Create!: A Girl's Guide to DIY, Doodles, and Design (Faithgirlz) by Ashley Mays

ISBN: 9780310763161
Ages 8-12, Gr. 3-4
Paperback
ZonderKidz Pub

My thoughts: With summer break from school (unless your kids are year-round-schooled), you most definitely are beginning to think that age-old question of, "What in the world am I going to do with the kids all summer? How am I going to occupy them and keep them from going brain dead or stir crazy?"

Well, grab a handy book like Create! A Girl's Guide to DIY, Doodles, and Design. Well, it says it is for girls, so you'll have to sneak some of these crafty ideas and make a way to adapt them so your boys, without their knowing they came from a "girl's book" (Horrors!), will have something to get their creative juices flowing. The book is, hands down, definitely and totally filled with girl things - artsy, decorative, curly-whirly-girly things to do.

Kidding aside, folks, this book is right up a parent's dream alley of gems to be placed on the "acquisition list" and placed in the hands of your kiddies. Glance through it and be sure you have some of the stuff needed already on hand so no time is lost when that spark of creativity ignites.

For the time when a Bible verse hits home they can begin doing some sketching and lettering  that helps cement the idea firmly in their mind for later. Or they can take a pair of jeans and re-purpose them into a really fun tote bag. And the book doesn't just have ideas, there are instructions to direct the actual project and some pictures to visualize how to go about doing it and how it might look when completed.

Definitely consider getting one for your girls to have on hand for those hazy, lazy,  crazy days of summer.

About the book: Ready, set, create! Whether you’re an aspiring artist or a just-starting-out doodler, Create! A Girl’s Guide to DIY, Doodles, and Design is the perfect book to inspire your creative side. From coloring pages to quick-and-easy crafts—like photo frames and duct-tape bags—and everything in between, this full-color book from the trusted Faithgirlz brand provides step-by-step guides to more than 50 fun and easy projects. Learn how to make your own DIY projects, create one-of-a-kind jewelry, and draw like a pro. Perfect for individual use or for sleepovers, birthday parties, and more, Create! is sure to bring out your inner artist.

Content includes:

• DIY décor, photo frames, duct-tape purses, and more
• Pages of quotes and designs to color
• Easy-to-follow doodling and drawing guides
• Jewelry making for friendship bracelets, earrings, and more

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from BookLook Book Review Program on behalf of ZonderKidz and the author to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given.

Hello Stars (A Faithgirlz story) by Alena Pitts & Wynter Pitts

ISBN: 978010760597
Paperback $8.99

My thoughts:  It seems that there is a continuing fascination for all things star-studded and by that, I mean entertainment stars - not solar system stars. The "FaithGirlz" publications are about empowering young girls to be what God has planned for them. You might want to check out the FaithGirls website (click here) for more about this program and their publications. I previously reviewed a couple of the FaithGirlz books for the 8-12 crowd and today I'm looking at "Hello Stars" another of the fiction books that tells the story of a young girl of faith and how she goes about life trying to live for God.

Written by mother and daughter who are both entertainers and about them as entertainers (fictional), we get into the star-studded life. How does being a young entertainer impact the life of a young girl? How "normal" a life can she live? In Hello Stars we learn that Lena struggles with obedience just as a "normal" girl does. Her mother guides her toward prayer about circumstances and decisions.

I found it refreshing that Hello Stars features a young African-American girl and her mother. This will be a good read for girls 8 to 12 of any race. It is about a Christian young girl and her mother so be sure to expect references to God, faith, Jesus, and prayer.

About the book: Hello Stars, a book co-written by a mother/daughter team, for girls 8-12 years old.This Faithgirlz series entitled Lena in the Spotlight, written by Alena Pitts, star of War Room and tween blogger of For Girls Like You, and co-written with her mother, editor and author, Wynter Pitts, is a reflection of Alena's own life experiences as she reaches for the stars and keeps her faith in balance.Quick Overview: Hello Stars, Alena Pitts' debut novel in her Faithgirlz series Lena in the Spotlight, introduces Lena Daniels. When Lena unexpectedly lands a movie role, is it too good to be true? This spirited 11-year-old must find a way to balance stardom with "real" life. Suddenly Lena wishes she had time for her three younger sisters and her friends.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Handlebar Publicity on behalf of the publisher and author to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and freely given.

Light Up New York (Faithgirlz #4) by Natalie Grant

My thoughts:  These lively girls are now off to New York City where more fun and adventure await them and how the FaithGirlz get involved in the mysterious Snow Angel. Excitement and adventure await readers as the family of three girls with their father, famous mother, and their nanny - who is a powerful influence on the girls - take in New York City.

While a fun, readable story that does involve faith and prayer and while it lets the young readers glimpse the life of children whose parent is a famous entertainer, it does have the young FaithGirlz doing things children their age should not. For example: sneaking out without parent's permission (in New York, really?). Also, as with most families there is sibling arguing, and they sometimes have an "attitude."

The importance of telling the truth and of forgiveness are positives in this book and series.

I find this is still an enjoyable story, and girls just seem to love thise little books by Natalie Grant.

Preview some of book        

 Listen to some of book (click "Listen" under picture)

About the book: This is a Faithgirlz title, the 4th and final book in Award winning singer Natalie Grant's Glimmer Girls series.

Join twins Mia and Maddie and their sidekick little sister, Lulu, as they travel the country finding adventure, mystery, and sometimes mischief along the way. Together with their famous mother, singer Gloria Glimmer, and their slightly wacky nanny Miss Julia, the sisters learn lessons about being good friends, telling the truth, and a whole lot more.

In this fourth book in the Faithgirlz Glimmer Girls series, the Glimmer family is headed to the Big Apple—New York City! Gloria has been asked to perform a concert in Times Square and the whole family joins her. Miss Julia immediately starts planning a sightseeing trip for the sisters that will be better than all the rest, but plans never turn out exactly as they imagine when the Glimmer girls are involved. So what happens when sibling rivalry, random acts of kindness, and a little mystery all meet up at some of the most famous sights in New York City?

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the BookLook Reviewers Program on behalf of the publisher, Zondervan, to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.