Author & Illustrator: Manjula Naraynan
Publisher: Author House
ISBN: 978-1-4490-3366-8

The Red Red Car is a book that adults can learn from, reminding themselves to take a breath once in a while and to calm down

Author: Dalton James-
Illustrator:  Dalton James
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 978-1-4327-4560-8

It's not often that an 8 year-old will write and illustrate his own story, let alone get it published. Dalton James has accomplished this feat three times!

Author: Ruthann Richter
Photographer: Karen Ande
Publisher: Hope Publishing House
ISBN: 9781932717204

You can't help but be emotionally moved as you read the stories of these beautiful people who have loved and lost so much

Author: Mary Jo Nickum
Publisher: Chalet Publishers, LLC
ISBN:  978-098408365-7

While this book is not the ultimate guide for the family dealing with a new diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, it is a great foundation

Author: Carol Baldwin

Publisher:  Maupin House 

ISBN: 978-1-934338-35-3

Authors: Cathy L. Greenberg, Ph.D. and Barrett S. Avigdor J.D.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN:  978-0-470-48819-5

Author: Jeff Alt
Publisher: Dreams Shared Publications, LLC
ISBN: 978-0-9679482-3-2

A Unique Kind Of Adventure Story

Author: David Michael Slater
Illustrator: Andres Martinez Ricci
Publisher: Magic Wagon
ISBN: 978-1602706590

On the Level is an inspirational story that reminds children that if they believe in themselves, they can accomplish anything. It also tells them to show their faith in their friends to help their friends accomplish their goals, as well

Publisher: Simply Read Books
ISBN: 978-1897476192

The Bored Book by David Michael Slater is a wordless wonder that children of all ages can understand and enjoy 

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN: 978-0-312-35649-1

ISBN:  978-0-7387-1867-5

While the book doesn't read like a novel, it is still an entertaining look into a history that is shared by cultures all over the world

Publisher:  North Word
ISBN:  978-1-55971-640-6

Children of the Earth...Remember is the second book created by artist Schim Schimmel.  It tells the story of Mother Earth coming to be in the Universe, first inhabited by animals who loved her

ISBN:  978-1-55971-225-5

Mother Earth points out how humans have been destructing her gifts as they carelessly cut down trees in forests, thus taking away so many animal homes

ISBN:  978-0-7387-1440-0

Annie Wilder's Spirits Out of Time:  True Family Ghost Stories and Weird Paranormal Experiences takes us through her family's history of paranormal experiences, which almost seem to be genetic for them

ISBN:  978-0-9824260-0-5

Jingles the Elf by Krissy Smith is Elf on the Shelf amplified.  He comes in a special box containing the book and a little elf, but then so much more.

ISBN:  978-1-60832-005-9

The Novice:  Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit & What I Learned by Stephen Schettini is a well-written memoir that almost seems like a version of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, but overseas, and with a more religious theme

ISBN:  978-0-7387-1566-7

Author:  Garth Dahl
Publisher:  Modern World Publishing
ISBN:  978-0-978-2839-2-6


Gassy the Cow by Garth Dahl is a children's book that has great potential to be really funny.  The premise is a cow that has lactose intolerance

ISBN:  978-1593155476

An extremely easy read, designed to allow you to relax for a couple of hours during this hectic holiday season

Author: Lily A. Goldman
Publisher: Azergo
ISBN: 978-2-9811384-0-8

In this day of “Going Green,” parents and educators can use this book as an introduction to composting. For further study, they can rely on the resources listed in the back

Author and Editor:  Cynthia Brian
Publisher:  Morgan James Publishing
ISBN:  978-1-60037-632-0

Radio personality Cynthia Brian recently released a collection of essays geared toward helping to empower teens, Be the Star You Are! . Andrea Coventry, one of Bookpleasures' reviewers who reviewed the book interviews Cynthia Brian.

Author:  Kip Moore
Publisher:  Second Chance Publishing, LLC
ISBN:  978-0-9841673-5-7

Kip Moore, author of Second Chance: The Story of a Father's Faith, a Mother's Strength, and a Child's Will to Live talks to Andrea Coventry, one of bookpleasures' reviewers  about his family's experience with E.coli

Publisher:  CreateSpace
ISBN:  978-1449555979

Author: Samuel Lopez
Publisher: Little Five Star, a division of Five Star Publications
ISBN: 978-158985-160-3

The book can be used to teach children to be compassionate toward animals. It can also be a springboard for discussion about care of kittens

Author: Samuel Lopez
Publisher: Little Five Star, a division of Five Star Publications
ISBN: 978-158985-157-3

Again, Samuel Lopez provides colorful illustrations that will appeal to children. The end of the book is filled with real photographs of the real-life Tri-Ike, playing and having fun. You can’t help but fall in love with her spunk and vitality

Author: Samuel Lopez
Publisher: Little Five Star, a division of Five Star Publications
ISBN: 978-158985-158-0

The story demonstrates the kind of cruelty to animals that exists in this world, and shows how love and compassion can bring about miracles. It’s a great learning tool for children

Author: Samuel Lopez
Publisher: Little Five Star, a division of Five Star Publications
ISBN: 978-158985-159-7

This is another book that is great for teaching children how to be compassionate toward animals

Author:  Kip Moore
Publisher:  Second Chance Publishing, LLC
ISBN:  978-0-9841673-5-7

This is a book that parents should read, especially as problems with E.coli and other forms of contamination are running rampant today

Publisher:  CreateSpace
ISBN:  978-1449555979

This is a book that parents can share with their children and refer to during discussions that emphasize the values of patience and sharing.

Author:  Susanna Zaraysky
Publisher:  Kaleidomundi
ISBN:  978-0-9820189-9-6

Language is Music is not going to guarantee that you memorize grammatical structures and vocabulary quickly for an upcoming test or exam.  It's not a quick shortcut to make you the star of the class.  It's designed for people who are seriously looking for a way to become more proficient in their foreign language studies

Author:  Adam Selzer
Publisher:  Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN:  978-0-7387-1557-5

Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps by Adam Selzer is a book that actually gave me the creeps.  Not only is it full of ghost stories, primarily set in Chicago, but these are recorded by a self-proclaimed nonbeliever

Author and Editor:  Cynthia Brian
Publisher:  Morgan James Publishing
ISBN:  978-1-60037-632-0

Be the Star You Are! For Teens is the latest collection from teen empowerment expert and life success coach, Cynthia Brian.  It is a collection of 74 stories designed to empower and inspire teens

Author:  Peter Ferry
Publisher:  Mariner Books
ISBN:  978-0-15-603392-3

 Travel Writing by Peter Ferry follows the author as narrator throughout a series of intertwined stories that seems to combine fact and fiction.

 

Author:  Schim Schimmel
Publisher:  SchimmelSmith Publishing
ISBN: 10: 0615295096 :  ISBN: 13: 978-0615295091

The Butterfly's Treasure by Schim Schimmel is one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring books I have ever seen. The vibrant colors on the cover alone inspire dreams of far-away places. Each turn of the page reveals another jaw-dropping, inspirational view of some of the world's most majestic creatures and places. As I read this book to my class of 3-6 year-olds, I was moved by their exclamations as they saw each painting

Author:  Marv Gold
Publisher:  Red Hen Press
ISBN:  978-1-59708-51-0

Authors:  Deena Haiber & Aimee MacDonald
Publisher:  Mushroom Hollow Press
ISBN:  978-0-615-24185-2

I think that the stories and concepts are a little too abstract for young readers, but older, elementary-aged children would be able to glean some understanding through conversation about each one

Author:  Tom Edwards
Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-89733-587-4

Editor:  Louisa Lane Fox
Publisher:  Frances Lincoln Limited
ISBN:  978-0-7112-2940-2

Author:  David Michael Slater
Illustrator: Steve Cowden
ISBN:  1-55285-721-2
Publisher:  Whitecap Books

David Michael Slater's play on words in the title Cheese Louise let you know you're in for a comical treat before you even open the cover.  The verbal groaners just keep on coming, and you can't help but smile as you encounter each one.

Author:  Dawn Menge
Illustrator: Bobbi Switzer
ISBN:  978-1-59800-714-5
Publisher:  Outskirts Press

The book won an EVVY award from the Colorado Independent Publishers' Association and a Reader Views Literary Award

Author:  Nellie Gonzalez Cutler, Managing Editor
Publisher: Time for Kids
ISBN: 10: 160320829:    ISBN: 13: 978-1603208291

President Barack Obama is one of the busiest men on Earth.  Time for Kids takes us inside the White House for an intimate look at a typical day for the President of the United States in their book, President Obama:  A Day in the Life of America's Leader

Author: Clarissa Willis, Ph.D.
Publisher: Gryphon House
ISBN: 978-0-87659-093-5

My Child Has Autism: What Parents Need to Know by Clarissa Willis, Ph.D. is an excellent introductory tool for parents with a child newly diagnosed with autism. It explains all of the involved jargon in a clear fashion, allowing parents to better understand everything

Author: Erika Robuck
ISBN:  978-0-9822298-0-4
Publisher:  Elysian Fields Press

Receive Me Falling is an excellent debut novel from Erika Robuck.  It chronicles the plight of Meg, whose parents die in a tragic car accident while on their way home from her engagement party.  As Meg sifts through her parents’ belongings, she discovers that she is heiress to a former sugar plantation, named Eden, which is found on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. 

Author: Ernest Dempsey 
ISBN: 978-1-932-690-92-7 
Publisher: Modern History Press 

Ernest Dempsey opens his short story collections with a moving dedication to his Aunt Farahana, who passed away in November 1992. Her passing had a profound effect on Dempsey, as familiar to him today as it was 17 years ago. His description of her influence on his life literally moved me to tears

Author: Steve McGill 
ISBN: 978-1-4392-2371-0 
Publisher: Book Surge 

The Cave by Steve McGill is a fantastic, quick read, with plenty of suspense and chills to keep you on the edge of your seat turning pages as you follow along in the journey

Author: Tom & Tess Hannah
ISBN: 978-1-4327-1610-3
Publisher: Outskirts Press

Author: E. E. Smith 
ISBN: 978-0-9798599-1-5 
Publisher: Hanover House 

Boardinghouse Stew by E. E. Smith is an interesting snapshot about life in a boardinghouse during World War II. The author tells her own story of working as a maid and cook for a summer in Mrs. Mumson's home on the West Coast in 1943.

Publisher: Gotham Books 

Dr. Vincent Fortanasce has intimate knowledge of the horrors of Alzheimer's disease, as he watched his father plummet down the black hole. Through much research, he has developed a diet and exercise program to help himself, and others like him, to reduce their risk of this debilitating disease.

Publisher: Amacom Books

Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits is an inspiring memoir by a man, who at the age of 26, began a four-year journey to summit all of the highest climbs on the seven continents

Publisher: Chiron Books

Anna's World is an entertaining young adult novel about a fourteen year-old girl named Anna Coburn

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Aurora of the Northern Lights is a beautiful and touching story that is destined to become a Christmas favorite amongst young and old alike.

Author: Dawn Menge
ISBN: 978-1-4327-1169-6
Publisher: Outskirts Press

Publisher: PT Book Publishing

Martine Groenveld's upcoming book, Mommy, Draw Stars on My Tummy is a breath of fresh air in the world of children's books.

Author: Jan Elvin
Publisher: Amacom Books
ISBN: 9780814410493

The Box from Braunau: In Search of My Father’s War is a touching tribute. Not only does it celebrate the life and legacy of author Jan Elvin’s father Bill, it also gives honor to the men who fought in WWII and celebrates the prisoners of the concentration camps they liberated

While I found The Perfect Christmas to be predictable, simply by reading the back cover, I also found it to be a highly enjoyable way to relax on a summer’s evening, as I‘m a sucker for the story of a thirty-something year-old looking for love

Author: Brian Duren
Publisher: Beaver’s Pond Press
ISBN: 978159282875

The inevitable twist toward the end of the book is slightly predictable, yet the change of voice and mood is jarring enough to be entertaining.

Author: Etta K. Brown
Publishers: Langdon Street Publishers
ISBN: 978-1934938171

Learning Disabilities: Understanding the Problem and Managing the Challenges by Etta K. Brown, is a smorgasbord of information for both parents and educators of children with learning disabilities. Divided into three parts, Brown covers environmental influences on learning disabilities, history and laws pertaining to special education, and how to observe and accommodate special needs both in the classroom and at home.