Even though Duck Dynasty is no longer on TV, you can still enjoy stories about and by the infamous Duck Commander family. This book is a compilation of stories that showcases the various members of the family and their at times really funny, but always believable, experiences. Whether it deals with people getting lost on a trip or going on an outing and forgetting things; we can all relate to these experiences and they make for perfect bedtime stories. Every story has a lesson about family and what makes us good human beings. Add into that cute images and a word choice that is relatable, age appropriate and contains a lot of funny experiences - you get one entertaining book that also teaches life lessons.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed in this post is my own and has not been influenced by a third party. 

Book Review: Dangerous Prayers: 50 Powerful Prayers That Changed the World by Susan Hill & Francesca Resta

Christianity as a religion of challenging the status quo, seeking a fight and not being afraid of danger. This is the theme of this book and the collection of prayers underscores the tenet that Christianity was never a safe or conformist religion. Taking lessons from MLK, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln and St. Francis will embolden the reader to also seek out challenges and not being afraid to test unknown waters.
Wonderfully created with pictures and background on each person as well as representative prayer, this book is perfect to grab and read on person and prayer at a time, think about the content and then taking time to let it sink in, before tackling another chapter.
 While clearly a religious book, the content is more than simply a list of prayers and background on select Christians, it is a book that underscores that Christianity involves thinking for yourself and challenging others and norms without fear.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: Still in the Game: Finding the Faith to Tackle Life’s Biggest Challenges by Devon Still

 Even if you are not a football fan you may have heard the inspirational story of Devon Still and his dedication to support his daughter Leah in her fight to beat cancer. Leah was diagnoses with late stage neuroblastoma and Devon put his career on hold to be by his daughter's side throughout her battle with cancer, sleeping in the hospital room with and inspiring others to donate to the cause of berating childhood cancer. 

Leah is now cancer free and Devon wrote this book about the past few years, their fight together against what seemed like impossible odds and how through it all, he never regretted giving up football nor lost faith that his daughter could be cured.

I really like this book, being a cancer survivor myself (20 years and counting) and it shows that the belief has also a role in beating cancer, next to the talent of the physician and the advances in modern medicine. While faith will not heal cancer by itself, it can contribute to a healing process by keeping the patient more relaxed and in a better mindset. This is exactly what this book is about. 

I recommend this book to anyone who is suffering from cancer or has a family member battling the disease. There is hope in the darkest corners.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: I Love You, Funny Bunny by Zondervan & Sean Julian (Illustrator)

This is a cute book, perfect to read at bedtime to a toddler or to bring along to a restaurant, when the little one has to sit still and you just need something to keep them entertained. The drawings are fun and cute and give plenty of things to talk about, which is why I like to take books along to restaurants. The subject is love and relationships in general and show that a mother loves her child for all kinds of reasons and loves all aspects of the child.
The book is written in rhymes that are perfect to train the memory of the child when reading the book over and over again. I like to switch up images and rhymes to see if the little one remembers which rhyme goes with which image. The drawings are realistic and the book is of sturdy material, sure to last a long time.
I recommend this book to parents of toddlers that need a bedtime story book, but also to parents who like me take a book along to a restaurant to entertain the toddler with reading, but also discovering new details in the images that are in the book. Overall, this is a book in the traditional style of children's books, which is quite rare these days, but I love it.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I received a free copy of the book. The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: Love Does for Kids by Bob Goff & Lindsey Goff Viducich

Bob Goff has written this book as a follow up to the prior book Love Does and geared this edition towards kids. In brief stories, with child-appropriate images, he explains concepts such as friends are people we trust, how to overcome our fears and that we can  get to know people without having to invest significant time by breaking the ice three minutes at a time.
The stories are focused on Christian principles and often refer back to what Jesus had done, drawing parallels between the Bible and our everyday life. For kids, this book is a guidance on how to grow and how they as kids can improve their lives and the lives of the people around them.
It does not take much time to get to know someone, such as a person you see regularly at the bus stop or at the grocery check out. But investing that time, rather than blankly staring at the other person, can be very fulfilling and pave the way to a friendship that can span generations.
While this book is strongly focused on Christianity and lessons from the Bible, it is not religious in a sense that it focuses on interpreting the Bible and the religion a certain way, but rather uses them as a starting to help kids grow as people.
I recommend this book to parents; the stories are the perfect length for bedtime stories or to have your elementary school child read on a regular basis. Find the time to discuss the stories with your kids and see how they feel they can incorporate the principles touches upon in their lives. It will build their self-esteem by showing them that even as kids they can make a difference.  

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.