'Book Three: The Cavern of Promise' Completes Clark Burbidge's Giants in the Land Trilogy

Thank you to PR by the Book for providing a copy of the Giants of the Land Trilogy for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are our own.

Giants in the Land is a book series by award-winning author, Clark Burbidge, about a young man named Thomas, who goes on exciting adventures as he grows older. In Book One: The Way of Things, he has to find the giants who have gone missing. In Book Two: The Prodigals, he has to find and neutralize a common threat to the giants and humans. In the recently released Book Three: The Cavern of Promise, there is a tyrannical giant king that captures Thomas and wants to kill the true king, Sonspeaker.

I liked the trilogy, mostly because I love adventure/action books. Also, I like how the book is based in medieval times. I like learning about what life was like back then. One of my favorite parts is when Thomas battles a giant warrior in the evil king’s arena and wins against all odds.

There were some parts of this trilogy that could have been better, such as the cliffhanger at the end of the first book. I think that it was a little discouraging, and I wasn't looking forward to reading the second book as much as I was originally. Also, I think the giant king of Westwood was a little overly dramatic with the explanation of the Madog.

This trilogy is definitely worth reading.  I would recommend it for kids 10 years old and above. There is some bloodshed, so be cautioned.

Award-winning author, Clark Burbidge

To learn more about the Giants in the Land Trilogy, where to purchase the books, and Clark Burbidge, visit www.giantsinthelandbook.com.

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Turn Your Favorite Book Series Into a Unique Set of Miniature Dollhouse Books {Easy Craft}

 About a month ago, my 8 year old daughter decided she wanted to begin collecting dollhouse miniatures.  Our local craft store has a small section devoted to them and they've caught her eye on more than one occasion.  She has begun a variety of different collections in the past . . . buttons, rocks, fortunes, and Pokémon cards, to name a few.  Unlike the others, this is a collection I can wrap my mind around.  Dollhouse miniatures are works of art when done well and they don't take up very much space.  They're also available for a wide range of prices and could certainly fit an 8 year old's budget.

I admit that I find it fun to look for unique dollhouse miniatures in stores and online.  Although I swore I would not fund my daughter's collection for her, I did purchase one or two that struck me as being special.  Then I got the idea for surprising her with miniatures that are truly unique, ones that I make just for her.  That's how I came about making this super-easy dollhouse miniatures book series craft.  My daughter is an avid reader.  Among her favorites are the historical fiction American Girl book series.  I've found many of the 6-story volumes used in fantastic condition on Amazon.  I suppose you could say she collects those too.  That's why I decided it would be extra special for her to own a miniature set of American Girl books.

EASY CRAFT:  DIY Set of Dollhouse Miniature Books

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

miniature dollhouse books (plain)

printer
printer paper

white glue

scissors

Step 1.  Measure the size of the front cover of your miniature books.

Step 2.  Find the images of the front covers of the books from your or your child's favorite book series.  Save them to your computer.  If you're able to find images of the back covers, save those to your computer as well.

Step 3.  Using any graphics program, reduce the size of each cover to fit the size of your book covers.  It's best to do this in high resolution (300dpi) so that the images can be as crisp as possible when you print them out.

TIP #1:  If your book cover is slightly larger than your books, you can always trim them at the edges.  For best results, try to avoid making your cover images smaller than the actual books.

Step 4.  Print out all your front and back covers.  Then carefully cut out each one with scissors.

TIP #2:  To save paper, paste all your covers onto one 8.5" x 11" image prior to printing.

Step 5.  Position the first back cover image over the back of the book with the binding to the right-hand side.  Trim the image if necessary.  Then apply a very thin layer of white glue to the back cover of the book and apply the back cover image.  Be sure to smooth out the cover and press down to secure.  Repeat this with the back cover images for the rest of the books in the series.

TIP #3:  It is important to use a very thin layer of white glue.  This allows the glue to dry within minutes.  It also helps to avoid any spreading or dripping of the glue, which could be messy and unsightly.

Step 6.  Position the first front cover image over the front of the book with the binding to the left-hand side.  Be sure the front cover image matches the back cover image.  Trim the image if necessary.  Then apply a very thin layer of white glue to the front cover of the book and apply the front cover image.  Repeat this with the remaining front cover images for each book in the series.

When I presented this set of miniature books to my daughter, she was delighted.  These books were made just for her and she knew she would never be able to find them in a store.  I think they would look precious displayed in a miniature dollhouse bookcase.

If you'd like to try this easy craft, Pin It for later . . . 

What book series would you use in this dollhouse miniatures craft?

Meet the Dooples is a Children's Book That Encourages Creativity in Writing, Thinking, Drawing, and More

Thank you to Dr. Lynn Hunter for providing a complimentary review copy of this book for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Meet the Dooples is a new book, the first in a series, introducing readers to the characters The Dooples. Each of these characters is a writing tool, such as a pen or crayon, who comes to life at night thanks to the kooky professor Mr. Dooba Dee Doo. The other characters are cute and colorful and kids are sure to have a favorite. With characters like Sketchy the pencil, Marky the marker, and Dusty the chalk, how could they not? The book’s objective is to motivate real life children to write, think, read, draw, and be creative. This book is very comic book-esque with bright, colorful pictures and text boxes that tell the story (in rhyme, no less).

This engaging, interesting book is sure to motivate young readers to write and find the fun in it. You can learn more about The Dooples at www.thedooples.com, where Meet the Dooples retails for $13.95.

"Ricky's Dream Trip" . . . the Perfect Book Series for a Grandfather and a Grandchild to Share on Father's Day

The following is a compensated post for The Motherhood. All opinions expressed are my own.

I spent a great deal of time with my grandfather growing up. I think for many years, I probably spent more time with him than my father. Some (most?) of my fondest memories are of times spent with my grandfather or of stories he used to tell me of his days growing up.

I remember the day he gave me his pocketknife like it was yesterday. It was every bit of a Norman Rockwell moment as any I've ever heard or read about. The hour or so he spent retelling the stories and events of his life that included that beloved pocketknife was one of the most special moments of my life. I’m pretty sure he had it for 70 years before bestowing it to me. The fact that he didn't give it to one of his sons was not lost on me either.  I never had the heart to tell him it ended up at the bottom of Cape Cod Bay just a few days later during some rough seas.

I will always miss my time with my grandfather, the older I get the more I realize how special it was. And this is why I am so excited about the Ricky’s Dream Trip book series by William Stevenson. It's a series of books for kids about Pop Pop and Ricky, a grandfather and his grandson.

The books are very stylized and uniquely drawn. The stories are the dreams of Ricky and his “Pop Pop” traveling through history and other fascinating adventures to places like Ancient Egypt, Colonial America, and even outer space.  What a fun way to celebrate the special relationship kids have with their grandfathers while also teaching them a bit or two about the world around them.

I hope I turn out to be as fun and exciting as Pop Pop or my grandfather Duke was when I become a grandparent!

To learn more about this book series, visit www.rickysdreamtrip.com or Ricky's Dream Trip on YouTube.  Use the Ricky's Dream Trip Facebook app to help you decide which of the 5 books currently available would make the perfect gift for that special grandpa in your life.  You can purchase any of the books in this series in paperback or for the Kindle on Amazon.com.

"Night Buddies: Impostors and One Far-Out Flying Machine" (2nd Book in the Night Buddies Series)

Sands Hetherington is at it again with a brand new book in the Night Buddies series. Night Buddies: Impostors and One Far-Out Flying Machine is the second book in this series and we meet up with John, a young boy who is not quite ready to head off to slumberland. John and his friend Crosley (who also happens to be a red crocodile) must go and fight off some impostors: lots and lots of red crocodiles. Stakeouts, flying, chases and more make this book an epic adventure for all.

We hadn’t read the first Night Buddies book, but we followed along with this one quite well. It is well-written, action-packed, and completely entertaining. Both my kids (ages 11 & 6) loved it and I did as well. We will be on the lookout for more Night Buddies adventures in the future.

Night Buddies: Impostors and One Far-Out Flying Machine can be purchased at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble for about $8.99. Learn more about this series and the author at www.nightbuddiesadventures.com.


Thank you to Sands Hetherington for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Holiday Gift Idea: "Fuzzwippers Find Good Listeners" by Marilynn Halas

The Fuzzwippers are back again in their new book, Fuzzwippers Find Good Listeners. If you haven't already, read my review of the first book in the series called Hello, We're the Fuzzwippers.  This fun series that teaches kids valuable lessons is written by Marilynn Halas and is adorably illustrated by Jeremy Provost. In this edition of the Fuzzwippers, the furry little friends are back to talk about their translator dictionary which teaches children about how important listening is. This book is short and engaging but really does teach an important lesson about being a great listener.

To learn more about the Fuzzwippers and to get your own Fuzzwipper adventures, visit www.4sunflowersmedia.com.


Thank you to 4 Sunflowers Media for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

8 Silver Penny Stories Classic Illustrated Children's Storybooks

Classic fairy tales are something I enjoyed having read to me (and eventually read to myself) over and over again as a child.  I believe they greatly contribute to a child's ability to use his or her imagination, to think outside the box, to learn some important life lessons, and to believe in the possibility of magic.  I want my children to have the same wonderful memories about reading fairy tales as I did at their age.  The Silver Penny Stories series, all beautifully illustrated hardcover books, allows parents to give these books to their children at only $3.95 per book.  That is what the standard softcover children's book costs.

The 8 books released this month by Sterling Publishing include Jack and the Beanstalk, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Puss in Boots, Rapunzel, The Ugly Duckling, The Three Little Pigs, and Hansel and Gretel.  We can look forward to additional titles coming in April of 2013.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

The first title our children read was Hansel and Gretel.  This story shows how brave, smart, and resourceful children can be.  Like many fairy tales, this story also includes some topics you may or may not want to discuss with your child, such as kidnapping, cruel step-parents, and death.  My children usually only focus on how the underdog prevails with most stories, but they know they are welcome to ask questions about anything in the stories.

I thought all these books were beautifully illustrated and the length of each is perfect for bedtime stories.  The text was easy enough for our 3rd grader to read to his kindergarten-aged brother and sister without any difficulties.  With their sturdy hard covers, if our children care for these books well, they will be able to read them to their own children someday.

To learn more about the Silver Penny Stories and to see what titles you can look forward to next Spring, visit SterlingPublishing.com.  You can purchase this book series from Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and other major book retailers.


Thank you to Sterling Publishing for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional set of books for our contest prize.

A NOTE TO 3G2S READERS: As an effort to give back a little, I will be adding an extra optional entry in some of my giveaways to "Like" the Facebook page of various small businesses that I have identified as needing a little love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

"Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery & A Very Strange Adventure" (1st Book in the Series)

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms is the first book in the Horten's series.  It is the book before Horten's Incredible Illusions.  I had read the second book before and I really liked it.  Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms is about a boy named Stuart who found his Great Uncle Tony's workshop.  He is new in the town of Beeton, the town where his Great Uncle Tony lived.  He moved into a house near his Great Uncle Tony's old house.  The book is about Stuart trying to find his Great Uncle's workshop.

While he is trying to find the workshop, Stuart is being hunted down by Jeannie, the Mayoress, and her magician student Clifford.  While he is being hunted down, Clifford and Jeannie find him at the Beeton Museum and they put the Fiendish Finger Hold on him.  The more he pulled, the more he sticked.  That is my favorite part of the book because I think it's really cool.  Another part of the book that I really like is when Stuart is in the museum before Jeannie and Clifford were spying on him.  He accidentally knocked over a stool that belonged to the milkmaid, cow, and horse sculptures, so they knocked into each other like dominoes.

I think this book would be good for ages 8 to 12.  It also would make a great movie.  I am very much looking forward to the third book in the series.

You can find Lissa Evans' book series at most major retailers of children's books.  Each hardcover book retails for $14.95.


Thank you to Sterling Publishing for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

"Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare" by Sands Hetherington

Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare is Book No. 1 of the series by Sands Hetherington.  The two main characters are John and Crosley.  John is an 8 year old boy who lives with his parents.  Crosley is a red crocodile who's part of the Night Buddies Program.  The Night Buddies Program is a group of crocodile brothers who help people with problems that they can't solve.  They also take boys and girls who can't sleep at night to solve the problem.  When they get back to the boy's or girl's house, the boy or girl has gotten really tired while they were on the adventure and they go right to sleep.

My favorite part of the book is when the iguana bandits got sick from the smell of the pineapple cheesecakes while they were trapped in a room with the entrance blocked with black wire.  While they were in there, they started throwing up like crazy.  I thought this part of the book was really funny because what they were saying was very funny.  Another part that I like a lot is when Crosley gets wet.  He does a really funny dance.

This book would be good for people 8 years old and up.  I'd be okay with being John in that story.  If I were John in this story, the only thing I wouldn't want is to see the iguana bandits throw up.  I'm really looking forward to Book No. 2.  I wonder what it will be about . . .

You can learn more about the first Night Buddies book and the series itself, including Book No. 2, by visiting www.nightbuddiesadventures.com.  This book is available at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon.com, where it is currently part of the Free Super Saver Shipping and the 4-for-3 promotions.


Thank you to To Press And Beyond for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

TKD Kid Review: "Beast Friends Forever" Book Series by Nate & Vince Evans

For some students in various parts of the country, there are still two or three weeks left of summer vacation.  If your child loves to read as much as my 7 year old son does, then he or she is probably asking for more books from his or her favorite book series.  My son loves to read books from the Wimpy Kid, Encyclopedia Brown, Jigsaw Jones, and Magic Tree House series.  Now he has added a new book series to his list of favorites . . . Beast Friends Forever.

The first book in this series by Nate Evans and Vince Evans, Beast Friends Forever:  Meet the Beast, was released  last fall and the most recent book Beast Friends Forever:  The Super Swap-O Surprise! was released earlier this month.  My son seemed to really love both books and I am hoping he does not have to wait nearly another year for Book 3 to come out.

Here's what my son thought about Book 1 and Book 2 . . . 

"I loved the books.  They were great!  In Book 1, Zeke and Hannah's father is in the army and he sent them a gift with candy in it.  A little green monster snuck into the box with an amazing power.  The monster ate all the candy in the box.  When they got the gift, all the candy was gone.  When Zeke and Hannah ripped the box apart by fighting over it, they didn't notice that Otto, the little green monster, popped out of the box and landed by the table.  Then he became their pet.


My favorite part in the first book was when the bully jumped in the trash can because he was being chased by hamsters.  My favorite part of Book 2 is when Otto, the little green monster, used his "swap-o" powers to make a tree switch into a fire-breathing T-Rex.  I wonder what Book 3 will be like . . . "


Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing complimentary copies of these books for us to base this review upon.

A portion of this review was written by: