Happy Book Birthday, The Invisible Stone by Carola Schmidt!

THE INVISIBLE STONE

A Letter to a Powerful Girl

by Carola Schmidt

Illustrated by Dian Ovieta

Picture Book

24 pages

ages 6 to 12

The Invisible Stone: A Letter to a Powerful Girl is a heartfelt, uplifting letter every girl needs when confidence wobbles. In clear, encouraging words, bestselling author Carola Schmidt speaks to the smart, brave go-getter who sometimes meets doubts, fear and hesitation—the “invisible stones” on the road to big dreams. With lovely illustrations by artist Dian Ovieta, this inspiring book reminds readers of their resilience and self-love, showing how to name those hidden obstacles, step over them and keep moving toward the future they deserve. A beautiful message about perseverance and growth mindset, perfect for encouraging girls to trust their path, celebrate small wins and turn every stumble into strength.

Perfect for:

• Girls who need positive affirmations and confidence boosts
• Parents, teachers and counselors seeking a short, powerful read-aloud with gorgeous art
• Classroom lessons on self-esteem, perseverance and mindfulness
• Back-to-school, graduation and birthday gifts
• Ages 6–10 with a message that resonates for older readers too

What readers will find:

• Encouraging, straight-to-the-heart language that builds self-belief
• Practical encouragement for facing self-doubt and perfectionism
• A motivational go-to book to revisit before tests, tryouts, presentations and new challenges
• Warm, expressive illustrations that make every page feel like a hug

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Inspiration, support, and vibes of a cheering squad make this a book to lift up anyone who is facing a few unexpected challenges (big or small).

This book is all about building confidence and letting readers know that nothing is easy to achieve. There will be problems to overcome. To take this a step further, the author also refers to the deeper obstacles such as hesitation, fear, and the like. These are deemed invisible stones, since they are there...and monstrous...but not always immediately noticed. With uplifting word choices, these pages offer encouragement. Even invisible stones can be overcome, and everything should be seen as a path, which is taken step by step. It's a message which works well for a variety of situations and individuals, since it's a broad theme and doesn't turn specific. While it is thought for girls, the message is wide and works for all readers.

The text is kept short and carries an almost poetic atmosphere. There are a few tougher vocabulary words, which might need to be explained depending on the age of the reader. But this is great for those word building skills and also makes it slide into this mid-range of 6 to 9...I say 9, since the book, in general, gives off younger vibes thanks to the illustrations. However, this book takes a bit of an indirect approach to the theme, and this makes it a nice fit to children even up to 10. 

It's a positive read with cheerful illustrations and tons of motivational goodness.

Puzzle Sleuth Undercover by Paul Westmoreland

It's time for a mystery...or in this case, mysteries. And puzzles. Lots of them, I hope. Today's read is the second book in a series, which packs a few, separate cases with puzzles to form engaging mysteries. I'm not sure if the puzzles are in the cases and part of them, or if the puzzles are on the side of the cases...as extras (?). But we'll find out. I am swallowing at the 400 pages length, but considering this one is for tweens and not middle grade, that shouldn't be a huge issue, right?

Let's put on our sleuthing caps, settle down, and see if we can figure out some mysteries, shall we?

PUZZLE SLEUTH UNDERCOVER

More Mind-Bending Murder Puzzle Mysteries

by Paul Westmoreland

Ten Speed Young Readers

Middle Grade Mystery

400 pages

ages 10 to 14

Choose your path, solve the puzzles, and catch the killer in this second collection of three ingenious fictional murder mysteries that challenge young readers with logic problems, visual games, and dangerous decisions at every turn.

Arlo Banks rose to fame as an amazing puzzle solver. His adventures across the world led him to crack cases that out-foxed the smartest experts and boldest criminal masterminds. Now enrolled in British Secret Intelligence Service's training program, Arlo faces his deadliest challenges yet in thrilling new adventures that have him unraveling the mystery behind a Hollywood star's sudden death, investigating the disappearance of an ambassador, and exposing the secrets of a lethal international organization.

As Arlo Banks, you choose what path to take and what puzzles to answer to solve each mystery. From breaking codes to escaping traps, navigating mazes to sifting through evidence, Puzzle Sleuth Undercover is an addictive brain-teasing mix of story, game, and adventure. Just remember to choose wisely. Your next move could catch the killer—or be your last!

GOODREADS     /      AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Set in the same format as a Choose Your Own Adventure book, these mysteries draw in not only with tension but add some puzzling fun along the way.

Arlo Banks is a super-ace when it comes to solving puzzles...so much so that he now works for the British Secret Intelligence Service. He's young. Very young, but can solve cases like no other. In these pages, there are three case, which the head of the Intelligence Service needs his help on. One is a Hollywood murder, the next is a murder in Madrid, and the last finds Arlo looking into an international case on the ski slopes...if he gets that far. After a beginning chapter and the first look at each case, the reader needs to either make a choice or solve a puzzle to see how the mystery and adventure will continue. The decisions the reader makes lead to a different chapter with new possibilities and clues or to their death. If all clues are successfully followed and all decisions carefully made, the murder is exposed, and Arlo gains even more recognition than before.

The idea of setting up murder mysteries in a choose-your-own-adventure style makes them engaging and fun. While the reader gets a little bit of basic information and a newspaper article to set things off, it's impossible to predict what will happen from there. Some of the choices are clear and easy, while others take a bit of luck. The ones with puzzles, which is quite often, involve a bit of thought. These can include mazes, number games, logic puzzles, and more. The variety is large to guarantee that it never grows boring. The puzzles aren't very difficult, however, which has me sliding the age range down a bit to 12 (I'd say more like 10) and below. I'm afraid this upper age range (up to 14) will find most of them too simple. There is a bit of tension thanks to the dangerous situations (these are murder with dangerous stakes), but nothing is graphic or too tense, either. Still, more sensitive readers might find Arlo's death, when making wrong decisions, difficult. 

There are solutions to the puzzles at the end of the book to help out when necessary. Otherwise, the stories run along smoothly and the outcomes are hard to predict. The chances of making 'wrong' decisions, every now and then, is high, which keeps the stakes interesting. The scenes and mysteries are nicely laid out. There's enough details to bring the moments across clearly without overloading. The scenes are kept relatively short and give only what is needed to keep the tension high and lay out the clues. This makes it a quick read, which even works well for more impatient or reluctant readers. 

While the total length of this book seemed heavy, at first, the tales are broken up into very short chapters and usually hold large, simple illustrations thanks to the puzzles. So, it reads much faster that a book of this size often would. It's an enjoyable and grabbing read for mystery and puzzle fans, and worth taking a peek at.

And here he is...

Paul Westmoreland has been a professional writer for over twenty-five years, creating award-winning advertising for TV, film, radio, and digital campaigns. He is now a full-time author, and as well as coming up with brain-teasing puzzle and mystery books, he is the writer behind the werewolf middle-grade series Rudy. He lives in the UK.

The Diseased Ones by Danielle Harrington

I saw today's read on one of the book websites I like to thumb through, every now and then, and thought..."Hmmm...I haven't picked up a girl-power dystopian read in a long time." This is the first in a series of...(have to take a quick peek here)...four books, and the first one was released in 2020. The reviews are very good, so it might be a fun one to simply dive into and enjoy. I'm not expecting tons of emotional depth or extreme amounts of food for thought, but I might be surprised. I'm hoping it stays planted in the young adult range like it claims it is, too.

So, let's lean back and see if this one makes a exciting, evening read or not.

THE DISEASED ONES

The Hollis Timewire Series, Book 1

by Danielle Harrington

Acorn Publishing

YA Dystopian

302 pages

Life is easy in 2647, unless you're a Diseased One...

On the morning of her 16th birthday, Hollis Timewire receives the worst possible news. She can't become a citizen of the world. She's a Diseased One.

Born with a biomarker that bestows dangerous, brain-altering powers, Hollis is forced to hide underground with other Diseased Ones, who believe that the government falsified history to cover up their genocide.

Now Hollis must discover the truth, and is willing to risk anything, including her powers, to go back home.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Reminding of X-Men but placed in a controlling dystopian world, this is a fast-paced read with nods of romance and even some heart.

Hollis is extremely nervous to take the Test, but every 16-year-old has to pass it before becoming a true member of society. No one has failed it for twelve years. It's not hard, just a blood test to guarantee that they don't carry the biomarker, which once marked the monsters who almost destroyed their world. While there's no way she should have this biomarker, the test results come up positive. As armed government soldiers arrest her and guns point in her direction, a strange voice speaks in her head, and soon, she's physically controlling everyone around her. Then, a girl suddenly appears at her side and transports her to a secret underground facility full of 'monsters', and Hollis is terrified. They claim that the government lies to the people, and that it was those with the biomarker which were really hunted and killed during the war. They also claim that they are happy just remaining hidden and saving those like them whenever possible. That's why they saved her. But she's sure she's nothing like them, and that they are only trying to twist her mind with lies. After all, the government cares about the people...or so she's always believed. 

This is a quick-read with tons to enjoy for anyone enjoying dystopian worlds, super powers, and the frailty of the human mind. The beginning scene is a little cliche for this genre, but it works to immediately place the reader in the world and situation. It's clear what's wrong from the get go, which is great since everything happens pretty quickly from there. Hollis' explosion into her powers is grabbing and tense, but leaves enough strangeness with the voice in her head to give it an original feel. Hollis' entrance into the secret compound isn't all sunshine and roses, either, as the author tries to stay close to the reality of being brainwashed from birth onwards. Hollis doesn't trust readily, which makes her an interesting character throughout the book and adds an intriguing edge. Those around her, on the other hand, are mostly understanding and helpful, which makes a perfect mix for the emotional angle of this read. This imbalance keeps a constant tension and holds the question as to what will snap first...and from which direction it will come.

The plot moves along quickly, and while quite a bit of time is spent with Hollis and her relationships to those around her, this book never dives too deep into thought, either. The world is well fleshed out, and the author makes sure to weave in information as necessary. I would have liked to get a bit more on Hollis' life in the society before her powers hit to better sympathize with her desire to return to her world. As it is, her mood swings and thoughts seem a little disjointed, at times, which makes her hard to always like. 

This book ends on a huge cliff-hanger, which isn't everyone's thing, but it did leave me very curious as to what happens next. But I'm not sure I'm interested enough in Hollis to add book 2 to my huge reading pile or not. It was an enjoyable read, though.

You can find out more about Danielle Harrington and her works:

https://www.djharringtonbooks.com/

I Spy Valentine's Day by Pebble Path Press

While reading is a joy, sometimes, it's nice to dive into activity books, too. Today's read should hold quite a few things for readers to do. With Valentine's Day just a couple weeks away, it's also a fitting book for the season. I've always enjoyed mazes, searches, and such, so I'm excited to open this one up and take a peek.

Who else is ready to see if this one holds activity fun?

I SPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Activity Book

Pebble Path Press

Children's Activity

108 pages

ages 4 to 8

Looking for the perfect valentines gifts for kids that keeps them entertained for hours without screens?

This I Spy Valentine's Day book for kids ages 4-8 is exactly what busy parents and teachers have been searching for! Watch your child's face light up as they discover hidden Valentine treasures, solve challenging puzzles, and create colorful masterpieces - all while developing critical thinking skills without even realizing they're learning.

What Makes This Valentine Activity Book Special:

• 5 Different Activities in One Book: 30 coloring pages, 20 mazes, 15 I Spy puzzles, 15 word searches, and 10 connect-the-dots
• Grows With Your Child: Progressive difficulty from easy to challenging keeps kids engaged ages 4-8
• Perfect Gift Size: Large 8.5" x 11" pages with single-sided printing (no bleed-through!)
• Quality Family Time: Screen-free entertainment that brings families together
• Educational + Fun: Builds problem-solving, concentration, vocabulary, and fine motor skills

Perfect valentines day gifts for kids who love puzzles, coloring, and hands-on activities! Ideal for Valentine's Day gifts, classroom parties, road trips, rainy days, or anytime you need quality entertainment that actually helps them learn and grow.

This isn't just another activity book - it's hours of creative, educational fun that keeps on giving long after the candy is gone. Every page is carefully designed to be age-appropriate, engaging, and rewarding. Kids even get a Certificate of Completion when they finish!

Make This Valentine's Day Special! Scroll up and click "Add to Cart" now. Your child will thank you (and so will your sanity)! Perfect valentine gifts kids will actually use and love.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

With everything from coloring images to finding hearts, these pages pack more than a few activities to keep readers busy.

Valentine's Day is almost here, and this book lets the joy and love of that day flow. From cute bears to heart and chocolates and so much more, every activity has something, which can be associated with Valentine's Day. The book is broken down into several sections, so readers can flip to their favorite types of activity and dive right in. There are coloring pages, mazes, search scenes, word searches, and connecting -the-dot exercises. The puzzles begin easy for beginners and build up the difficulty little by little. None of these grow too difficult, however, and remain very doable for the intended age group. There are also answers after the activities to make sure readers can check to see if they are right...or maybe, get a glance at the answer when frustration mounts.

The images are cheerful and remain cute the entire way through. The puzzles, mazes, and such offer a bit of a spread to make sure there's something for everyone. It's an enjoyable collection, which works great for trips, free time moments, or to keep readers busy for a few moments. It's enjoyable and sure to provide, at least, a few hours of things to do.

About Pebble Path Press...

About Pebble Path Press: Pebble Path Press creates high-quality, educational activity books for children that combine learning with fun. We believe in screen-free entertainment that develops critical thinking, creativity, and fine motor skills.

Happy Book Birthday, Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas!

It's time to shoutout another book birthday! Today's read releases tomorrow from Groundwoods Publishing and aims at the middle grade audience. I found the cover simple but grabbing...and wanted to know about that alien right away. It appears that this isn't a science fiction read, however, and steers more in the direction of imaginary friends. 

But let's just take a peek and see what this tale's all about.

 

LEO AND RALPH

by Peter Carnavas

Groundwood Books

Middle Grade Fiction

280 pages

ages 8 to 12

From award-winning storyteller Peter Carnavas comes this stellar novel about space, starting over and the best friend you could ever imagine.

Ralph sat up. His voice was croaky. ‘ If a shooting star zoomed past right now, what would you wish for?'

‘ To find another friend like you.'

Leo and Ralph have been best friends ever since Ralph flew down from one of Jupiter's moons. But now Leo's older, and Mum and Dad think it' s time to say goodbye to Ralph. When the family moves to a small country town, they hope Leo might finally make a real friend. But someone like Ralph is hard to leave behind...Perfect for kids who enjoy gentle, thoughtful stories like The Wild Robot by Peter Brown and the Polly and Buster series by Sally Rippin.

GOODREADS     /     PUBLISHER     /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Problems of moving, finding friends, and parting with old ones comes across with a hint of imagination and tons of heart.

Leo has always had difficulties fitting in at school, but when he found Ralph, everything was fine...although Ralph came from space. With a move to a small town, Leo needs to look forward and leaves Ralph behind, but that also gives him with the task of finding real friends. Considering he still has difficulties on that end, it isn't an easy one. Plus, he misses Ralph.

This is a gentle tale, which moves through the plot with calmness, care, and warmth. Leo's fondness for Ralph is very understandable, and Ralph is a wonderful friend. So, it's easy to understand Leo as he struggles to move on. His troubles with kids his age are also understandable and, in many ways, relatable. Luckily, his family stands at his side and offers quite a bit support and concern, never belittling or trying to sweep over his problems. There are other characters as well, who offer assistance where they can, and this forms a wholesome read with lots of goodness. 

The slightly larger font and spacing slides a bit more in the chapter book/easier reader direction. The theme of Ralph's friendship also fits nicely to the mid-/and younger end of the middle grade reading group. The story centers more on heart and brings Leo's situation across in a touching and interesting way to keep the pacing steady the entire way through. There were a few times where the perspective switched to the adults, which was smooth but wasn't quite my thing, since it reminded the reader that Leo is a child (but this is really just me, since it also adds insights into the situation). I see this one for readers, who enjoy diving into more thoughtful stories and enjoy a little warmth and food for thought.

And here he is...

PETER CARNAVAS writes and illustrates books for young readers. His books have been published around the world and have won many awards, including a Queensland Literary Award and the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature at the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards. Peter lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, with his wife, two daughters and a dog.