THE WORD IS MURDER by Anthony Horowitz Anthony Horowitz ( author of Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War) is a brilliant storyteller in The Word is Murder. He actually casts himself as a writer in his book and references his real works. ( This definitely gives this book an air of reality.) In the novel, Horowitz is approached by former Detective Inspector Hawthorne to write a book about a current case he has been asked to help solve. The case revolves around Diana Cowper, a lady who goes to a funeral home to plan her funeral and ends up dead a few hours later. This sets off a chain of events that resurrects past happenings that will keep you guessing at the solution. Heads Up- There are a handful of f-bombs. There are references to gay relationships, but no indepth scenes. Inspector Hawthorne is accused of being homophobic. I rate the blood/gore at a medium.

HALF BAKED HARVEST: EVERY DAY by Tieghan Gerard This is part of my reading for the day, a new cookbook! Thank you to my sister for gifting me this right-up-my-alley cookbook! Half Baked Harvest is a cookbook filled with recipes of whole food and fresh ingredients by Tieghan Gerard. I am not familiar with her, but I can't wait to dig in and start the deliciousness flowing out of the kitchen!

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis I can't tell you how many times I have read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The Narnia series was my go to reads as a kid, and I have shared them with each of my children, lately Callie.  The four Pevensie children have been sent to the country to live with a professor during WWII. During a rainy day game of hide and go seek, Lucy ( the youngest child), opens the wardrobe door to hide. She steps inside and finds herself transported to another world full of talking animals and mythical creatures that is in a perpetual state of winter. Evil has taken hold and the time is right for the curse to be broken, but it will take all of the children and a lion named Aslan. After reading the book, I can tell you that I stepped into closets checking the back to see if I could go to Narnia. I may still check to this day, but I'll never tell!

SUNFLOWER HOUSES: GARDEN DISCOVERIES FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES by Sharon Lovejoy Planning your gardens for the year? How about doing a children's garden? Sunflower Houses: Garden Discoveries for Children of All Ages is a book full of different garden ideas and activities to do in your garden with children. A garden of ABC's or where something blooms every hour are a couple of possibilities. Beautiful illustrations make the book enjoyable for young and old alike.

UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT by Kate Messner. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt follows a young girl and her grandmother as they care for their garden. A fascinating read of what is happening on the surface of the garden and below. Illustrations are engaging and there is lots of additional info in the end pages. Alongside Activity- Consider planting a garden! Keep an eye out for all the creatures, good and bad, that you read about in the book.

HARRY THE DIRTY DOG by Gene Zion. Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham Harry is a little dog who hates baths. (Does this remind you of any of your kids?) He hides the scrub brush and sets out on adventure to get as dirty as he can. The results aren't quite what he expected! This is such a delightful story. Definitely a family favorite!

I WILL REJOICE by Karma Wilson. Illustrated by Amy June Bates Karma Wilson (author of Bear Wants More and Mortimer's Christmas Manger) helps us to remember that we can go through our day rejoicing in I Will Rejoice. Based on Psalm 148 we follow a young girl as she lives out her day thanking the Lord for each part. Written in rhyming verse, this book, illustrated in lots of sunny yellows and grassy greens, helps us think of warmer days ahead!

THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF PETER RABBIT by Beatrix Potter We also can't have a Spring Series without mentioning a certain mischievous, little bunny - Peter Rabbit. This brazen, young bunny disobeys his mother's last words (before she heads out on errands) to stay away from Mr. McGregor's garden. She goes out the door, and Peter heads for the nearest gate into the garden. Plenty of mishaps ensue and natural discipline takes its course. BUT then he later returns with his cousin in the Tale of Benjamin Bunny. More lessons are learned especially with the help of Benjamin's father! These classics can speak to all of us today about the price of pursuing what we know we should stay away from! Beatrix Potter's beautiful watercolors throughout the little stories are a joy to look at for all ages!

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey We can't have a Spring Series without McCloskey's Make Way For Ducklings. Mr. And Mrs. Mallard are looking for the perfect place to build their nest, but they keep running into obstacles. Will they find a safe spot for their little ducklings? McCloskey's endearing drawings are a delight for children and parents alike!

MUDPIES AND OTHER RECIPES by Marjorie Winslow This is a recipe book for making mud pies! How precious is that? I don't know about your kids, but mine have spent hours concocting all kinds of "deliciousness" from their playhouse kitchen! When I found this book, I couldn't pass it up. The black and white illustrations are priceless! Alongside Activity- Grab several varieties of dirt, a pail of water, moss, pine needles, leaves, pebbles, etc and mix up a delightful batch of something!

DIARY OF A WORM by Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Ever wonder what goes through the mind of an earthworm? Diary of a Worm is a hilarious look into an earthworm's day. Get ready for some great laughs!

NORTHWIND by Gary Paulsen For all the upper elementary and older kids who loved the book Hatchet, Northwind will not disappoint. Leif is an orphaned boy who lives with sailors. When Cholera strikes and people start dying, Leif and another small boy are loaded into a canoe and told to head north. This book tracks that journey and many near death experiences.  Author Gary Paulsen passed in 2021, and Northwind was published in 2022. There is a substantial amount of author's notes in the back sharing adventures Paulsen had as a boy that he wrote into Leif's story. It is truly amazing. It also becomes very clear how Paulsen was such a genius at writing adventure/survival novels. Heads Up- D--- is used approx 3 times. Several people die due to cholera and there is some decent description of what infected people went through. Several life threatening situations. Leif is obviously Scandinavian ( most likely Norwegian) and looks to Odin for guidance.