MG Review + Giveaway / The Silent Journey

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Book: The Silent Journey (2026)
Author: Havelah McLat
Genre: Historical (Middle Grade)

Opening Lines of the Book…
Whenever she spoke to me, I saw movement, but I heard nothing. As always, silence. Iryna, my silver-haired guardian and caregiver, picked up Katya, my doll, and gave me a sharp glare. She had many wrinkles on her forehead and creased corners in her eyes. She shook her head, her lips moving, but I didn’t understand her. Heat crept up my neck and tears burned my cheeks. I missed my papa—my Tato, as we say in Ukrainian. I wanted to see his face again. I wished he hadn’t gone to America without me.

MY THOUGHTS…

This story follows Anika, a young girl who happens to be deaf, who lives in 1930s Ukraine (Soviet Union). Her father has already left to go to New York City. Now it’s time for Anika and her caregiver (Mom is dead) to join him.  But on arrival, and due to various situations, Anika is suddenly on her own and has to find her father armed with only a postcard with his address on it. Except that she loses the postcard. (Of course!)

It takes place at the height of the Great Depression, but I love how Anika meets each challenge with courage, determination, and hope. The book is perfect for anybody who loves historical fiction!

E-BOOK GIVEAWAY!

The author, Havelah McLat, is offering a special giveaway. You can enter to win a copy of the ebook, plus some stickers and bookmarks. (Giveaway ends April 30, 2026.)

Enter Giveaway

The Story Behind the Story 

The Silent Journey
By Havelah McLat

As a young girl who was hard of hearing, I couldn’t find books that featured a protagonist with a disability. So, when I grew up, I thought it would be interesting to write a book from the perspective of a deaf protagonist. I tried two times before drafting The Silent Journey. I thought, “What if a character is deaf, but coming from Ukraine to America, and searching for her papa?”

The story concept is also heavily inspired by the 1995 film adaptation of A Little Princess. I absolutely adore this film and the relationship between the daughter and the father, especially how they reunite at the end. My story wasn’t easy to draft. I usually write in third-person limited, but for this story, it wasn’t working. Then I found that first-person POV works best for the reader to experience the world through the protagonist’s eyes. I began this story around 2018-2019. After many revisions and edits, I’m absolutely thrilled to finally share this story with the world.

I wrote Anika’s story for young readers to feel seen, appreciated, and accepted for who they are, and reminded that they are courageous, resilient, and loved.
 
Maria here: Thank you, Havelah, for sharing the inspiration behind this story! And thank you for providing a free ebook for a giveaway!
 
HAVELAH McLAT grew up on a small farm in Ohio. As a kid, she spent hours crafting short stories. Her passion grew to write stories about the world, faith, and what matters the most to her. She enjoys reading books, drawing, and spending time with her family. More on Havelah’s books at her website.
 

12 CHALLENGE

12 months to feature 12 picture books…

This picture book review is part of a monthly challenge I’ve set for myself. Have a recommendation for me? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.  I may just feature your pick one of these months!

 

Photo Challenge #3 / J is for Joyful

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“Signs of Spring” / Theme: J is for Joyful

A little about this photo…

As the snow melts, the snowdrops start appearing in the garden. I found these beautiful little flowers on a camera walk in a garden in Niagara Falls. After a long and snowy winter, it really is a joy to see this sign of spring!

#2026picofthemonth #signsofspring #springflowers #snowdrops

THIS 2026 MONTHLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – This year is YEAR NINE of doing a photography challenge! (I began in 2018.) For more information about the list of prompts for this year, click on this link. And join me in posting your own photos on the last Saturday of each month with #2026picofthemonth

PB Review / No Huddles for Heloise

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Book: No Huddles for Heloise (2025)
Author: Deborah Kerbel
Illustrator: Udayana Lugo
Publisher: Orca Books
Genre: Picture Book

Opening Lines of the Book…
This is Heloise.

She lives with lots of other penguins in a very crowded burrow at the way down at the bottom of the world.

MY THOUGHTS…

Such a cute book about penguins. But it’s more than that. Heloise needs her personal space, but that’s hard when you’re a penguin. Huddles mean warmth at the South Pole. I particularly like the little penguin facts woven into the story.

Of course, this book isn’t just for penguin readers! There are plenty of kids who don’t like to be hugged. This is a good reminder that we can find ways to show our love in various creative ways that don’t have to come in the form of hugs. Or huddles.

A wonderful book with adorable art. 

12 CHALLENGE

12 months to feature 12 picture books…

This picture book review is part of a monthly challenge I’ve set for myself. Have a recommendation for me? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.  I may just feature your pick one of these months!

 

Review / The Free State of Jax

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Book: The Free State of Jax (2025)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publisher: Scholastic Books
Genre: MG, Contemporary

Opening lines from the book …
My grandma once told me the story of three men who escaped from Alcatraz prison. No one had ever escaped before, but these three men managed to do it on a homemade raft. No one knows for sure what happened to them afterward.

“They died.”

That’s what Grandmas always said.

My thoughts …

Jax (not Jack) runs away from his horrible relatives / foster family and sets up a micro-nation in the middle of a neighboring lake. He’s the president and sole citizen. This book is part mystery with the grumpy neighbor. Jax tries to figure out what happened with the disappearance of the neighbor’s brother, plus the money that the town thinks the neighbor stole.

I liked how all the kids band together to help Jax make his new micro-nation into a resort of sorts where people could come and swim. I was also rooting for Jax to get away from his awful relatives and find a better foster home. 

The plot is fun! The mystery will make you want to figure things out. And the main character, Jax, will keep you reading to the end.  (And I like the grumpy trope, so there’s that, too!)

 

YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Photo Challenge #2 / F is for Flowing

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“Winter Waterfalls” / Theme: F is for Flowing

A little about this photo…

Even in winter, Niagara Falls still flows. Sure, ice has formed over certain sections. And an ice bridge has formed in the river below. If you look closely, you can see people on that wooden structure. That will give you an idea of how thick the ice is!

(This is the American Falls. The Canadian Falls (or Horseshoe Falls) doesn’t really freeze up like this.)

#2026picofthemonth #niagarafallsinwinter #flowingwater

THIS 2026 MONTHLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – This year is YEAR NINE of doing a photography challenge! (I began in 2018.) For more information about the list of prompts for this year, click on this link. And join me in posting your own photos on the last Saturday of each month with #2026picofthemonth

Review / Snoop

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Book: Snoop (2025)
Author: Gordon Korman
Publisher: Scholastic Books
Genre: MG, Contemporary

Opening lines from the book …
The wind on the mountain is cold enough to freeze fire.

As I slalom down the slope, it sneaks inside my hood, attacking my ears. I hear the crunch of my skis digging into the spring snow as I pick up speed. It’s beautiful too–Colorado in March, a world-class ski resort, the Rockies all around me. I can see why Dad loves this sport so much.

But my mind is focused on the Chattanooga Chop.

My thoughts …

This book reminded me a little of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Rear Window. I’m not sure if that was the inspiration, but it certainly felt like it (in a kid-friendly way). The story kicks off with Carter breaking both his legs on a ski trip. Obviously, that’s going to confine him to staying home. But, instead of just looking outside his window, he hacks into the security cameras found around the town. And he starts to suspect that there’s some sort of rare animal smuggling ring in operation.

A fun book! Typical Gordon Korman, although this one is told with a single POV (Carter’s). I liked that for a change.

YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

PB Review / The First Ones on the Ice

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Book: The First Ones on the Ice (2024)
Author: Lana Button
Illustrator: Alex MacAskill
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing
Genre: Picture Book

Opening Lines of the Book…
My brother and I are the luckiest kids in town. We start the path. We’ll get there first.

Just past the bushes, there’s a big blanket of snow. My brother and I know right where to dig and push. And our shovels slide.

There it is.

MY THOUGHTS…

In time for the Olympics! (And I’m not really even a hockey fan, but I did like this book!)

This book is like a day-in-the-life of an outdoor skating rink. The brother and sister clear the snow from the ice at the crack of dawn, just in time for their friends to come for a skate. Later in the day, the big kids come to play a game of hockey. And finally, we get to the end of the day. 

This book will let you enjoy all these activities from the warmth of your own home. Such a fun read for a cold January day.

 

12 CHALLENGE

12 months to feature 12 picture books…

This picture book review is part of a monthly challenge I’ve set for myself. Have a recommendation for me? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.  I may just feature your pick one of these months!

 

Review / Spelling It Out

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Book: Spelling It Out (2025)
Author: Margaret Finnegan
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Genre: MG, Historical (1980s)

Opening lines from the book …
Picture it: 1985. There I am: Ben Bellini. Sixth grade, but probably looking closer to fifth. (Why? Because my parents threw me into kindergarten when I was four and a half years old, and I was a shrimp to boot.) I’m standing on a middle school stage somewhere in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley. My dark, shaggy hair tickles my neck. A collared shirt and black pants hang off my puny frame. There’s a microphone in front of me–and behind me, about sixty of those uncomfortable folding chairs found in school auditoriums. When this day began, there was a kind seated in each one. Now most of those chairs are empty.

My thoughts …

Ben’s studying for the national spelling bee! And he’s going to his grandmother’s in San Francisco to study with a reclusive former champion. The grandmother, Nan, is great! But the former champion; well, Ben gets a lot of warnings about how he’s not quite the kindest guy on the block. But he promises to tell Ben his secret if he sticks with it. Along the way, Ben meets Asha, who’s also studying for the bee.

I like how San Francisco is the setting for this story. And the story of Ben and Nan is great. (Slight spoiler: Nan is showing signs of dementia. And Ben’s going to have to do something about it once he realizes what he’s witnessing.)

The story does take place in 1985, so this is a time before cell phones … when people use real dictionaries (i.e. in book format). I especially liked how each chapter begins with a spelling word. In fact, I liked learning about the whole competitive world of spelling bees! 

YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Photo Challenge #1 / W is for Weather

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“Little Bird, Little Bird” / Theme: W is for Weather

A little about this photo…

The snow was still coming down, but the birds were out looking for food. The worst of the storm was over. I waited patiently to capture this little bird as he waited. (If you’re curious, I think this bird is a Dark-eyed Junco. They really are adorable little birds!) If you look closely at the bricks, you can see the snow falling.

#2026picofthemonth #littlebirds #birdsinsnow

THIS 2026 MONTHLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – This year is YEAR NINE of doing a photography challenge! (I began in 2018.) For more information about the list of prompts for this year, click on this link. And join me in posting your own photos on the last Saturday of each month with #2026picofthemonth

Review / Holding on for Dear Life

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Book: Holding on for Dear Life (2025)
Author: Dusti Bowling
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: MG, Contemporary

Opening lines from the book …

The angry, heaving bull jumps and kicks the metal gate, the thunderous ringing echoing like church bells across the cloudless desert sky.

But this isn’t church. Far from it.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” chant my spotters, the guys who are supposed to keep me safe. As if they could. As if they could stop a train from running over me. A tornado from carrying me away. A thousand-pound animal from stomping me to bits.

My thoughts …

This book is probably one of my favorite reads this year. It’s about bull riding, which is a sport that is just awful. I enjoyed learning about it, as it’s not something I’ve ever really watched. Canyon is our protagonist and he’s a young bull rider who’s trying to get his father’s approval after the death of his mom. But his dad’s just checked out. And, even though Canyon’s grandma has warned the dad about drinking, Canyon finds empty bottles in the garbage.

Canyon’s sister is a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e! And you’ll be rooting for Canyon. The bull riding scenes are hard to read, especially after Canyon experiences a scary concussion. You’ll be begging him to pick up his violin instead.

There are some tough themes in this book. Canyon and his sister deal with the death of the mom, but they also have to deal with their dad’s drinking. They do have a loving grandma who adds wonderful stability in their lives.

YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…