomed to, Ree’s been cooking up some incredible new dishes that reflect the flavors, colors, and texture she’s craving these days.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier features 112 brand new step-by-step recipes that bring fresh, exciting elements into your everyday meals. From super-scrumptious breakfasts, to satisfying soups and sandwiches, to deliciously doable suppers and sides—and, of course, a collection of irresistible sweets you’ll want to make immediately!—these pages will deliver a big list of fabulous new dishes for you to add to your repertoire.

A wife of a cowboy, mother of growing kids, and a businesswoman with a packed work schedule, Ree knows exactly what it means to juggle life’s numerous demands simultaneously. The recipes in this book use everything from a skillet to a Dutch oven to an Instant Pot, so you’ll have a mix of options to suit your own timeframe. And to reflect her own occasional adventures in carb cutting, Ree shares dozens of luscious lower-carb options for those days you want to eat a little lighter without sacrificing flavor. In The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier you can explore an amazing and eclectic mix of traditional and new, including:

• Portobello Bun Burgers (revolutionary)
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal (tastes just like fall!)
• Lasagna Soup (so family friendly)
• Fried Tomato Sandwich (with pesto mayo and whole basil leaves)
• Parmesan Crisps (an irresistible low-carb snack)
• Zucchini Caprese Sliders (a pretty and tasty low-carb delight)
• Blueberry Ricotta Crostini (gorgeous party food!)
• Teriyaki Shrimp and Pineapple Parcels (the new way to stir fry)
• Mean Green Mac and Cheese (mac & cheese + veggies = score!)
• Ranch Pork Chop Supper (kids will love to make it)
• Cauliflower Fried Rice (a guilt-free version of your favorite takeout dish)
• Ice Cream Bonbons (smaller bites, to satisfy quick cravings)
• 11-Carton Cake (uses a carton of yogurt, then the carton measures everything else!)
• Caramel Apple Quesadillas (beyond belief)

Filled with endless variations, ingredient discussions, and equipment suggestions sprinkled among sensational recipes that offer a mix of refined and down-home, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier offers a whole new world of “scrumptious” for you to explore!

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PIPPA PARK RAISES HER GAME

By: Erin Yun

Published: February 4, 2020

Publisher: Fabled Films Press

Fiction

Format: Paperback

I couldn’t resist agreeing to read this one about a spunky Korean American teenager. This one comes out in February.

A Contemporary Reimagining of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for Middle Graders

Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself by following the “Rules of Cool.”

At Lakeview, Pippa juggles old and new friends, an unrequited crush, and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and her family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened.

As things begin to spiral out of control, Pippa discovers the real reason she was admitted to Lakeview and wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.

LET IT SNOW

By: John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

Published: November 1, 2016

Publisher: Speak

Fiction

Format: Paperback

I heard about this book from Kathy at Bermudaonion.net and then I saw it at our Scholastic Book Fair. My cover is a bit different because I have the Netflix Original Movie Tie-In version. I thought this was a book both my daughter and I could read and enjoy. I love interconnected stories plus the stories are set during the holidays. Perfect for reading in the upcoming weeks!

Three interconnected stories from three bestselling authors: John Green (Paper Towns, The Fault in our Stars), Maureen Johnson (The Name of the Star), and Lauren Myracle (The Internet Girls series.)

A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

SHOUT

By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Published: March 12, 2019

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Poetry

Format: Hardcover

My daughter recently heard about the book SPEAK and asked to read it. I even had it on our bookshelf. Then she asked me to purchase this follow-up at the Scholastic Book Fair. She loves poetry so I’m sure she will love this one.

Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and advocates for, survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published twenty years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she’s never written about before. Searing and soul-searching, this important memoir is a denouncement of our society’s failures and a love letter to all the people with the courage to say #metoo and #timesup, whether aloud, online, or only in their own hearts. Shout speaks truth to power in a loud, clear voice– and once you hear it, it is impossible to ignore.

THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL

By: Abbi Waxman

Published: July 9, 2019

Publisher: Berkley

Fiction

Format: Paperback

I purchased this one because I loved Waxman’s THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS. It was part of a BOGO 1/2 off, but I’m not sharing the other book I purchase because it was a gift for someone who might read this!

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

THE GIVER OF STARS

By: Jojo Moyes

Published: October 8, 2019

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Fiction

Format: Hardcover

I don’t always choose from The Book of the Month, but this month I couldn’t resist this newest one from Moyes. It sounds like something I would love, especially because it is based on a true story.

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic–a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

THE SATURDAY EVENING GIRLS CLUB

By: Jane Healy

Published: April 25, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Fiction/Historical Fiction

Format: eBook

I chose this as a free eBook through my IHG Rewards.

For four young immigrant women living in Boston’s North End in the early 1900s, escaping tradition doesn’t come easy. But at least they have one another and the Saturday Evening Girls Club, a social pottery-making group offering respite from their hectic home lives—and hope for a better future.

Ambitious Caprice dreams of opening her own hat shop, which clashes with the expectations of her Sicilian-born parents. Brilliant Ada secretly takes college classes despite the disapproval of her Russian Jewish father. Stunning Maria could marry anyone yet guards her heart to avoid the fate of her Italian Catholic mother, broken down by an alcoholic husband. And shy Thea is torn between asserting herself and embracing an antiquated Jewish tradition.

The friends face family clashes and romantic entanglements, career struggles and cultural prejudice. But through their unfailing bond, forged through their weekly gathering, they’ll draw strength—and the courage to transform their immigrant stories into the American lives of their dreams. 

THE WONDERING YEARS

How Pop Culture Helped Me Answer Life’s Biggest Questions

By: Knox McCoy

Published: November 13, 20108

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Non-Fiction

Format: eBook

I love Knox from the podcast, The Popcast. I’ve had his book on my list and it went on Kindle Deal, plus I used my credits from not using two-day shipping, so I got it for free!

When you hear the phrase pop culture, you likely think reality television, boy bands or Real Housewives of various cities. While these are elements of popular culture, they aren’t all it has to offer. Pop culture may not cure diseases, topple political regimes, or make scientific breakthroughs, but it does play a vital role in the story of humanity.

In fact, it’s pretty hard to define the human experience without it. And it’s impossible to create pop culture without the human experience. Popular podcaster Knox McCoy understands this, and so do the tens of thousands of listeners who tune in to hear him talk about pop culture every week on his wildly popular podcast, The Popcast with Knox and Jamie.

In The Wondering Years, Knox explores this idea of connecting popular culture to his own experiences. Through hilarious yet poignant stories, he reflects on how pop culture has helped shape his life and carve out the foundation of his faith. While the three cultural tentpoles—the South, the Church, and Sports—defined many aspects of his East Tennessee upbringing, it was pop culture that most definitively influenced Knox and his sense of the world at large. 

Through books, television, music, and movies, Knox found many of the answers he was searching for about God and the universe and why we are all here. The Wondering Years is a hilarious look back at the key influences that shaped Knox’s formative years and his faith, a reminder of our own encounters with pop culture that have shaped each of our formative years and continue to influence us today.

DON’T THINK A SINGLE THOUGHT

By: Diana Cambridge

Published: August 26, 2019

Publisher: Louise Walters Books

Fiction

Format: eBook

This is an era I don’t read very often. I can’t remember exactly where I heard about this book, but I remember thinking, I need to read it. It was on a Kindle deal and so again, I used my eBook credits from not using two-day shipping and got this one for free.

1960s New York, and Emma Bowden seems to have it all – a glamorous Manhattan apartment, a loving husband, and a successful writing career. But while Emma and her husband Jonathan are on vacation at the Hamptons, a child drowns in the sea, and suspicion falls on Emma. As her picture-perfect life spirals out of control, and old wounds resurface, a persistent and monotonous voice in Emma’s head threatens to destroy all that she has worked for…

Taut, elegant and mesmerising, Don’t Think a Single Thought lays bare a marriage, and a woman, and examines the decisions – and mistakes – which shape all of our lives. 

A BOOKSHOP IN BERLIN

The Rediscovered Memoir of One Woman’s Harrowing Escape from the Nazis

By: Francoise Frenkel

Published: December 3, 2019

Publisher: Atria Books

Non-Fiction

Format: eBook

This one came in my inbox and I couldn’t resist. It is exactly the kind of book I like.

In 1921, Françoise Frenkel—a Jewish woman from Poland—fulfills a dream. She opens La Maison du Livre, Berlin’s first French bookshop, attracting artists and diplomats, celebrities and poets. The shop becomes a haven for intellectual exchange as Nazi ideology begins to poison the culturally rich city. In 1935, the scene continues to darken. First come the new bureaucratic hurdles, followed by frequent police visits and book confiscations.

Françoise’s dream finally shatters on Kristallnacht in November 1938, as hundreds of Jewish shops and businesses are destroyed. La Maison du Livre is miraculously spared, but fear of persecution eventually forces Françoise on a desperate, lonely flight to Paris. When the city is bombed, she seeks refuge across southern France, witnessing countless horrors: children torn from their parents, mothers throwing themselves under buses. Secreted away from one safe house to the next, Françoise survives at the heroic hands of strangers risking their lives to protect her.

Published quietly in 1945, then rediscovered nearly sixty years later in an attic, A Bookshop in Berlin is a remarkable story of survival and resilience, of human cruelty and human spirit. In the tradition of Suite Française and The Nazi Officer’s Wife, this book is the tale of a fearless woman whose lust for life and literature refuses to leave her, even in her darkest hours.

BRAIN CANDY

Seriously Sweet Facts to Satisfy Your Curiosity

By: Julie Beer and Chelsea Lin

Published: October 8, 2019

Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books

Non-Fiction

Format: Paperback

I love these fact-based books for kids. I always learn something when I read them.

Let’s start with a million. A million days ago, the first Olympics took place in ancient Greece. If you live a million hours, you’ll be 114 years old. And how many ants equal the weight of one average human? That’s right, a million. Open the candy cover and take a deep and delicious dive into numbers, fun facts, and cool trivia on all kinds of topics. It’s a novel approach to feeding kids tantalizing tidbits about the world, and is sure to be an addictive addition to the bookshelves of Weird But True! and Just Joking fans.

SNAIL & WORM ALL DAY

Three Stories about Two Friends

By: Tina Kugler

Published: September 24, 2019

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Fiction

Format: Hardcover

This is the third in the Snail and Worm series and this is the first time I’ve heard of it. It’s a Junior Library Guild Selection and that tells me it is a great choice for kids.

Snail and Worm go on three silly adventures in this early reader chock full of heartfelt humor and irresistible illustrations. By Geisel Honor winner Tina Kügler.

Snail and Worm are back at it and sure to have readers giggling from dawn ’til dusk (wait—do snails and worms sleep?) in Snail and Worm All Day, complete with heartfelt humor and Tina Kügler’s irresistible illustrations.

Brimming with laugh-out-loud jokes, these three new stories are sweet celebrations of cooperation and discovery.

HORSES!

Over 50 Word Searches, Dot-to-Dots, Mazes, and More

A Coloring and Activity Book for Kids

By: Valerie Deneen

Published: December 17, 2019

Publisher: Rockridge Press

Activity Book

Format: Paperback

I couldn’t resist checking out this activity book. I loved these types of books as a kid and frankly, I still do. The Horse theme makes this a perfect gift for fans of all things horses. I know my niece would love this activity book.

Giddy up! And get started on these awesome horse activities

Saddle up for an activity book of over 60 pages full of coloring and games about horses for kids ages 4–8. Children can use their imaginations to bring horse pictures to life with their favorite colors. Gallop through mazes, connect-the-dots, and more―there are interesting facts about horses for kids at every turn. Fun is waiting, so come along for a ride!

MY PRESCHOOL WORKBOOK

101 Games & Activities that Prepare Your Child for School

By: Brittany Lynch

Published: November 26, 2019

Publisher: Rockridge Press

Non-Fiction/Activity Book

Format: Paperback

These were the kinds of books I purchased when our kids were little.

101 ways to teach your child to love learning

Kickstart your little one’s education! Bursting with exciting challenges, this book combines the best features of preschool workbooks and makes it tons of fun for your young scholar to develop the skills and abilities necessary to begin their scholastic journey. From connecting dots and matching pictures to following paths and tracing shapes, it’s like getting several preschool workbooks worth of activities in one!

FRANKIE’S SCARED OF EVERYTHING

By: Mathew Franklin

Illustrated by: Mathew Franklin

Published: October 18, 2019

Publisher: Building Block Press

Fiction

Format: Hardcover

I love sharing books for kids that encourage imagination.

You would be scared too if your own brain was out to get you! The world can be a dark place. More and more we find ourselves and our children feeling overwhelmed by the unknown and the pressures of society. This book helps instill early on the fact that our fears can be our greatest strengths. Follow Frankie as their imagination runs wild creating robots, beasts, sea creatures, and even a mole man on this technicolor adventure. Being afraid has never looked so fun.

THE BIG BOOK OF BLING

Ritzy Rocks, Extravagant Animals, Sparkling Science, and More!

By: Rose Davidson

Published: September 3, 2019

Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books

Non-Fiction

Format: Hardcover

I can’t resist these types of National Geographic books. Who knew that you could have a whole book all about bling?!

Feast your eyes on the most briliant bling from around the world in this opulent opus, celebrating iridescent animals, things that glitter and glow, a wealth of shiny wonders, and more lavish luxuries from our planet.

Did you know that with its 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies the British imperial state crown weighs more than a guinea pig? Or if you have $3.5 million to spare you can buy a solid gold toilet? Or that there’s a cave in Mexico containing giant crystals that are as long as a school bus?

From upscale splurges to flashy fun in nature, this treasure trove is filled with wonders that will dazzle and delight. Read about how nature struts its stuff with tantalizing tidbits about animals, including a few that literally glitter with iridesence to confuse predators. Or maybe you’ll strike it rich after reading about Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, U.S.A., where anyone can go hunt for sparkling gems. Dig into info about the world’s mysterious minerals, gorgeous geodes, and ritzy rocks. Discover extravagant expenditures like Canada’s million-dollar solid gold coin. Learn all about the splendid science of diamonds that rain from the sky in space. Get the secret behind glowing bioluminescence. And go back in time to uncover palatial palaces, the riches of royalty, and other ancient treasures.

To show off the lush content in proper fashion, readers will be dazzled by hundreds of fun flashy photos throughout.

THE TREASURY OF BIBLE STORIES

By: Donna Jo Napoli

Illustrated by: Christina Balit

Published: October 22, 2019

Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books

Non-Fiction/Christian

Format: Hardcover

This is the kind of book you give a grandchild at Christmas or after a Baptism. This book is the type that you keep and pass on for generations. I loved introducing the Bible to our kids through stories like this written especially for children. A quick look also has me amazed at the illustrations. Just look at the cover! Napoli also wrote TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

The timeless tales from the early books of the Bible (the Old Testament and Hebrew Bible) have captivated generations. In this lush storybook, the fresh voice of lyrical storyteller Donna Jo Napoli and the lavish artwork of Christina Balit bring classic stories to life for a young, modern audience.

Noah’s Ark, Moses, David and Goliath, the ten plagues, Daniel and the lions’ den, Jonah and the giant fish, and many more of the Bible’s most powerful stories–27 in all–are compellingly retold in this beautifully illustrated treasury. Readers will be fascinated by the ancient people and events they encounter, surprised by some of the lesser known accounts revealed, and inspired by the lessons these tales impart. Stories cover important ground beyond religion, such as culture, history, and geography, and they touch on issues that remain relevant today–faith, loyalty, kindness, violence, generosity, greed, jealousy, and more. These accessible, readible stories give kids a rich picture of biblical times, which encourages them to think about our role in the world and to learn more.

Napoli’s magicial storytelling is sure to ignite children’s imaginations. Along with Balit’s stunning art, this is a book kids will want to explore again and again–a classic that families can read aloud together.

Which one of these books will you be adding to your list?

To see all the posts featuring new books on my shelves, click HERE.

So many books, so little time!