JABARI JUMPS by Gaia Cornwall Well it's swim lessons time again for the younger Killiany crew. This brings to mind a fun picture book called Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall. Jabari is a little boy who is working up his courage to take the big jump off the diving board. If you have kids who are a little timid about the diving board this is a great book to read!

SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo Let's talk YA books for a moment. The YA section at your local library or bookstore can be intimidating to navigate. I know there are Moms who skip this section all together and go from Middle Grade books to Adult. YA does tend to be filled with a lot of angst, situations that we moms pray our kids never encounter. Some consider YA to be a genre instead of the next level in the progression of levels of reading because of this. However, it is still targeted to a certain age, young adults, so while I understand it, I don't completely subscribe to this idea. I bring books home from this section, but if they push me too far, they're done. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a YA novel that took me right up to the edge of not making it. Set in the gutters and the alleys of the fantasy city of Ketterdam, Six of Crows is the story of an unlikely crew of 6 people who each have an underworld "specialty" who have agreed to take on an impossible job, break into the The Ice Court (an impenetrable castle) and steal the scientist who is responsible for creating jurda parem (a drug that will destroy lives and bring complete power to whoever controls it). If they finish this job, they will be rich beyond their wildest dreams. So what's the problem (besides the castle they need to break into has never been successfully breached before)? These six need to depend on each other. Being the street rats they are, there is a mix of being used to looking out for one's self, past love gone wrong, betrayal, races that hate each other, etc that will need to be overcome if there is any chance to successfully complete this heist. Six of Crows is a non-stop thriller that keeps you guessing the whole way through. HEADS UP- Yes, there is a lengthy Heads Up section so you are aware! First off, there is a sprinkling of language throughout the book including 1 F-bomb. Second, you do flashback to scenes in the past of two members of the crew that came from different places that hated each other. These two end up saving each others' lives and falling in love. However, in the process of saving each others' lives from freezing to death, they both strip out of wet clothes and sleep next to each other naked. Remarks are made but nothing happens. Third, one of the members was taken from her family and worked in a brothel. No details are given. Fourth, there is some magic involved where certain races have gifts of being able to heal or take a person's life by controlling an organ in their body. Fifth, there is the hint of two male members possibly liking each other. There are extra looks sometimes and conversations that hint at it without ever coming right out and saying it. Sixth, there is a bit of a gory scene where info is needed and a person's eyeball is removed to encourage the person to share that info. Overall, understand that this book is set in the underbelly of a world with teens that have all had and continue to have serious trauma in their lives. The settings are Gotham cityish, dark and foreboding. It is Book 1 of a two book series. I cannot comment on Book 2, yet.

DOG DIARIES by Kate Klimo If you are looking for easy chapter books and you have a child that loves dogs, Dog Diaries is a fun series to read. Based on historical events or true dogs that lived (minus the first one that is a puppy mill story), these books do not have to be read in any order. I'm going to highlight the Stubby book (#7). Based on a true story, Stubby was a street dog that ended up being adopted by Conroy, a soldier in the army. Conroy and Stubby end up being deployed to France during World War 1. Stubby ends up being an unbelievable asset to the men on the front lines! This story is funny sometimes, and yet a powerful story of the love of a dog for his owner and the other soldiers. This is a great series to share with your early chapter book readers!

MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11 by Brian Floca Brian Floca writes and illustrates amazing books that are enjoyable to a wide range of kids. Moonshot:The Flight of Apollo 11 is no different. Flocka appeals to the story loving crowd by giving the reader the "what happened" from day to day as the crew readied themselves for takeoff and then the actual flight. He fills the pages with information that a questioning kid would like to know. How do you eat soup, or sleep, or use the bathroom while in space?? Then he appeals to the technical kid that wants diagrams to look at. The inside cover is packed with diagrams of how different parts of the shuttle worked. Then there's the great reviews on the back cover from astronauts a part of other Apollo missions giving their thumbs up for the work Flocka has done bringing space to a kid's eye view. This book is excellent!

BARTIMAEUS: THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND by Jonathan Stroud I had a book hit the trash can today. I can honestly say I tried multiple times to read this book, and I'll tell you why at the end of this post. It's not uncommon for me to wake up around 6 and sit and do my devotions and read. A couple of months ago, my personal reading pile was dwindling, so I went to the kids' shelves and selected a book. What I chose was Book 1 of the Bartimaeus Series, The Amulet of Samarkand. Immediately, the book began with a dark tone. Nathaniel is an 11-year-old boy who is a Magician's apprentice. He is standing inside a pentacle, which is another name for a pentagram, summoning a djinni named Bartimaeus. He is summoning Bartimaeus to punish another magician by having Bartimaeus steal a precious amulet that he owns, because this magician embarrassed Nathaniel in front of his own master Magician, who did nothing to protect him. Bartimaeus successfully procures the amulet through a series of complicated shape shifts. He contemplates delivering the amulet to Nathaniel in the form of a naked woman to see how he would respond. What follows is the history of how we arrived at this point in the book as Nathaniel learns from his master who cares very little for him. We see multiple experiences of demon encounters and even the summoning of a demon. There are multiple references to pentacles as they are an important part of the summoning process. We also learn that Nathaniel's master taught him early on that demons are their great secret and the source of their power. I made it to page 114 before I finally quit and had had enough. I was trying to "redeem" the book and look for a good versus evil ending. I don't normally invest so much if I am struggling with the content. The only reason I did was because this book was a 2021 High School Boys Sonlight Summer Reader. That is how it ended up on our shelves. I'm not going to say much more about that in this post, except to say I have reached out to them in concern. So when do I call it quits on a book that is magically based? After all, I am a lover of Tolkien and Lewis. I have read the first Harry Potter, and I have read Fantastic Beasts. (I did not like Fantastic Beasts at all and I have mixed feelings about Harry Potter.) I definitely draw a line when I am seeing evil things in the book that are true and not just imaginary ( such as pentagrams and demons) held as useful tools for the main character that we are supposed to empathize with. When I see satanic symbols, I personally want to see someone redeemed from them and from that life. So now you, the reader, have the info. I just deliver what I find, but you get to chose what you want to do with it!

TOMATOES FOR NEELA by Padma Lakshmi. Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal Tomatoes for Neela is a precious picture book celebrating the relationship of a girl, her mother, and her grandmother and their love of tomatoes. Written by Padma Lakshmi, executive producer of Bravo series Top Chef and author of several food oriented books, this book shares the joy of traditions. Drawing on the Indian culture (from the country of India) this book is beautifully illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal in shades of corals, aquas, and buttery yellows. Just in time for the ripening of our own local tomatoes, this story includes different kinds of tomatoes, the history of tomatoes, and two recipes. HEADS UP - There is mention of Mother Nature. ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES - If you are not growing your own tomatoes (No guilt trip here!!) consider heading to a Farmer's Market. I know Coshocton has a growing one. Granville has a fantastic one. It can be a little pricey, but it offers a wide range of products! Then gather in the kitchen to try different tomato recipes. Consider inviting others to join you such as your grandma or friends! Have a tomato party!

THE GREAT BOOK OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE by John Matthews. I loved King Arthur stories as a kid. I was swept away in the pulling of the sword from the stone, the Lady of the Lake and Excalibur, Merlin, the rescuing of fair ladies by chivalrous knights, the quest for the Holy Grail, etc. It's been a long time since I have delved into that realm. The Great Book of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a recently released book by John Matthews. Matthews has studied King Arthur for most of his life and has been an advisor to movies such as King Arthur and Pirates of the Caribbean. In his book, Matthews has put together legends that are not in the infamous Malory collection. Further adventures of King Arthur and his well known Knights of the Round Table fill 362 pages along with illustrations from John Howe who was the Conceptual Artist for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Needless to say, if you love King Arthur and the Medieval time period, this will be a great addition to your reading! HEADS UP - Just so you know, in several of the stories our knights end up in bed with their ladies. Matthews often describes their time as"they fell upon the bed" and "they knew all the joys of love." Not all the stories end this way but several do. Ahhh those virtuous knights!

HIDDEN FIGURES: THE TRUE STORY OF FOUR BLACK WOMEN AND THE SPACE RACE by Margot Lee Shetterly. Illustrated by Laura Freeman Hidden Pictures is the wonderful picture book by Margot Lee Shetterly that shares the lives of Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, and the key roles they played in the Space Race. Not only were these four women, they were BLACK WOMEN working in NASA which was unheard of at this time in history! Their math skills were unbelievable. In fact, they were human computers! John Glenn asked Katherine Johnson to check the computer's calculations by hand for his orbit to make sure there were no mistakes. Crazy! This book showcases the character trait of perseverance. Most of us will never experience what these women went through. However, it is a good reminder to us all when times are tough and things are not in our favor, we can still overcome tough obstacles.

ARMSTRONG: THE ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY OF A MOUSE TO THE MOON by Torben Kuhlmann Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon by author/ illustrator Torben Kuhlmann is a fun adventure story of a mouse who wants to go to the moon. All the rest of the mice believe the moon is made of cheese, but he knows that it is actually made of stone. So he sets out to invent a way to get there. Everything doesn't quite go as the mouse plans, but he perseveres. The illustrations on every page are fabulous! Author's notes at the end of the book share some of the real history of the Space Race and Neil Armstrong's historic steps.

YOUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE by Jason Chin While not dealing directly with the moon walk I am still placing Jason Chin's amazing book, Your Place in the Universe, with this collection. Chin sets out to help children (and adults) get a visual picture of the size of our enormous universe. Each page builds upon the one before in mind blowing facts until there is nothing left to say but "WOW! What an awesome creation!" Highly Recommend!

HERSHEY MILTON YOUNG CHOCOLATIER by M. M. Eboch Today is World Chocolate Day!! How can we let that pass without CELEBRATING?!! Therefore, this post will be about Claire, my oldest child who is now the ripe old age of 20! (This coming from her ancient mother of 46!) Claire loved this series of books called The Childhood of Famous Americans. Her first intro to the series was Milton Hershey, and she was hooked! Life was not always easy for Hershey. During his childhood the Civil War raged. He grew up with a father that had big dreams that rarely came true, and that caused a lot of division in his home. Despite this he was able to build the amazing chocolate business that is a name everyone recognizes still today!

A CHILD'S FIRST BOOK ABOUT MARRIAGE by Jani Ortlund This post is not to spark controversy. It is to merely share "What We're Reading." As I read books, my desire is to allow you a peek into the books and determine for yourself if a book is a good fit or not for your family. A Child's First Book About Marriage is a look at the Biblical model of marriage. It is designed to read with young children. It lightly touches on the subjects of divorce, polygamy, and same sex marriage. The true focus of the book is the benefits of marriage. There are multiple scripture references included, and the illustrations show families in many different stages.