Alicia and the Hurricane by Leslea Newman, Elizabeth Erazo Baez, Georgina Lazaro

Alicia is young and goes to sleep each night listening to the frogs.  But when a hurricane comes, her family boards the house up and heads for a shelter.

Lee and Low Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thankyou).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

At the shelter she can hear the people and the weather outside but no the frogs.  After the storm, they head for home.  Their house has been damaged but her father says they'll fix it up even better than it was.  She still hears no frogs.

Did the hurricane kill them?  Read it and see.

The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon

This was a different read. 

Vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy (population 212) Signor Speranza has a problem: unless he can come up with 70,000 euros to fix the town’s pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all its residents will be forced to disperse. 

Speranza doesn't have the money to fix the pipes, so he has to come up with a good story to get it.

Atria Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

There are a lot of characters involved, lies seem to be common, and the worst part is that the star they said was in town, shows up!

Things get messed up further and further until you wonder if they will ever straighten it out.

It will keep you reading!

Illustrated Tales of Dwarfs, Gnomes and Fairy Folk by Daniela Drescher (Illustrated by), Ineke Verschuren (Edited by)

These tales come mostly from Europe and there are lessons in some of them.  The illustrations are very good.

Floris Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

I like to read short fairy tales and these did not disappoint.  

Often times there are conditions on the wishes they make.  Some folks don't pay attention and then they lose the gains they acquired.

There are lot of fairies, dwarfs and gnomes in the stories and they have their own sense of justice.

I enjoyed the read.  If you like fantasy this a good book to read. 

I Can See You by Rosemarie Avrana Meyok, Michelle Simpson (Illustrated by)

This is a sweet book about a young one and his/her relatives.

Inhabit Media and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The adults use their five senses to find the child that is hiding.  Then they share that sense with them. 

This would be a great book for a little one who is learning what it is like to be loved.

The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman, Series: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel

Chee is taking a vacation to see if he can find the cave his boss told him about.  Despite the map, he is having trouble finding it.  However, he has no problem finding a dead body.

Harper and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

As Chee tries to find out how the man died, his wife is going undercover to find out who ran over a man on the highway.  They hit him and then drove over him.

They are both in danger and might not survive.

This is complex murder and both deaths take a lot of sleuthing...

Will they figure it out since they are working separately?

Three Debts Paid : A Daniel Pitt Novel by Anne Perry - Series: Daniel Pitt (#5)

Daniel Pitt is a good investigator, but this case has no good clues...

Ballentine Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

He has a cop who is helping him but there just aren't any connecting threads they can find to make it become clear.

In the meantime, he is defending a professor he knows from college.  That finally settles.  

I was surprised by the killer.  It was a good thing they found him because he was going to kill another!

This one will keep you wondering...

Zebra's Umbrella by David Hernández Sevillano, Anuska Allepuz (Illustrated by)

Zebra has a big bright umbrella he uses to stay out of the rain.

Nube Ocho and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When it starts to rain, he gets under it.  In no time at all he has several animals all sharing his umbrella and all being nice.  It's amazing how many fit.  Even an elephant!

After the rain has stopped, he gets asked how come his umbrella is so colorful.  Can you guess his answer? 

Hot Time by W. H. Flint

It's extremely hot and people are dying like flies.  If that's not bad enough, there is a crooked cop on the force...

Arcade Crimewise and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

A conman is blackmailing people into giving him money for his silence.  The next thing you know, he is dead.  And an orphan boy saw it happen.  He tells a cop friend of his but he didn't see who killed him.  Unfortunately, the killer finds him and plans to put an end to him, too.

Dutch runs and hides but can't escape the man.  Will he die?

The ending is dramatic and surprising.

The Woman in the Woods and Other North American Stories by Kate Ashwin, Kel McDonald, Alina Pete, Milo Applejohn, Mercedes Acosta, Jordaan Arledge, and more

These are Native American tales that are similar to fairy tales.  The stories are good and the illustrations are great.

Iron Circus Comics and Edelweiss let me read this book (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

One story has a monster.  One is about not having enough water.  Most all have some fears and bravery in them. 

They were an interesting read.  Give it a try!

Little Fairy Can't Sleep (2nd Edition, Revised) by Daniela Drescher

For some reason the little fairy can't sleep.  She goes to visit her neighbors and they aren't sleeping either.  She feels magic in the air...

Floris Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This picture book has lovely illustrations and the story is sweet.

She finds a moth prince and he takes her to a Midsummer Night party and she dances until she's ready to sleep.  He takes her home and she falls asleep quickly and dreams about her neighbors...

Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth Lapensée, KC Oster (Illustrated by)

Aimee is a person the other schoolkids make fun of.  When they go on a school trip, she slips away...

Annick Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This is a graphic novel.  Aimee is a brave girl. When she gets lost in the woods, her adventures begin.  She meets a rabbit, sees little people, sees spirits, and the Queen tries to behead her.  Will she survive?

Delmar the Dinky by Pat Danna

Delmar is a street trolly but he's not very big.

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on the 26th of April.

He gets in line to pick up passengers but no one can see him behind the big trollies.  How is he going to get noticed?

He goes in between the big ones and gets his passengers.  He's happy!

One Last Chance by Jeffrey Siger

Maggie goes back to the Greek island her grandmother lived on for her funeral.  When she looks at her in her coffin, she sees IV marks.  She wasn't ill, why would she have those?

Poison Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She finds that several other old people have died and they had the same markings.  She tries to figure out why.

This is a complicated case.  There are bad cops, a bad priest, and more involved.  One cop gets killed adding to the murders.

Maggie tries to find evidence.  She has to be careful.  She doesn't want to die.

It's a bit of a creepy story but they do find the killers at the end...

Me and My Mama by Carole Boston Weatherford, Ashleigh Corrin (Illustrated by)

This is a sweet story of a little girl having fun with her mama.  You see how they spend their day.

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This mama does all the things the little one likes and she has fun doing it.

They remind me of my mom.  She was good at that, too.

The Pirates on the Ship by Tom Knight (Illustrated by), Ann Bonnie

This is a fun book.  It's about pirates but it is in written in the form of The Wheels on the Bus.

Little Bee Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

There are repeated words that you can sing.  You learn about pirates, but they aren't bad in this young one's book.

The illustrations are fun.  I bet your child will like reading this one!

It's the End of the world and I'm in my Bathing Suit by Justin A Reynolds

He's anxious to go the Beach Bash but his mother discovers he's worn all his clothes and they need to be laundered.  She leaves him home while the rest of the family goes.

Scholastic Press sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

He takes his laundry down to basement to wash and dry.  Unfortunately, the power goes out.  His phone is not fully charged but he uses the light to find his way out.

He finds his friends have the same problem.  They play games, eat junk food and wait for their parents to come home.  But they don't...

Will they be able to find them?

CRISPR'd by Judy Foreman

Saul Kramer is a doctor who helps those who can't conceive to have babies.  But he has a bad secret...

Skyhorse Publishing sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This is a medical thriller.  Nobody knows about Saul's beginning but his mother and sister.  They ran from the Nazi's so they would not die.  Grandmother was left behind and died.

Saul is a good doctor, but he hates Nazi's.  Anyone he thinks might have that background suddenly starts losing their babies.  They are devastated.  He's happy.  But it can't last long when a journalist gets on it.

It is an interesting read and Saul had to be crazy to do what he did.  The worst part is his mother turned him in.  But that's not the end...

Two-Way Murder by E.C.R. Lorac, Series: British Library Crime Classics

This is an interesting mystery.  You have many suspects, two people end up dead, and the clues don't help much.

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The investigation is extensive and slow.  Not everyone is telling the truth.

The woman who died knew too much.  The man was on the road and had been run over.  Looking him over they found out he had a head injury first...

I was very surprised to find out who the killer was.  He wasn't anyone I suspected.  

You walk through several paths to the solution.  It's not a story I will forget quickly...

The Burning Pages : A Scottish Bookshop Mystery by Paige Shelton, Series: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery (#7)

This is an interesting tale.  When a bookstore burnt down, the other bookstore owner became a suspect.  He swears he didn't do it but the other man doesn't believe him.

Then another bookstore owner finds a birth certificate and she realizes it's for one of her staff.  As she tries to make sense of these things, more fires are set in bookstores.  Who could be doing it?

After many questions and a final confrontation, the truth comes out.  

There are lots of twists and curves and deaths and other odd things that happen first.  Hamlet, the birth certificate child is now grown up and looking for his mother.  He's going to be disappointed...

The arsenious and murder person was someone I never expected...

This Could Be You : Be Brave! Be True! Believe! Be You! by Cindy Williams Schrauben

This book tells your child how to use their strengths in a career.

Cardinal Rule Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

It shows the skills you need for the potential careers.  That gives the child the time to build up those skills and strengths.  

And if they will never go into a career, their imagination can let them act out the suggestions.  

I was shy and secluded as a child but as I went from one job to another, my confidence grew and I retired as Finance Director/City Clerk from a job at the city.

Maybe your child will do this too.

Way Past Afraid by Hallee Adelman, Karen Wall (Illustrated by)

Abbi and Van go for a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's.  But a thunderstorm comes up and scares Van.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

He doesn't like the lightening, the thunder or anything about the storm.  Then the lights go out.  His flashlight lets him see his sister has come to join him.  He doesn't want her to be scared.

Guess what he does to brighten her up?  It works on him, too.

Way Past Lonely by Hallee Adelman, Karen Wall (Illustrated by)

Macy is lonely.  Everyone else has something to do, even the dog. So she goes on a bike ride.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She's sad and lonely.  She writes that in the dirt and then throws away the rock, It skips across the water.  She picks up another rock and it skips, too.  Soon she is making her a crown for being the winner of rock skipping.

She heads for home and talks to the ducks on the way.  Soon she sees a young boy who also looks lonely.  She stops and asks him to teach her bike tricks, He agrees and soon they are having fun.

Once she conquered her own loneliness, things go better for her.

Marine Biologists on a Dive by Sue Fliess, Mia Powell (Illustrated by)

Here is an opportunity for your young reader to learn about the ocean.  A team of young biologists go on a dive.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The young scientists swim with humpback whales, each doing their own research.  You learn a lot about the whales and it's fascinating.

Let your child learn about whales!

Archaeologists on a Dig by Sue Fliess, Mia Powell (Illustrated by)

These children are archaeologists and are trying to find old artifacts.  They travel to another country to seek them.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The story explains how careful you have to be and how to age your find.  It's fascinating and fun to learn about!

How to Have Friends by Maryann Macdonald, Cyndi Wojciechowski (Illustrated by)

This is a good story for little ones that don't know how to make friends yet.  There are all kinds of hints for success in it.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can get a copy now.

After reading this book, your child will have skills it didn't before and will be able to make several friends.  There is good advice in the text.

I liked it a lot.

Flicker Is Lost and Found by Jodie Parachini, Bryony Clarkson (Illustrated by)

Flicker is old enough to go visit her grandparents by herself.  Her father gives her a map and her mother gives her a ball of string for Grandma.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She starts out full of confidence.  But soon she finds herself going by things she saw earlier.  She goes to find her friends.  They go with her but they follow the map.

Will they find the grandparents?

Flicker Finds Her Glow by Jodie Parachini, Bryony Clarkson (Illustrated by)

Flicker is a young firefly who is having a birthday.  It's time now for her to begin glowing but she doesn't.  She asks her friends for help.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She tries copying her friend's attributes but that doesn't work.  She just can't get her glow.

Do you think she will find it?

HeroRat!: Magawa, a Lifesaving Rodent by Jodie Parachini, Keiron Ward, Jason Dewhirst

This is a fascinating look at removing land mines.  They train the rats to smell the explosives and take them out to find them.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The rat tells you his story. He starts as he trains and then takes you into the minefields to watch him work.  He did so well, he got a gold medal.

I knew such animals existed but his story is touching.  This is a good way to teach your child some history.

Togo and Balto: The Dogs Who Saved a Town by Jodie Parachini, Keiron Ward, Jason Dewhirst

It's 1925 and diptheria has spread through a town.  The weather is bad.  The only way there is dog sleds.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss have let me read this book.  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This is a true story.  Nome needs help.  

The two dogs get trained for a team.  The run fast and strong.  They become team leaders.  The trip is treacherous, a few mishaps happen but the serum does get to Nome.

Huskies are brave dogs.  Without them the serum might not have arrived...

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

This was an interesting tale.  It's about a lady sniper that has over 300 kills.  She didn't mean to become a sniper but the country needed her.

William Morrow sent me an ARC to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She's after Nazis and earns the nickname Lady Death.  She was married and is trying to divorce him.  He keeps not showing up for the divorce.  As she participates in the war, she becomes a ranked officer and has a squadron of snipers.  Some are good, some are not.

She falls in love with two men.  The first one died saving her.  The second one manages to survive.

Her husband pesters her.  She ignores him.  Then she has a sniper after her.

Will she survive?

Wild Irish Rose : A Molly Murphy Mystery by Rhys Bowen, Clare Broyles, Series: Molly Murphy Mysteries (#18)

Molly has married and had a child.  She's no longer a private detective.  Everything is fine until her mother-in-law moves in because she's been ill.  Then there is static.

Minotaur Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She is married to a cop.  Her mother-in-law wants him to run for politician.  Molly does not.

As Molly visits the social world, she meets interesting people.  Her husband is investigating a murder at Ellis Island.  Rose is an Irish girl that is a suspect.  Molly was in the same situation in the past and feels bad for her.  She becomes friends with her.

Then Molly goes to ask a man some questions and finds him dead in bed with his throat cut.  That's two dead men.  Who did it?

There are lots of characters, her husband doesn't want her investigating, her adopted daughter is acting out, and one person in her life is not what it seems.

The ending is exciting!