Pookster and the Unloose Tooth & Pookster and the Practically Perfect Pickle by Rhonda Funk

Published by Carmichael Publishing

Pages: 16 each

Ages: 4-8

Publishers Summary for Pookster and the Practically Perfect Pickle: Pookster is very protective of her pickles. So when her brother Bubs brings his toy soldiers to the table during her pickle eating break, she thinks they are there to swipe her green treat and take it to their leader.

Pookster’s choice of sweet or sour words will mean the difference between keeping her pickle…or losing it to Mommy forces.

“Pookster and her brother are a typical brother-sister duo who pick on each other at times, but other times truly enjoy each others company. These two stories are Christian based and carry a central themes of love and patience throughout. Each story is well written and perfectly colorful to provide little readers something to grab onto.

“Considering that my dear sweet Turkeybird just had his first tooth pulled Pookster and the Unloose Tooth was pretty cute, although he was a little concerned about the growing back part. I just explained to him the difference was that he didn’t have a choice with the pulling of his tooth and in the story, Pookster, had a choice and possibly made a poor one. It was the perfect opportunity to set him aside and teach him a little bit about the choices we make; which is one of the things I love about reading and learning from books.

“In the second story Pookster gets a little out of hand and has to learn a lesson about kindness and using the right words. Again, another great way to teach young children the impact our actions have on others and how we can learn to think before hurting someone’s feelings.

“Each of these books were a breathe of fresh air, honestly. I’m not generally drawn to many Christian titles because I find them to be overly ‘preachy’ and don’t always voice my own beliefs. These stories by Rhonda Funk were wonderful! Perfectly balanced and not to pushy about the overarching Christian theme. Don’t get me wrong, they do include scriptures and a ‘lesson’ at the end of each book, but they are both tastefully done. The illustrations are also fun and enjoyable for children to connect with (as seen below). Overall, I would definitely recommend these to a family looking for Christian based books to help their children understand basic principles to apply in their lives.”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 3 and up. Perfect for families with any basic Christian background looking to help teach their children beginning principles.

For the Comments: Do you have a favorite Christian children’s author or book? I love to hear about it!

Giveaway Details below the images and video.

Giveaway: Bring it on! Communications Publicity has graciously offered one copy of each of these great books (two total), including an audio version of each book, to be given away to one reader of There’s A Book!

Details: One winner will be chosen at random after the contest closes. You MUST fill out the form below, comments will not count as entries. Only one entry per household. Must be a follower of There’s A Book. Must be a US/Canadian resident. The giveaway will run from June 14, 2010 until June 30, 2010 midnight EST.

This book and interior art was provided by Bring it on Communications Publicity for Review and Giveaway. Thank you!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Living It Up to Live It Down by Ronica Stromberg

Published by Royal Fireworks Press

Pages: 142

Ages: Young Adult

Publishers Summary: As a new believer, Kirsten Hart is looking for a Christian friend she can lean on and learn from.  What better friend than ninth-grader Sarah Miles, the pretty and popular daughter of a preacher?  But Kirsten’s heard the old saying, “The preacher’s kids are always the worst,” and this school year, Sarah is living up to it.  Why won’t she straighten up?

Why I Abandoned the Book: Unfortunately, it just didn’t grab me and the writing was in need of a little improvement. To my credit I did read more than half of the book, but I wasn’t able to connect with the writing or characters (even at that point in the book). I will say to begin with that I am a Christian and those beliefs are part of what make me what I am. I enjoy an occasional Christian fiction book, but I, like so many others, don’t like feeling like I’m being preached to. Sadly, this is how I felt through my reading.

These are my feelings at more than half of the way through the book. This is not to say that someone else wouldn’t feel completely different. Because there are a couple of reviews I found of people who really connected with this book and it’s predecessor. Part of me also wonders if maybe I would have felt differently had I read the first book in the series, maybe, but I’m not sure I’m going to go back and read it.

As I said, this wasn’t a book for me, but maybe it would be for you! Check out the reviews below and decide for yourself. This may be the perfect book for you or the teenager in your life struggling to balance their beliefs with their personal life. If you’re interested in winning my review copy of this book just let me  know in the comments and I will announce the winner on the 15th of March (open to US residents only).

Other reviews you may want to check out:

Musings of A Book Addict: Living It Up to Live It Down

Margo Dill’s Read These Books and Use Them: Review of A Shadow in the Dark by Ronica Stromberg