Sir Balin The Ill-Fated. On the day he was christened, a prophecy was made concerning him. “He shall be known as the noblest knight in England. But Wait! I see destruction and calamity.” It was seen that he would bring down two kingdoms in one day, that he would strike the Dolorous Stroke (whatever that is) and that in the end, he would destroy the one he loves most. His entire life, Sir Balin has been ruled by that prophecy. He is afraid to stay in King Arthur’s kingdom in case his should be one of the kingdoms he takes down, he is afraid to stay near his brother because he is the one he loves the most. For his entire life, Sir Balin is afraid. Finally, one day, he decides ill-fate does not have to be his destiny and he will take his future into his own hands. This is his story.

This is a delightfully funny book. The author does an amazing job introducing new vocabulary in a rather sneaky way and teaching kids a little about Arthurian England without them knowing about it. The illustrations are wonderful and help the story along magnificently. I really liked this book!

Tallulah is back dancing again in the new book Tallulah’s Solo! Tallulah is an excellent dancer and she knows it. She loves everything about ballet and can’t wait until the big recital. She just knows she is going to get a big part and be the star of the show. Tallulah’s brother Beckett is not an excellent dancer. In fact, he is not that interested in ballet. But when the big recital comes, it is Beckett who gets the big part and Tallulah is left in the back. Will Tallulah let her jealousy ruin her relationship with her brother or will she be a good big sister and help him learn his part?

This is a very good book for big sisters, big sister-to-be or just kids who like to dance. It teaches an excellent lesson about sharing the limelight and the importance of every member in a show. It also has some good tips for brothers and sisters participating in the same activities. The illustrations are very and tell the story just as well as the words. The is a great book.

In the new book, Pirates Next Door, the Jolley-Rogers have moved in next door while they repair their pirate ship and the whole town is in a tizzy about it. They don’t take care of their lawn, their ship is too big and blocks their neighbor’s views, their children play with “dangerous” toys (cannons!) and they jut don’t fit in. The neighborhood signs a petition to GET THEM and their pirate ship OUT. But before they go, the Jolley-Rogers leave a little present (marked with an X) for all of their neighbors in the hope of changing their minds about pirates.

This is a great children’s book to emphasize that different isn’t always bad and that you should never judge people based on appearances. It is a fun book to read that teaches a great lesson. The illustrations are amazing and I highly recommend it to all me mateys.

 “You are a piglet, deal with it.” This is what Liam is always being told by his brother and sister in the new book, Piggy Bunny. Liam is a piglet who dreams of being the Easter Bunny. His parents love him, support him, and tell him he is perfect just the way he is. ‘Just the way he is’ is a piglet who wants to be the Easter Bunny. No matter how much the other piglets laugh at him and tell him they don’t believe in the Easter Bunny, Liam knows that one day, if he practices hard enough, he will become what he knows he is supposed to be. In the end, a gift from Grandma finally lets Liam become someone everyone can believe in.

This is an excellent book about acceptance and being yourself. The light-hearted story-telling style teaches without preaching and makes the piggy characters real and relatable. This is a story every child should read.