Library Loot: 1-13-2010

More great books this week - These are all to be blamed on fellow bloggers!

Library Loot is hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.

The House of the Spirits

by Isabel Allende

Here, in an astonishing debut by a gifted storyteller, is the magnificent saga of proud and passionate men and women and the turbulent times through which they suffer and triumph. They are the Truebas. And theirs is a world you will not want to leave, and one you will not forget.

ESTEBAN - the patriarch, a volatile and proud man whose lust for land is legendary and who is haunted by his tyrannical passion for the wife he can never completely possess.

CLARA - the matriarch, elusive and mysterious, who foretells family tragedy and shapes the fortunes of the house of the Truebas.

BLANCA - their daughter, soft-spoken yet rebellious, whose shocking love for the son of her father's foreman fuels Esteban's everlasting contempt...even as it produces the grandchild he adores.

ALBA - the fruit of Blanca's forbidden love, a luminous beauty, a fiery and willful woman...the family's break with the past and link to the future. (inside cover)

Waiting for the Moon
by Kristin Hannah

Before she soared up national bestseller lists with her contemporary fiction, Kristin Hannah wrote stunning historical tales of destiny and magic. Waiting for the Moon is one of her most unforgettable novels--a haunting, lyrically written tale of obsession, redemption, and the healing power of love.

Selena doesn't remember who she is or how she came to the hidden mansion on the isolated Maine coast. Lost in a confusing world filled with strangers, she finds comfort in a man whose eyes reflect her own desperate loneliness. Dr. Ian Carrick invites her into his mysterious sanctuary where he has retreated from the world that betrayed him. For her, he begins to believe in himself once more. But even love cannot protect her from her own terrible secrets... (back cover)

The Wedding Girl
by Madeleine Wickham

From the author of the internationally bestselling Sophie Kinsella novels, Madeleine Wickham's The Wedding Girl is a delightful comedy about a secret that becomes the ultimate wedding crasher!

At the age of eighteen, in that first golden Oxford summer, Milly was up for anything. Now, ten years later, she is a very different person. Engaged to a man who is wealthy, serious, and believes her to be perfect, she is facing the biggest and most elaborate wedding imaginable. But one small episode from the past has the power to completely derail her carefully planned nuptials. Milly has locked away this history so securely that she has almost persuaded herself it doesn't exist--until, with only four days to go, her secret catches up with her...And when "I do" gives you deja vu, it could be a problem. (inside cover)

One Good Turn
by Kate Atkinson

On a beautiful summer day, crowds lined up outside a theater witness a sudden act of extreme road rage: a tap on a fender triggers a nearly homicidal attack. Jackson Brodie, ex-cop, ex-private detective, new millionaire, is among the bystanders.

The even thrusts Jackson into the orbit of the wife of an unscrupulous real estate tycoon, a washed-up comedian, a successful crime novelist, a mysterious Russian woman, and a female police detective. Each of them hiding a secret, each looking for love or money or redemption or escape, they all play a role in driving Jackson out of retirement and into the middle of several mysteries that intersect in one sinister scheme.

Kate Atkinson "writes such fluid, sparkling prose that an ingenious plot almost seems too much to ask, but we get it anyway," writes Laura Miller for Salon. With a keen eye for the excesses of modern life, a warm understanding of the frailties of the human heart, and a genius for plots that turn and twist, Atkinson has written a novel that delights and surprises from the first page to the last. (inside cover)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Postmistress

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam
Publication Date: February 9, 2010

Those who carry the truth sometimes bear a terrible weight...

It is 1940. France has fallen. Bombs are dropping on London. And President Roosevelt is promising he won't send our boys to fight in "foreign wars."

But American radio gal Frankie Bard, the first woman to report from the Blitz in London, wants nothing more than to bring the war home. Frankie's radio dispatches crackle across the Atlantic ocean, imploring listeners to pay attention--as the Nazis bomb London nightly, and Jewish refugees stream across Europe. Frankie is convinced that if she can just get the right story, it will wake Americans to action and they will join the fight.

Meanwhile, in Franklin, Massachusetts, a small town on Cape Cod, Iris James hears Frankie's broadcasts and knows that it is only a matter of time before the war arrives on Franklin's shores. In charge of the town's mail, Iris believes that her job is to deliver and keep people's secrets, passing along the news that letters carry. And one secret she keeps are her feelings for Harry Vale, the town mechanic, who inspects the ocean daily, searching in vain for German U-boats he is certain will come. Two single people in midlife, Iris and Harry long ago gave up hope of ever being in love, yet they find themselves unexpectedly drawn toward each other.

Listening to Frankie as well are Will and Emma Fitch, the town's doctor and his new wife, both trying to escape a fragile childhood and forge a brighter future. When Will follow's Frankie's siren call into the war, Emma's worst fears are realized. Promising to return in six months, Will goes to London to offer his help, and the lives of the three women entwine.

Alternating between an America still cocooned in its inability to grasp the danger at hand and a Europe being torn apart by war, The Postmistress gives us two women who find themselves unable to deliver the news, and a third woman desperately waiting for news yet afraid to hear it.

Sarah Blake's The Postmistress shows how we bear the fact that war goes on around us while ordinary lives continue. Filled with stunning parallels to today, it is a remarkable novel. (Amazon)

What are you waiting for? Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Kid's Korner: B is for Bufflehead by Steve Hutchcraft

Title: B is for Bufflehead
Author and Photographer: Steve Hutchcraft
Publisher: Photohutch

About the book: With its menagerie of sapsuckers, loons, cuckoos, boobies, and an alphabet full of others, B is for Bufflehead makes it fun to learn about birds. Eye-catching and humorous photographs introduce over 60 unique North American bird species that have funny names, fascinating personalities, and unique behaviors.

More than a typical ABC book, B is for Bufflehead is easily adapted to a child's educational level. The photos, letters, and names are perfect for the earliest learners. The accompanying text is intended to intrigue young children with a few fun facts about each bird. For older kids (and adults), there is a section that offers detailed information on each species, including range, habitat, food, and more fun facts.

A great way for parents and grandparents to share their passion for birds with their favorite little ones, B is for Bufflehead, is an educational and entertaining book that will open a child's eyes to the wonderful world of birds. (Amazon)

My thoughts: This is a beautifully photographed book. The first 50+ pages is filled with full page pictures of birds, with their names and some information about them. Did you know there was a green jay? Or a bird that starts with the letter X? My son thought the silliest looking bird was the Spoonbill. From the pictures you get to test your knowledge with a couple of pages of smaller pictures and some facts and you get to try to figure out the bird. (All the answers are listed upside down under the pictures though, so you can check if you are right.)

The next section takes the birds into greater detail - telling more about their habitat and where the pictures were taken. It also tells you all the different kinds of birds - like for warblers there are 8 different ones listed.

I read this book for Net Galley online - and I still found it a beautiful book - it is definitely one that I would consider buying. You get the alphabet in big, easy to read letters. You get beautiful, colorful pictures and backgrounds and you get a wealth of information about the birds. The author wanted to use his photography to help introduce his daughter to nature, and with the help of a friend came up with the idea for an ABC book. It was definitely a winner!

B is for Bufflehead
Publisher/Publication Date: PhotoHutch, 2009
ISBN: 978-0982492505
80 pages

Win the autobiography - Corked: A Memoir (CLOSED)

Corked: A Memoir by Kathryn Borel

Meet Kathryn Borel, bon vivant and undutiful daughter. Now meet her father, Philippe, former chef, eccentric genius, and wine aficionado extraordinaire. Kathryn is like her father in every way but one: she's totally ignorant when it comes to wine. And although Philippe has devoted untold parenting hours to delivering impassioned oenological orations, she has managed to remain unenlightened. But after an accident and a death, Kathryn realizes that by shutting herself off to her father's greatest passion, she will never really know him.

GIVEAWAY

I have five copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) tell me what your favorite wine is, if you have one! Also leave your email address.

For additional entries you can sign up to follow (old followers let me know), Twitter or post it on your blog. Each entry must have it's own comment. (Four entries total.)

This giveaway if for U.S. only - no PO boxes and will end Feb 2nd! Good luck!





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Teaser Tuesday: 1-12-2010

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you have given!
Please avoid spoilers!






Determined to prevent my best friend from making a rash mistake - a la Armando style - I made a quick decision to head down to Parma John's. So off I went to the land of low-fat, thin-crust pizza lover's delight -- a land where blue-ribbon barbecue chefs and nearly engaged redheads pondered the what-ifs of ill-fated romance. (p125, Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson)








Fools Rush In
Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3342-1
336 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1-11-2010

What are you reading on Mondays? is hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog. If you would like to participate, please leave your link with Mr. Linky at J.Kaye's blog - but you can also leave me a comment - I would love to know what you are reading!

Old books waiting for review:
1. What Your Mother Never Told You: A Teenage Girls Survival Guide by Richard Dudum

Books finished last week that need reviewed:
1. Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes
2. The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
3. Bear Portraits by Jill Greenberg
4. Chocolate: A Love Story: 65 Chocolate Dessert Recipes from Max Brenner's Private Collection by Max Brenner

Read and reviewed last week:
1. The One Day Way by Chantel Hobbs
2. Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham
3. The red Red Car by Manjula Naraynan
4. The Mudhogs by Dalton James

Current audio books:
1. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks - My daughter and I are listening to this one on our morning and afternoon drives - I am really enjoying it! We both think it is funny though when the narrator tries for Savannah's voice!

Books currently reading:
1. Samson's Walls by Jud Niremberg- Would like to finish this one, but I still seem to be able to find others I would rather be reading. . .
2. A Hope and a Future: Overcoming Discouragement by Don Wilton
3. The Swan Thieves: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova - This book is going very quickly for a 500+ page book. There is something about this story that makes me need to know what is going on!
4. Fools Rush In (Weddings by Bella Series #1) by Janice Thompson - This is my current "bathroom" book. It is a very light romance - easy to read.
5. Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions (Faith Words) by Joyce Meyer - This is a daily devotional I have been doing since the first - will probably review it before the end of the month. It is pretty great - but when is Joyce Meyer's stuff not great?

Still waiting to be started:
1. Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients by Dr. Jeff Hertzberg
2. The Sacred Cipher: A Novel by Terry Brennan
3. The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Yxta Maya Murray
4. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
5. All About Us #6: The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth: An All About Us Novel by Shelly Adina

New books this week:
1. Blind Sight by James Pence
2. Terror by Night: The True Story of the Brutal Texas Murder That Destroyed a Family, Restored One Man's Faith, and Shocked a Nation by Terry Caffey with James Pence

Whew! What are you reading?

The One Day Way by Chantel Hobbs (Review)

Title: The One Day Way
Author: Chantel Hobbs
Publisher: Waterbrook Press

First sentence: Since we all are creatures of habit, is the person who habitually fails doomed to keep on failing?

I’ve got great news for you: You are about to feel better and look better beginning today! Today is truly a new opportunity for you to reach your weight loss goals. No, you won’t fit into your “skinny jeans” today, but I’m going to show you how each day will get you closer to that goal.

Yesterday’s mistakes are gone so let them go. You can’t control tomorrow, so stop worrying about it. Today is your opportunity to lose weight, get strong, and look great. It won’t happen overnight, but you can build a new life by changing your actions immediately and I’m here to show you how to make the changes that will create the new lifestyle you dream of: body, mind, and spirit. Best of all, you will start celebrating right away!

Come on, my friend. Let’s get started! By opening this book, I’ll show you how to unlock every tool you need to lose weight and get fit —and stay that way for the rest of your life. Success can be yours, what are you waiting for?

-Chantel

My thoughts: On one hand, I liked this book because it did not say "work out this much every day, do these exercises, eat this food, etc, etc, etc" (But on the other hand - sometimes that is what I need personally.) I am not saying that she doesn't give you some exercises and some recipes - but I believe the focus of this book is changing the way we view weight loss and the way we approach it. This is a great book to use as a source of encouragement - and not just for losing weight. She talks about breaking things down into smaller bites - something achievable. Not that you shouldn't have larger goals, but don't make them so big as to be defeated before you even start.

Chantel also has a great approach to each day. You must treat each day separately. Forget about yesterday. If you ate that 3 course meal and had a double dessert - that was yesterday - don't let it affect today. Also, don't worry about what you are going to do this weekend because your in-laws are coming to town and they are going to expect to eat and drink. Today, deal with today.

You need to start to develop new ways of thinking and incorporating these in your life (see how it applies to more than just food?) I love the chapter where she talks about food being fuel and not your friend. How many times have I turned to that chocolate bar because I was angry or upset? More than I can tell you!

So, if you are looking for a weight loss "coach" - then definitely give this book a try.

~This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.~

(Don't forget to visit my giveaway for this book!)

Buy The One Day Way
Publisher/Publication Date: Waterbrook Press, Oct 2009
ISBN: 978-0-307-45878-0
224 pages

Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 1-11-2010

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren on Sunday. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!



Critters of Mossy Creek

Created by Deborah Smith, Debra Dixon, Sandra Chastain, Martha Shields Crockett with Susan Goggins, Maureen Hardegree, Michele Hauf, Pam Mantovani, Carolyn McSparren, Kathleen Watson-Hodges

Springtime brings thoughts of love to people all over the world, and Creekites are no exception. Although love to Creekites isn't necessarily romantic. Take, for example, how they feel about their pets. Dogs, cats, birds, and fish take center stage as we once again see how the Southern half lives. Your favorites are back and in just as much trouble as ever. Amos and Ida are still circling each other's wagons. Sandy Crane has a little Faith. Jayne Reynolds emerges from widowhood to take a long lingering look at Mossy Creek's Bubba Rice. Ed Bailey and his beloved dog Possum, Lil Ida Hamilton, Peggy Caldwell and others will make you laugh and cry at human and animal antics. Cat heists. Fish ponds. Bird nappings. Don't miss the fun with Critters of Mossy Creek! (back cover)






Lost Letter
by Neil Mulligan

The newly wed Jimmy and Maggie McDougal learn the news of Maggie's pregnancy just weeks after Jimmy is called to duty in World War II. Frequent letters and their deep love for one another provide comfort while they are apart. But, suddenly, Jimmy's letters to Maggie cease and the Army confirms the worst of her fears. Alone, Maggie raises their daughter, Mary, who never knows her father.

Some sixty years later, Maggie is diagnosed with a terminal illness and eventually moves in with Mary, who becomes her caretaker. At about the same time that Maggie learns of her diagnosis, the Army, during a base closure, discovers a World War II letter addressed to her.

While Mary is coping with a dying mother, a demanding job and trying to learn as much as possible about the father she never knew, the Army is searching for the intended recipient of the World War II letter. Will Maggie succumb to her illness before the Lost Letter reaches her? (back cover)





Anything but Normal
by Melody Carlson

She thought she'd left the summer behind. . .

This year should be the best of Sophie Ramsay's life. She's friends with all the right people, she's a shoo-in for editor of the school newspaper, and she's managed to turn the head of one of the hottest guys in school.

But something's not quite right. Sophie has a secret -- one she won't be able to keep under wraps for much longer. (back cover)





Searching for Tina Turner
by Jacqueline E. Luckett

On their first date more than thirty years ago, Randall Spencer took Lena to an Ike and Tina Turner concert. From the minute they sat down in the fifth row, Lena knew that Randall wanted to impress her even though he didn't need to -- she would have gone anywhere just to be close to him. Yet now, after twenty-three years of marriage, Lena is missing one important thing. . . happiness.

On the surface it looks like she has everything a woman could wish for: a rich husband, two wonderful children, and a life of luxury. The reality is that her husband is emotionally distant, her son has developed a drug habit, and her daughter is disgusted by her mother's "overbearing behavior."

Determined to save her failing marriage, Lena suggests going to a marriage counselor to get to the root of her unhappiness and to find the gem they once called love. But in the sessions Randall doesn't understand Lena's frustrations and makes it clear that she is the one with the problem. When the counseling seems futile, he offers his wife an ultimatum: Be grateful for all I've done for you or leave. Embracing her fear of wasting her life, Lena chooses the latter and leaves behind everything she's known.

Drawing on the strength of Tina Turner's life story, Searching for Tina Turner is Lena's struggle to find herself after twenty-three years of being Randall's wife. (book jacket)




Fireworks over Toccoa
by Jeffrey Stepakoff

Lily was married for just days before her husband was sent abroad to fight in WWII. Now, he and the other soldiers are returning, and the small town of Toccoa, Georgia plans a big celebration. But a handsome and kind Italian immigrant, responsible for the elaborate fireworks display the town commissioned, captures Lily's heart and soul. Torn between duty to society and her husband, and a poor, passionate man who might be her only true love -- Lily must choose between a love she never knew and a commitment she's already made.

Poignant and elegant, Fireworks over Toccoa is a mosaic of all the emotions that only love can make possible. (inside cover)

The Friday 56: 1-8-2010

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"How's Lulu?"

"She seems a bit discombobulated, too."

(Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline E. Luckett, p56)










Searching for Tina Turner
Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, Jan 27, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-54296-8
320 pages

Friday Finds: 1-8-2010

Here is my find this week!

Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs

It's the beginning of another season in the seaside resort town of Winslow, Rhode Island, and Rosa Capoletti is given the chance to rediscover the pleasures of love and laughter, food and wine, friendship and romance . . .

With a little determination and a lot of charm, Rosa Capoletti took a run-down pizza joint and turned it into an award-winning restaurant that has been voted "best place to propose" three years in a row. For Rosa, though, there has been no real romance since her love affair with Alexander Montgomery ended suddenly and without explanation a decade ago.

But Rosa's life takes an unexpected turn when Alexander arrives back in town and asks for her help sorting through his late mother's affairs. Reunited at the beach house where they first met and fell in love, Rosa and Alexander discover that the secrets of the past are not what they seem. Now, with all that she wants right in front of her, Rosa searches for happiness with the man who once broke her heart -- and learns that in love, as in life, there are second chances. (description from Fantastic Fiction)


Pressure by Jeff Strand

Alex stared at the red pocketknife shown to him by his daughter. A pocketknife owned by somebody he hadn't seen in years... -Children- They met first in boarding school at age twelve. AlexFletcher, shy and scared. Darren Rust, always furiously scribbling away in a private journal. It was not an immediate friendship, but then one night Darren convinced his roommate to sneak off school grounds to see something glorious. There was a sleazy strip club, you see, and every once in a while the back door opened just long enough to maybe catch a quick glimpse... Though a bond was formed from their pre-pubescent interest in naked women, Darren had another interest. A morbid curiosity about death. A curiosity that turned into something much more sinister. -Friends- They crossed paths again in college and became the best of friends. But Darren wasn't just looking for a friend. He had dark, ghastly urges squirming around in his head, and he believed he saw the same things - the urge to hurt, the urge to kill - in Alex. He was looking for somebody who understood. A partner. But Alex could never become a monster. Not even when Darren tried to bring out his friend's most deeply buried feelings of rage. Not even when Darren tried to show him the euphoria of having that much power over another human being. It just couldn't happen...right? -Enemies- Now Alex has a wife and a daughter. And Darren is back. He's hiding. He's patient. His mind is twisted in the worst possible way. And he's seeking a soul mate. (description from Fantastic Fiction)

First Wild Card Tour: Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham (Book Review)

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!



You never know when I might play a wild card on you!



My review: In addition to having a great deal (and I mean GREAT DEAL) of information on dinosaurs, this book also does a terrific job in tying dinosaurs in to God's Creation. From "In the beginning" days 5 and 6 - when God created the birds and animals of every kind, to how animals (not just dinosaurs) became carnivorous, through Noah's Ark all the way to present day. I had just gotten into a discussion with my oldest daughter (17) about evolution vs creationism over the weekend as she was trying to reconcile what she had "learned" with what she believes. I also think it will come in handy as my 5 year old starts asking questions as he gets older.

Today's Wild Card author is:

Ken Ham

and the book:

Dinosaurs for Kids

Master Books (October 15, 2009)

***Special thanks to Robert Parrish of New Leaf Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ken Ham is the founder and executive director of Answers in Genesis in the USA and one of the most sought-after Christian speakers in North America. He is the author or co-author of many books and is heard daily on the radio program, “Answers...with Ken Ham,” on more than 300 stations worldwide. Ken is also featured in various videos including the series, “Answers in Genesis with Dr. Gary Parker,” and the 12-part series of 28-minute videos, “Answers...with Ken Ham.” Ken's teaching is clear, true to the Bible, engaging, and challenging. Many have found salvation and others have been encouraged and equipped to reach others with the gospel through Ken's ministry.





Visit the author's website.



Product Details:



Price: $14.99

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 64 pages

Publisher: Master Books (October 15, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0890515557

ISBN-13: 978-0890515556



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Dinosaurs for Kids



by



Ken Ham, illustrated by Bill Looney





Dinosaurs can provide a great way to learn about history. You may already be familiar with some of these dinosaurs. These drawings show you what we think they may have looked like. Now, we don’t know for sure, of course, as we usually only find their bones as fossils (and most times, only a few of their bones). Artists use what bones have been found, knowledge about living animals, and some imagination to come up with drawings like these. See if you can pronounce these dinosaur names:





Dilophosaurus (die-LOF-o-SWAR-us), meaning “two-crested lizard.”

Styracosaurus (sty-RAK-o-SAWR-us), meaning “spiked lizard.”

Triceratops (tri-SER-a-tops), meaning “three-horned face.”

Megalosaurus (MEG-a-lo-SAWR-us), meaning “big lizard.”

Iguanodon (i-GWAHN-o-don), meaning “iguana tooth.”

Ceratosaurus (ser-ah-toe-SAWR-us), meaning “horned lizard.”

Deinonychus (die-NON-i-kus), meaning “terrible claws.”

Velociraptor (vee-LOHS-i-RAP-tor), meaning “swift robber.”

Ultrasaurus (UHL-tra-SAWR-us), was so nicknamed because of its enormous size.

Seismosaurus (SEIS-mo-SAWR-us), meaning “earthquake lizard.”





Did you know there are hundreds of dinosaur names? However, there were not hundreds of types of dinosaurs. There were a number of similar ones that should be grouped into categories known by what the Bible describes as “kinds.” Does that sound a little confusing? Well, this book will help to explain this and a lot of other things about dinosaurs you may not know.





(Pictures with names):



Dilophosaurus

Styracosaurus

Triceratops

Iguanodon

Ceratosaurus

Velociraptor

Ultrasaurus

Seismosaurus





Before we begin, I don’t want you to miss out on knowing what my very favorite dinosaur is! In fact, I think he deserves this whole page to himself! It is the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex (ti-RAN-oh-SAWR-us-rex), meaning “tyrant lizard king.” I’ll let you in on a secret – I love T-rex because I like his teeth! I use teeth to teach kids and parents some very interesting things about dinosaurs – things that you may not have heard or really understood before. But it is very important to understand the truth about dinosaurs!





FOUR FAST FACTS



T-rex fossils are found in Canada and the western United States.

The first documented T-rex fossil was discovered in 1902 by Barnum Brown.

Scientists think T-rex skeletons were made up of close to 200 bones.

T-rex had around 60 teeth, which ranged in size based on their placement in the jaw of the skull.





With a strong tail extended for balance, an adult T-rex could be a little over 40 feet in length, 12-13 feet tall at the hips, and weigh between 5 and 7 tons. T-rex’s jagged teeth could be up to 9 inches long, and like sharks, the T-rex was able to replace teeth when one was lost.



What’s in a name? Remember that the T-rex name means “tyrant lizard king.” But secular scientists are still wondering whether T-rexes were active hunters or clever scavengers, or a combination of both. However, creation scientists are able to explain the evidence in a different way using the biblical account of history, as we will soon learn.





FOUR FAST FACTS



The word “fossil” is from the Latin word meaning “dug up.” Scientists often make assumptions about dinosaurs based on a few fossilized bones, bone fragments, or other fossil remains, impressions, etc.

Only a few thousand dinosaur skeletons have been discovered.

The vast majority of fossils discovered are marine invertebrates (creatures that don’t have backbones like clams).





I’m sure you have lots of questions about dinosaurs. I believe I can answer many of those questions for you because dinosaurs are not a mystery at all. I know someone who was there when dinosaurs came into existence, and was also there when they seemed to disappear from the earth. In fact, this “someone” has written a book for us that gives a detailed account of the history of the universe. He tells us when the earth began, as well as when all the living creatures and the first humans appeared.



Now, you may be asking “Who is this someone you say was there to see the dinosaurs?” He is the Creator of all things. He knows everything because He is all powerful and has always been around. And this Creator had a book written for us to give us the details of how time began, and how the universe and all life came into existence. This book also tells us who we are, where we came from, and why we exist. It also gives us information on what is going to happen in the future! There is no other book like this on earth. It is unique, and it is called…the Bible.



When you understand the Bible, you will understand more about dinosaurs. The Bible helps us to answer questions about dinosaurs and about the world around us today.



Bigger. Among the most widely known type of dinosaurs, the sauropods (“lizard foot”) are some of the largest creatures to ever walk the earth. Many of these dinosaurs are known by only a few pieces of bone fragments, and debate continues on just which dinosaur was the largest ever. As discoveries continue, more will be known about these massive giants. Sauroposeidon (“earthquake god lizard”) was considered the largest dinosaur ever to live, until the discovery of Argentinosaurus (“silver lizard”). Though only a few bones of each creature have been found, many scientists estimate that Argentinosaurus was larger, though Sauroposeidon may have been taller.



Smaller. Compsognathus (“elegant jaw”) is among the smallest dinosaurs discovered. A little bigger than a chicken, this dinosaur weighed around 6 pounds. Some scientists have found smaller creatures, like Microraptors, which they try to use to prove dinosaurs were the evolutionary ancestor of birds – real science and the Bible disprove this idea. Archaeopteryx (“ancient wing”) is another example of a creature once thought to prove this link, but that idea has now been proven false.



Did you know that the Bible is really a collection of books written by people specially inspired by God, the Creator, to write down exactly what God wanted us to know? The Bible tells us more about who God is and why we can always trust Him to tell us the truth:



The God of the Bible is the true God: “But the LORD [is] the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King…” (Jeremiah 10:10).

The God of the Bible is infinite – He is all knowing, all powerful: “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5).

The God of the Bible lives forever – He lives in eternity – He had no beginning and has no end: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever…” (1 Timothy 1:17).

The God of the Bible is the only true God – other gods people claim to have are false gods: “Therefore You are great, O LORD GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides…” (2 Samuel 7:22).

The God of the Bible is all wise and all knowing: “…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3).

Wow! What an awesome God.





The Only One.



Only God is a witness to the entire history of the world, including the history of dinosaurs. During the creation week, God created dinosaurs and flying reptiles. Pterosaur (“winged lizard”) like this one, could have wing spans of 30 feet. Stegosaurus (“roof lizard”) is easy to recognize with two rows of large plates running along its arched back, and its multi-spiked tail. Corythosaurus (“helmet lizard”) is a great example of dinosaurs with bony crests on their heads. Scientists think these crests were used in making sounds.



Does any human being (including any scientist) know everything? Has any human being always existed? The answer to both questions is, of course, NO. However, who is the only one who knows everything? Who is the only one who has always been there? The answer to both of these questions is, “the Creator God of the Bible.”





True History!



I call the Bible “The History Book of the Universe.” This is because it is a book that tells us how time and the universe began. And in the very first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, we are given a detailed account of not only how God created everything to begin with, but also major events of history that happened after creation.



You might be saying, “Wait a minute, haven’t scientists already found out lots of things about dinosaurs – that they lived millions of years before people and that they lived during the dinosaur age 200 million to 65 million years ago, and then they became extinct?”



Well, not all scientists say that! And though the majority of people today might believe that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, the majority are wrong on this. And more and more people are now finding out the truth because they listen to and understand God’s Word!

Kid's Korner: The Mudhogs by Dalton James (Book Review)

Title: The Mudhogs
Author: Dalton James
Publisher: Outskirts Press

About the book: The mudhogs are three little pigs, Piggy, Piggles, and Piglet, that are on a quest to find mud. The ground where they are living is all dried up and hard. They first try different experiments to see if they can produce rain themselves. When that does not work, they set out on a trip to try to find mud somewhere else.

My thoughts: Another cute book by Dalton James. My son and I had shared his first two books (The Sneakiest Pirates and The Heroes of Googley Woogley) and I had showed him the picture of Dalton, who I believe is 8, and explained that he had written the books and drew the pictures. He was very excited when he found out that The Mudhogs was also by Dalton. He asked questions about the pictures all the way through the book and even started to recognize the phrases, No Rain, No Mud. I continue to be impressed by the imagination of Dalton, both in his story lines and his illustrations. Not only does this book have a cute lesson, it is also a good incentive to get younger kid's creative juices flowing.

About the author: Dalton is currently in the third grade and is illustrating his third book in his imaginative adventure series with his dad, Super Pete Saves the Day, while writing another book on pigs, Snouter Pig, and brainstorming the second book in his mudhog series. Dalton has a large collection of stuffed pigs of all shapes and sizes as well as his own small library of books about pigs.

He holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and likes to practice and enter tournaments. He also plays basketball, baseball and runs five kilometer races. Dalton wants to be a fireman, a policeman, a detective, a doctor or a writer when he grows up; depending on the day you talk to him.

~This book was provided for review by Bostick Communications and the author.~

The Mudhogs
Publisher/Publication Date: Outskirts Press, October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4327-4560-8
32 pages