A ROVER'S STORY by Jasmine Warga Science-y books are not typically in my go-to pile. Therefore, it is with great surprise that I write that this is one of my TOP PICKS for 2026!! A Rover's Story has been sitting in my TBR pile for a while now. It was a book that I had included in my son's Christmas Book Box a few years ago, and I pulled it off the shelf recently to read through it myself. With the launching of Artemis II, I got it out and dove in. Part way through, I realized that it was a book that I wished I had read aloud to him when he was younger. A Rover's Story is exactly what the title suggests. It is a story told through the eyes of a rover named Resilience. This book is fictional, but the rover is based off the real life rovers Curiosity and Perseverance that have been sent to Mars to collect data on the red planet. The story is very moving as Resilience develops his thoughts and even emotions due to his programming and the scientists that he is around. It's a book that fits into a lot of categories, because of all the topics it covers. It deals with coming of age if you can say that about a rover. There are a lot of uncertainties that Resilience goes through, and you see confidence begin to build as he understands his abilities. Of course, it's a book about science both in the area of technology creation and space exploration. Warga inserts into the story lots of facts about both of these areas. It's a book that can launch discussion about AI and how technology gathers and grows in its knowledge. ( AI is not specifically mentioned, but you see how Resilience thinks and processes more deeply the more experiences he has. ) It is a book that deals with family relations as one of the scientist families is followed. The mother is a big part of Resilience's creation and building, and it keeps her away from home. Her daughter resents this at first, but she begins writing letters to Resilience as she learns more about him which allows her to grow in appreciation and respect for what her mom has done. The book spans a significant amount of years starting when the daughter was young and in elementary school and finishing when she is an adult. SPOLIER ALERT - After Resilience is completed it is discoverd that the mom has cancer. You think that she passes away from it, but she doesn't. Overall, It is an understatement to say how much I realized I enjoyed this book when I finished it and closed the cover. I highly recommend it. HEADS UP - Just a minor item to be aware of, one of Resilience's specific jobs is to look for signs of life on Mars. The mentions are quick and passing. There are no references to aliens, etc.

RISKY RIVER RESCUE by Mike Nawrocki. Illustrated by Luke Seguin-Magee. I have really enjoyed this fun series by Mike Nawrocki that has highlighted so many wonderful places in Israel and the stories that occurred at those places from the Bible. Risky River Rescue is no different! Merle, the Dead Sea Squirrel, is still in the clutches of Ruben who has captured him with the intent of placing him in the first ever talking animal zoo. Looking for his break to get away. Merle finally has his chance and takes it. Now that he's free, his problems aren't over. Looming in front of him is the Jordan River, and Merle is going to need some serious help to get across. The question is, who can he trust? Just in the nick of time, he gets help from a very unlikely source, and it's exactly what he needs to navigate this infamous river that has some amazing history in the Bible. NOTE It is important to start this series at Book 1 and read through them in order, each book builds on the previous one!

DOUBLE THE LIES by Patricia Raybon If you guys know me, you know I am always on the lookout for a mystery! Double the Lies is a part of the Annalee Spain Mystery series, and even though this is Book 2, I didn't find myself lost at all without having read Book 1. RIght out of the gate, we have a serious win (in my opinion) without even starting the story. Every chapter begins with a Sherlock Holme's quote. When I opened the cover and saw that, I kept on reading. A second major win for this book is that it is squeaky clean. It is a Christian mystery, and one with a good plot line! Annalee Spain is an amateur detective. Who cares, right? Well, the year is 1924, and she's a woman. Oh, and she's African American. Wait, that's not enough. We've got to add one more layer. There's an active group of the KKK in her city. When Annalee overhears a woman crying in the library, she can't turn away even though the woman is white. Offering her handkerchief and a listening ear, she follows the young woman home to continue the conversation over a cup of tea. Opening the front door, it's clear that a break-in has occurred. Smashed furniture and belongings greet the pair, but it's the discovery of the woman's husband dead on the floor that is the real shocker. Annalee knows she has to get out of there now. She makes it out, but her precious handkerchief is found at the scene alongside the dead body and with the local police chief being a card-carrying member of the KKK, it will be easy to pin this all on Annalee. With no one else to help her, it's up to Annalee to clear her name, but the clock is ticking. not only for herself, but for her boyfriend, Jack, a local pastor that has gone missing,. With the players involved in this mystery, there's no doubt that his life is on the line. The question is can she unravel the mystery quick enough before someone else dies?

WHEN CHERRY BLOSSOMS FALL by Katrina Goldsaito. Illustrated by Yas Imamura. With the thought of cherry blossoms blooming soon in our area and pictures of the beautiful flowers in Washington D..C. coming across Facebook , I picked up this heart-warming new release while book shopping in South Carolina. When Cherry Blossoms Fall is the story of the close relationship between a Japanese girl, Yuna, and her grandmother. The grandmother has a beautiful cherry tree in her yard that they both love, and they wait in anticipation of the lovely blooms that will soon adorn it from top to bottom. While they wait, the grandmother teaches Yuna about something called mono-no-aware, the increasing appreciation of something that grows in beauty, because it doesn't last long. When her grandmother passes away during springtime, and Yuna experiences the blossoms by herself, she begins to truly understand mono-no-aware, not only with regards to the cherry tree, but also with the life of her grandmother. This lovely picture book is one that celebrates family relationships and the Japanese culture. It also handles the passing of loved ones in a very warm and moving way. Highly Recommend.

NEVER TOUGHT I'D END UP HERE by Ann Liang Leah Zhang doesn't have much to show for her life. There isn't a lot of purpose or direction and that really shines at one of the worst times possible, her cousin's wedding. Attending the upper Chinese society wedding, Leah makes a serious blunder when she attempts to speak the expected Chinese greeting/blessing over her cousin and her husband. When she completely messes it up and actually speaks bad luck over them, the reaction of the guests is immediate. The consensus is that Leah is an "ignorant foreigner." She has no idea of nor connection to her Chinese roots. This is a heavy embarrassment on her family. So, her mother signs her up for a trip to China to reconnect her to the culture and the language. The only problem is that Cyrus is coming, too. Cyrus, the one whose fault it is that she lost her way in life due to an accident that occurred at school when they were younger. The accident that forever changed her life. For the most part, this story is a lot of fluffy romance. The part that I found myself enjoying was the point in the story where Leah realizes that there is someone who has always seen her for who she really is and continues to do so even now. There is value in who she is outside of the expectations and performance that her life has become, and in today's world there are a lot of girls who will connect with that whether Chinese or not. (I will put a plug in here that the only place to find that truly is in a relationship with Christ) Despite all of this there is content to be aware of. HEADS UP - There is a fair amount of language. No f-bombs, but I'm pretty sure that everything else was covered. Lots of Oh my *od. There is a lot of suggestive material in this book. There is no actual sex. However, Leah lets people believe that she and Cyrus had a past. On the trip she ends up staying in his room for a night. This is due to a project that they both are working on for the trip, but people think it's for sexual reasons. When she comes over she finds a box of condoms in his room that aren't his, but she thinks he has other things in mind besides the project. There is a character that likes both men and women.

AN EASTER EGG HUNT FOR JESUS by Susan Jones. Illustrated by Lee Holland. Easter is coming up quickly and that means it's time to share some Easter books! First up is a super sweet read by Susan Jones, An Easter Egg Hunt for Jesus. Little Bunny and his friends are enjoying an Easter Egg Hunt. Everyone is on the lookout for a very special egg. When Little Bunny discovers it by accidentally stepping on it and breaking it open, he thinks he's ruined everything! Actually, he's discovered the greatest thing of all, the egg is EMPTY just like THE TOMB! Hallelujah! If you want a cuddly Easter story that will open the door to deeper conversations with little ones, this is it!

THE EASTER EGG by Jan Brett The Easter Egg has been around for a few years, but its one that I added to our Easter book collection this year. Besides the sweet story about a little bunny named Hoppi that is trying to win the best decorated Easter Egg competition so he can help the Easter Rabbit hide the eggs, this book highlights real breeds of rabbits that are so fun to look at! Whether you like colorful bunnies, short-haired ones, long-haired ones, white, black, brown, etc, you will find one in the pictures. The artwork is absolutely delightful and worthy of spending significant time examining! Each bunny is working on creating their own style of egg for the competition which is another fun thing to think about especially as many of us prepare to create eggs of our own.! The cherry on the top of this book is when Hoppi sets aside his desire to win when he comes across a bird that needs help. This selfless act is a great character trait to instill in our kids, and this story provides a perfect avenue to portray it! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES - (1) Kick off your egg decorating activities with this book. (2) Jan Karon provides a list of some of the bunnies she features in her illustrations in her author bio section. It would be a fun alongside activity to have a book showing the different breeds or google them and compare them to the illustations. Which is your child's favorite?

HOUDINI'S LIBRARY by Barb Rosenstock. Illustrated by Mar Delmar. How fun that I had planned to share this book today WITHOUT KNOWING that it's Houdini's birthday! He would have been 150 years old! I'm a Barb Rosenstock fan and saw she had this new picture book coming out.(If you like nonfiction picture books and aren't familiar with her, definitely look her up.) I ordered it with the idea of reading it around April Fools Day. I don't know about you, but I grew up being amazed by the idea of Harry Houdini. I can remember learning about him a little bit in school and was immediately hooked by his ability to escape just about anything! Rosenstock pulls back the curtain to give us a behind the scenes look at the life of Harry Houdini. She shares about his growing up years and how he got his start in magic. We become aware of the influence his father who was a lover of books had on him. Houdini himself amassed an amazing library worth a fortune over his lifetime and was known to carry a special folding bookcase that housed one hundred books that travelled with him. Of course, she wouldn't leave out the amazing feats he accomplished that kept his crowds awed and made him an infamous performer. There is no doubt why to this day we still hear the name of Harry Houdini! This is definitely a fun and very interesting book to read! ILLUSTRATIONS - I can't close the cover of this book without commenting on the AMAZING illustrations! Mar Delmar is a master of artwork and the pages of Houdini's Library attest to that! Delmar is a paper artist. What does that mean with regards to this book? Every page is a created diorama. She sketched, cut, painted, organized the pieces together into a picture, applied light, and photographed the results. They are unbelievable! HEADS UP - There is no doubt that Houdini had an interest in spiritualism especially after his mother died. The book does not go into that. However, in the Author's Note, Rosenstock mentions that his library contained books on spiritualism and it mentions the title of a book called The Discoverie of Witchcraft (misspelling on purpose) from the 1500s that was known for rope and coin tricks.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN retold by Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Carson Ellis With April Fool's Day right around the corner, it's time to add in a couple of books that have a little bit of trickery in them. Mac Barnett's retelling of Rumpelstiltskin will be the first, Mac Barnett does a great job bringing just a little bit of a new vibe to an old classic. The feel of the story is original with the descriptions and language. Then, out of the blue, a modern phrase, name, etc will add just the perfect amount of break-in that more often than not, adds a bit of humor to the tale. This addition of comic relief can (1) help to give this classic a little bit of breathing room for kids that struggle a bit with the intense parts of the story or (2) give a child a story that will promote a few chuckles from its pages. Either way its a win! Regarding the illustrations - I love Carson Ellis's work in this book. The artwork helps the story keep the feeling of originality. A clear medieval presence fills the pictures. They are dark with punctuated areas of jewel tones giving a nod to the subject of royalty. So what do you do with a book like this? (1.) Read it aloud to your child for pure enjoyment only. (2.) Read it aloud and discuss the consequences of exaggeration and bad decision making. (3.) Grab a copy of the original tale and read it aloud alongside this version. Compare and contrast the two versions. Which one does your child like better? Why?

THE HAPPY HOLLISTERS by Jerry Westt. Illustrated by Helen S. Hamilton. Do you love the idea of old stories for a new generation? Stories that include the closeness of family, afternoons of adventure and play, and the commitment to good values? If so, check out The Happy Hollisters! And guess what? It includes a mystery!!! T The Hollisters are moving into a new home on Pine Lake. One of the moving vans full of belongings never arrives to the new house. When it is later discovered abandoned and empty, the Hollisters know they have a mystery on their hands. That's not where it ends though. Someone keeps breaking into their house. Sounds are heard in the attic and in the cellar. It's time for the five Hollister kids, Pete, Pam, Ricky, Holly, and Sue, to figure out what exactly is going on! This is a great read aloud for all elementary ages! As a read alone book, this is perfect for 2nd - 6th grade. HEADS UP - There is actually someone breaking into the home and getting into the attic and cellar. If you have a sensitive child that would be affected by that idea, you may want to wait on this story

FLETCHER AND THE SPRINGTIME BLOSSOMS by Julia Rawlinson. Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. WELCOME SPRING!! In honor of today, it's time to share a book that oozes spring with every page! We love Fletcher around our house. This sweet, little fox seems to always be getting himself in a bit of a kafuffle as he goes along his way. He notices how things are changing around him with the seasons. He doesn't always understand what is going on, and he tends to worry about how it will affect his friends. There is an air of innocence that permeates the stories that warms the heart. In Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms, Fletcher is bouncing along enjoying the beauty of the spring day. when he comes across something that looks like snow. How is that possible? He quickly realizes he needs to warn his friends that have just returned from migrating that they've come home too soon! To his friends that have woken up from hibernation, they need to go back to sleep! Before all the animals prepare for the unexpected snow, they decide to play in it. How fun to discover it's something a bit different than what they expected!

MARCE CATLETT: THE FORCE OF A STORY by Wendell Berry There are some books that resonate with your mind. There are some that resonate with your heart. Few and far between make it all the way to your soul. That's where Marce Catlett:The Force of a Story landed for me. While this book is going to land in MY FAVORITES BOOKLIST, I need to preface this post by saying this is not a book that will resonate with all readers. (Honestly, does any book?) It deals with the evolution of the small family farm from the early 1900 hundreds to modern day. It is a fictional story, but one based on people that the author knows. This one holds a very near and dear place for me, because I have known people in my childhood like Marce Catlett and his kin, and their faces hover in my mind as I read the words of this story. This book is a part of a "series." I choke a bit on calling it that. The books follow people that live in Port William. Some of the stories bleed into each other as they deal with members from the same family, but it is possible to read them as stand alones. Wendell Berry's newest book returns to Port William, Kentucky, a rural landscape punctuated primarily with hardworking, hands-in-the-soil farmers and their families. The story opens in 1906 with Marce rising just after midnight to ride his horse 10 miles to catch a 4 o'clock in the morning express train bound for Louisville to arrive at the auction house where his crop of tobacco for the year will be sold. To say that the family needs the money to relax the worry lines of foreheads and allow worried thoughts to be put to rest would be an understatement. Marce takes the day off, makes the journey, stands at the auction house to physically see the result only to witness it go for pennies on the pound. Barely enough to pay for the travel expenses of getting it to market and the commission charged by the auction house. He wearily turns away and begins the journey home to tell the family and begin the preparation for the next planting. Growing up, Marce's son, Wheeler, remembers this day. An intelligent boy, Wheeler has the opportunity to leave the bounds of Port William by means of politics and pursing an education. When the time comes to decide if he will forever leave the land he knows and settle for a promising job in big business, he knows he can't do it. He's tied to the land he grew up on, and he returns home to make a difference in the lives of his Port William family and neighbors. The story continues on to the grandson, Andy, who looks back at all the changes that have happened in the farming community over his lifetime. The introduction of technology and the competition of big business styled farms drastically changes the small community disrupting the closeness it once knew. Looking back on the lives of his father and grandfather, Andy knows that they each dealt with difficult circumstances in their lives and continued on to make a living out of the land that could be passed down to their children. The book ends in such a beautiful way summing up the heart and commitment stemming from the past into the future - . "...the land where more than a century ago, Marce Catlett departed with a cautious hope in the dark past midnight, came home broke, and in the dark before daylight the next morning went back to work." Life on the land will move forward HEADS UP - There were a couple of minor profanities in the story.