Five Children's Books #1

Today I will be highlighting Five Children's Books.

I will give you my rating and a short review per book.

Let's dive right in!

It's September 11, 2001. Brandon, a 9-year-old boy, goes to work for the day with his dad . . . at the World Trade Center in New York City. When two planes hit the towers, Brandon and his father are trapped inside a fiery nightmare as terror and confusion swirl around them. Can they escape -- and what will the world be like when they do? In present-day Afghanistan, Reshmina is an 11-year-old girl who is used to growing up in the shadow of war, but she has dreams of peace and unity. When she ends up harboring a wounded young American soldier, she and her entire family are put in mortal danger. But Reshmina also learns something surprising about the roots of this endless war.

Age: 12+

This is one of those moments in history where almost every person remembers where they were when they heard the news. I see more children in The Netherlands nowadays who have no clue what happend on 9/11. This is such a gripping book to tell the story of that black day. Told from the perspective of two very different children, a must read!

Rick's never questioned much. He's gone along with his best friend Jeff even when Jeff's acted like a bully and a jerk. He's let his father joke with him about which hot girls he might want to date even though that kind of talk always makes him uncomfortable. And he hasn't given his own identity much thought, because everyone else around him seemed to have figured it out. But now Rick's gotten to middle school, and new doors are opening. One of them leads to the school's Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities congregate, including Melissa, the girl who sits in front of Rick in class and seems to have her life together. Rick wants his own life to be that ... understood. Even if it means breaking some old friendships and making some new ones.

Age: 11+

A beautiful story that is so, so important. A book with believable and relatable characters. Super educational in terms of the LGBTQ+ community and the use of pronouns. I loved every second of this book.

Narwhal is a happy-go-lucky narwhal. Jelly is a no-nonsense jellyfish. The two might not have a lot in common, but they do they love waffles, parties, and adventures. Join Narwhal and Jelly as they discover the whole wide ocean together. A wonderfully silly early graphic novel series featuring three stories. In the first, Jelly learns that Narwhal is a really good friend. Then Narwhal and Jelly form their own pod of awesomeness with their ocean friends. And finally, Narwhal and Jelly read the best book ever—even though it doesn't have any words ... or pictures!

Age: 8+

A funny story, with cute pictures. Not a book with a big message or long story. I did feel a bit underwhelmed, I feel that this is not a groundbreaking book that will make Children read more and I enjoyed it for the 15 minutes that it lasted, but was not sad to move on to the next book.

Archie Crumb is having a tough time. Picked-on at school, picked last for any team; his home has been sad and quiet since Dad left and his luck feels like its run out. But things start looking up when Archie bumps his head and literally sees stars: his favourite famous football player standing in front of him, granting him nine wishes. This is INCREDIBLE! Unlimited ice cream, a whole day of eating pizza and playing on the X-Box, revenge on the bullies, becoming the star player in a televised football tournament: finally, all his dreams can come true! Will Archie wish his way to happiness? Or will he realise that magic wishes may be wonderful, but only he has the true power to change his life?

Age: 10+

First of all: LOOK AT THIS COVER. I love it. The way of opening chapters in this book was very original. Such a heartwarming read, that I couldn't put down. This book does contain some harsh subjects like bullying and depression, but it never felt dark.

Lonny is a lifeling. He has the power to heal any living creature and bring it back from the dead. But he pays a price for this gift – by lengthening the creature’s life, he shortens his own. So Lonny has to be careful, has to stay hidden in the forest. Because if people knew what he could do, Lonny would be left with no life at all…

Age: 11+

I highly enjoyed the world Applebaum has created in this book. I think the dilemma of the main character was very strong in this book as well.. Lonny wants to live, but does that mean hiding from the real world, or take all the risks and live life like he wants it? I had no clue where the story would take me and was very shocked (and happy) about the ending. I thought it was beautiful.

Does one of these books grab your attention?