Inventive approach to storytelling for 4-9 year olds

Joey Finds His Jump is a delightful children’s picture book in the Dance-It-Out Creative Movement Story for Young Movers series. The colorful full-page illustrations pull out all the stops and include details designed to capture and hold the imagination as Joey transforms from a sad young kangaroo into a confident jumper filled with the joy of jumping. 

 

Book Review: Joey Finds His Jump

But Joey’s story is more than a happily ever after tale. It not only engages the imagination; it encourages the whole body to participate in Dance-It-Out movements. Throughout the story, the authors incorporate creative movements related to Joey and what he is experiencing. 

It’s an inventive approach to storytelling that introduces another level of active fun while reading and is a perfect choice for kids who get fidgety while being read to, those with an interest in dance, and children who like to play make-believe. And this sweet story is entertaining enough that young readers will enjoy reading it again. I’m happy to award 5 stars for this wondrous picture book. Once Upon a Dance donates all proceeds to charity, and I recommend the entire Dance-It-Out! Creative Movement Stories for Young Movers

 

About the Authors

Once Upon a Dance offers movement, breath, joy, connection, and imagination through stories.

Their catalog of 25 interactive dance books highlights positive messages and role models throughout four main series:

• Dance-It-Out! stories combine whimsical tales with movement and subtle life lessons (spans ages 4-9)
• Dancing Shapes peeks at a professional ballerina's journey, teaches ballet, and explores detail and form (spans ages 6-11)
• Ballet Inspiration and Choreography Concepts deep dives into technique, tips, and insight for aspiring dancers (ages 8-12)
• Prop-Based Dance Stories for Classroom and Anytime Fun debuts in 2023 to encourage scarf and parachute play.

Once Upon a Dance was named a top 10 author of 2022 by Outstanding Creator Awards, and they’ve been honored by over 40 book awards, 1000+ 5-star reviews, and a Kirkus Star. They donate all royalties to charities supporting the arts, animals, environment, or people. Visit DanceStories.com for more info.

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https://www.amazon.com.br/Once-Upon-a-Dance/e/B08PCB7FRN/

 

As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and received a free review copy of this book in collaboration with Blackberry Book Tours. I have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

Emotionally charged historical fiction

The Vengeance of Samuel Val by Elyse Hoffman is a suspense-filled, edge-of-your-seat historical fiction that opens in a WWII Russian village at a time in history when the German Army, military, SS, and German police units took an active part in authorized mass murders of Jews in the Soviet Union. The story opens with a young man by the name of Samuel Val, attending synagogue on the Sabbath with his family and neighbors in the quaint Jewish village of Khruvina.

About the book: The Vengeance of Samuel Val

This Historical fiction hits the ground running with action as the normal Sabbath gathering is visited by the Nazi SS led by Viktor Naden, the Beast of Belourussia. Samuel is the only survivor. He witnesses the smells and sounds of his family and friends being burned alive. As a teen, he is shot and left for dead but is rescued by an anti-Nazi group known as the Black Foxes. He joins their tanks but harbors a thirst for vengeance. His true mission is killing Victor Naden to avenge his family. His cares about nothing else.

That mission is put on hold when he must escort a Jewish refugee to a safe house. All is going according to plan until he realizes that the safe house brings him to within reach of Victor Naden. Samuel has decisions to make. At what cost will he fulfill his quest to kill Naden? Will he sacrifice innocents to accomplish his goal?

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Book review: The Vengeance of Samuel Val

This story reads like a slow-burning fuse of suspense and uncertainty. Each emotionally charged chapter hooks and urges the reader to go one more chapter. The unforgettable characters are flawed and easy to care about. I admit I am a fan of Hoffman’s Paranormal WWII fiction including The Book of Uriel, and Where David ThrewStones: A Haunting WW2 Tale of Courage, Love, and Redemption. As I picked up this gripping drama, I wondered if I’d feel the same. This short read did not disappoint. It took me on an unpredictable coming-of-age journey with a conclusion I did not expect. I recommend this book to fans of WWII fiction, historical fiction, and historical Jewish fiction. The Vengeance of Samuel Val is book 1 in a series, and while this story is a satisfying standalone, it left me hungry to find out what happens next. I’m happy to award it four stars.

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As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and I received a free review copy of this book and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with Black Coffee Book Tours. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.  

 

About the author: Elyse Hoffman

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Unpredictable, emotional historical fiction anchored in faith hope and love

Nellie’s Gold is an inspirational coming-of-age story that follows tomboy Nellie Ward from childhood to adulthood as the youngest child of four. Author Danie Marie’s captivating storytelling, gives the reader a fly-on the wall experience back to the late 1940s, into the 1950s, in historic Folsom, California, where red-haired, freckle-faced Nellie Ward loves to read books while sitting in her favorite tree near the river. But homelife for this Ward family is not picture perfect like the Leave It to Beaver Ward family of 1950s Americana TV. In this Ward home, Nellie shares a room with her three older brothers, with only a linen curtain hanging between them for privacy. Her Papa is an abusive drunk and her mother is a Christian woman who prays for them all while making home life the best she can.

 

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Book review: Nellie's Gold

Danie Marie’s fly-on-the-wall writing style lets you feel what the characters feel, and her flawed, but lovable characters are easy to care about. The plot read like real life drama. An unpredictable emotional roller coaster, sometimes surprising, other times disappointing and even heartbreaking. It draws you in with the small things that seem big to a kid, as well as life-changing heartaches and loss that changes the course of life. This is a moving story anchored in faith, hope, and love. I highly recommend Nellie’s Gold to those who enjoy Christian fiction, inspirational fiction, those praying for loved ones struggling with alcoholism or abuse, and for baby boomers who enjoy reading about the good old days even though everything wasn’t always good. I’m happy to give this easy read 5 stars.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

Captivating Christian fantasy for all ages

The Seventh Dimension: The Door by Lorilyn Roberts is book one in a Young Adult Christian fantasy series of four. This imaginative story portrays a strong female protagonist in Shale Snyder, a young teen struggling with guilt, unforgiveness, abandonment, and being bullied. She does her best to deal with her circumstances and negative feelings on her own, but when overwhelmed she runs off and follows a dog she has befriended into the woods. An accident leads through a portal that transports her to the city of Jerusalem at the time of Christ.

About the book: The Seventh Dimension: The Door

While Shale navigates life in ancient Jerusalem the author weaves in threads that haunt her from the life she left behind, including the burden of a secret guilt. Some characters she meets look like people from her own time, including her absentee father and a boy who is her nemesis. She also meets a boy she doesn’t know and learns he too is from the future. Life in the ancient past has its own issues, including a wicked stepmother, shadowy underlings, and bothersome Worldly Crow. 

She also has a new ability that allows her to hear animals talk, but the one person who really intrigues her is a mysterious man her animal friends refer to as the King.

Book Review: Seventh Dimension: The Door

The Seventh Dimension is a magical story with a biblical message of new life, forgiveness, and love. It introduces the message of the King through biblical characters, the witnessing of miracles, and the message of the New Testament. I especially enjoyed Shale’s realistic transformation from unbelief to belief. 

This is the first book I’ve read from Lorilyn Roberts and hope to finish the rest of this series. I think fans of Christian fantasy like the Chronicles of Narnia will enjoy this story of redemption. And while this book is categorized as Young Adult, I think this captivating story will be loved by young and old, and am happy to give it 4 stars.

About the author: Lorilyn Roberts

Lorilyn Roberts is a Christian author of fourteen books, including the award-winning YA Seventh Dimension Series.

Lorilyn graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama in 1991. Her studies included spending two weeks in Israel at the start of the Gulf War and touring England, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries in Europe. She later attended the Institute of Children's Literature and earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College.

Lorilyn has rescued many orphaned dogs and cats, and when she isn’t writing books, she provides broadcast captioning for television. In her spare time, Lorilyn is a ham radio operator. KO4LBS.