Civil War On Sunday - Young Readers Book Review

This review is of book #21 (Civil War on Sunday) in the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne 

Civil War on Sunday Book Review

Last week my son & family visited me in Savannah, Georgia. We did a number of 'tourist' type things in and around the area.  

One of these was a tour of Fort Pulaski National Monument, a Civil War landmark located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. 

Fort Pulaski National Monument

Naturally the tour ended up in the gift shop where my 7-year-old second-grade grandson David found a children's book about Civil War times that he fell in love with. Of course his dad bought it for him, as it's easy to agree to buying a book when you want to encourage reading in children. 

Well, you can't believe how this book excited David. Within the next 4 days he had read this 96-page paperback book all the way through twice and was on his third reading. 

David carried this book everywhere all week. He even insisted on taking it out to breakfast at a restaurant on River Street in Savannah, and it later got accidentally left behind in the Visitors Center bathroom as we walked the length of Savannah's famous River Street.  Luckily we figured out the last time anyone noticed he had been carrying it (right outside the Visitors Center) and looked there first before we left to drive home about two hours later.  

David was nearly in tears thinking his beloved book was lost and wanted to immediately return to Fort Pulaski to buy another copy! Happily the book was found safe & sound at the Visitors Center.

Chapter Book for Children

Magic Tree House List of Books (Children's Books Wiki)

The book "Civil War on Sunday" is part of the Magic Tree House book series by Mary Pope Osborne.  The series is numbered (this one is Magic Tree House #21) and features two children (Jack & Annie) who appear to have 'back in time' adventures through a Magic Tree House at their Frog Creek, Pennsylvania home. 

The Magic Tree House series are beginner chapter books for children in grade levels 1-4 who are just graduating to longer books and more exciting adventures. 

This particular book has Jack & Annie transported magically to a field near the Civil War fighting in Richmond, Virginia where they meet Clara Barton, become volunteer nurses and save the life of their very own great-great-great-grand-father. This story allows 6-9 year olds to learn the basics of Civil War history while enjoying an interesting tale. It's obvious this series of books is written in a way that will capture a young reader's attention, as shown by the immense and immediate interest my grandson David has shown.

Author Mary Pope Osborne

Mary & Will Osborne (Wikipedia Public Domain)

Mary Pope Osborne is a strong proponent of children's literature and her Magic Tree House series of books is highly regarded by parents, teachers and libraries for their power to instill a passion for reading in children.  Osborne has written over 100 books for children and young adults from novels to picture books and from biographies to mysteries.

The Magic Tree House Series

 

Magic Tree House Boxed Set

The Magic Tree House Series introduces the world to Jack and Annie, a brother and sister who discover a magical tree house filled with books. 

Mary's Magic Tree House books have been written in conjunction with her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, and her husband, Will Osborne. The fiction series are supplemented by the Fast Tracker Series as the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discover in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures. They are nonfiction stories designed to give young readers a fun and easy way to find out more about their favorite places, time periods, and subjects.  The series includes subjects from history (such as the Civil War, Revolutionary War and World War II), along with books about dinosaurs, Merlin and fairy tales, pirates and ninjas, animals like polar bears, lions and tigers, sports-related stories, and weather adventures like earthquakes and tornadoes! The range of topics is wide and diverse with subjects that appeal to all children.


For more information about all the books, along with games to play and suggestions for both parents and teachers, visit the Magic Tree House Website.

David is Now a BIG Fan of the Magic Tree House Series

David with his Civil War Book

Since acquiring this book about the Civil War at Fort Pulaski a little over a week ago, David  has become such a fan of the Magic Tree House Series  that his  parents have already ordered him two more books from Amazon and David has told me which one he wants next (Danger in the Darkest Hour - taking place in 1944 during World War II) as my birthday gift to him in April.  

With many, many books available in this series, I will have an easy time selecting gifts for him for some time to come. 



Quick Link:

Civil War on Sunday, a Magic Tree House Selection

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Fairfield Road Movie Review

 Fairfield Road
Click Here to Watch on Amazon.com

Fairfield Road is one of those "feel good" movies you grab when you want a relaxing romantic story.  It doesn't require you to think real hard or really even force a moral issue.  It is simply easy viewing.

There are definitely times when life itself is requiring real focus and we want a movie we can sit down with that will take our minds off of our own dilemmas for just a little while.  A show that will allow us to relax our hearts, souls and minds, which allows us to step back into our own world again feeling better.  

Fairfield Road Movie Synopsis

As with all Hallmark original movies, Fairfield Road is a movie you can watch without worrying about language, onscreen adult behavior or gory scenes.  None of that stuff is part of the Hallmark presentations.  It truly is wonderful to have a safe source of entertainment.  

The front cover of the Fairfield Road DVD says "When Noah lost his job, he found his life."  That really is the movie in a nutshell.  
 Fairfield Road (Hallmark)
On DVD

Noah is a high power political campaign strategist for the Boston mayor when he is given the opportunity of a lifetime.  He is hired by a senator in Washington, DC.  He immediately calls his girlfriend to tell her the good news.  She informs him, and rightfully so, that she is not going to move to Washington with him without a ring on her finger.  Therefore, Noah decides to propose marriage, and his girlfriend eagerly accepts.  However, when Noah subsequently finds out that his girlfriend has been unfaithful, he breaks that engagement and prepares to move alone.  Well, not completely alone.  He does take his dog along as he heads to Washington, DC and his new job.  Unfortunately, on the way, his cell phone rings and he is informed that his new employer, Senator Hayden has just publicly admitted he accepted illegal campaign contributions.  Therefore, Noah no longer has a job.

Without a job, a fiance, or even a home, Noah heads for Cape Cod where he had previously planned a romantic weekend with his ex-fiance.  Since he had the engagement ring shipped there to the Landing Inn on Fairfield Road, he decides he can pick up the ring and spend the time alone to consider his options and what he will do next.  It is there that he meets Hailey, and does finds the town needs his occupational expertise.

As you would expect, everything ends well, but it is fun to watch it all unfold.  

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Fairfield Road Movie Review Written by:

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Reviewing the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Series

Before I came across the best-selling Jack Stratton mystery series, if you would have told me that a series exists that consists of killer plots, characters that I'd care about, murder and mystery, action and adventure, all while maintaining a moral high ground (i.e. a "clean" read), I'd say you must be dreaming. Of course I'd love that combination, but what writer could possibly pull it off?

Author Christopher Greyson did.

In fact, the author pulled off the combination in stellar fashion with the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery series. I've read all six of the current books and look forward to the seventh which is coming soon.

7 Reasons I Recommend the Jack Stratton Series by Christopher Greyson

If you're a reader but are not yet sure that the books will appeal to you, let me explain further why I believe they should be on your "must read" list. Here's my review including the top seven attributes that I appreciate about the Detective Jack Stratton mysteries and why I highly recommend this series to fans of mystery, suspense and, yes, even romance. (Looking for spoilers? You won't find them here.)

1. I care about the characters. I love series books and the key to holding my interest throughout any series is the characters. It took very few chapters of the first book for me to know that I'd be reading the entire series beginning to end. That early assessment definitely proved to be true and now I can hardly wait for the next installment to learn exactly what Jack and Alice have been up to and what comes next.

2. The story lines hold me captive and keep me reading into the night. Gotta love a book that's hard to put down.

3. The military and police connections. I can relate to both as law enforcement and military experience play a major role in my own family. Plus, Jack is around the age of my own sons, so my maternal instincts didn't take long to kick in, even in the first book.

4. Continuity through the series, yet each book stands alone. Read the books in any order that you wish, though if you prefer good chronological order start by reading the most recently published book (And Then She Was Gone) first. Referring to this book as a "prequel" would be accurate and though I read this one first, in some ways I wish I would have saved it for last. I'm currently considering re-reading it while I'm waiting for book seven in the series. (Who says you can't have it both ways?)

5. I like the action scenes. There is plenty of action throughout these books and the author does not spare the details. In fact, many of the fight scenes are described move by move. Frankly, I'm surprised that I liked the descriptive detail, but I did. It didn't bog me down as I read and it offered a clear perspective on the situations and scenes that followed.

6. The venues vary greatly by book. Although most of the stories center around Jack's hometown, you'll find action occurring in Aunt Haddie's foster home, in the dark recesses of a city park, in the bowels of a sophisticated college data and research center, among conflicting crime families crawling with assassins and hit men, in a wealthy jet-setter tycoon's amazing mansion, and even across the battlefields of Iraq.

7. The moral high ground. I prefer "clean" books that avoid profanity and sexual scenes that make me want to look away (or close the book forever). At first I wasn't sure that would be possible with this series, given the murder plots, the seriously-bad bad guys, and the police involvement and military flashback scenes. Let's face it, those topics in real life are usually accompanied by bad language and, in books and movies at least, scenes that involve descriptive sexual exploits. Not so in the Jack Stratton series and I thank the author for that and for the sweet romance that grows with the characters.

Did I mention I can hardly wait for book seven to be released? It's called Jack of Hearts. Watch for pre-order information or choose which book (Kindle or paperback edition) you want to read first from author Christopher Greyson's Amazon page.

If you've read books from the Detective Jack Stratton series, I'd love to read your impressions in a comment below.

~Susan
Read more of my reviews.

Click Here to See Books from the Jack Stratton Series by Christopher Greyson

Thank you for sharing!

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Mom's New Nescafe Coffee Machine

Today I'm going to review the Dolce Gusto coffee maker that is my mom's new Nescafe Coffee Machine.   Now as you all know I'm a confirmed tea drinker, but I do also enjoy a nice coffee or a hot chocolate and this machine delivers with both.

My mom was given the Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee maker by my brother and sister-in-law and was looking forward to seeing what I thought of her hot chocolate when I stayed (mom always makes me a hot chocolate at night when I'm at her house).   The Nescafe Dolce Gusto Chocoletto was delicious!

Mom's Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee Maker

I've seen that this coffee maker comes in sophisticated black and glamorous silver, but my mom was given a rather racy looking red which is very attention seeking in her kitchen!   The actual machine is one that takes capsules which are very popular at the moment.

Not only does the Dolce Gusto coffee maker make coffee and hot chocolate it can also make iced tea which is apparently delicious, although I didn't get around to trying that one myself.   Let's have a look at the coffee machine and see how it works.

As you can see this is a sleek looking machine which is what you expect from Nescafe, but let's look at each part and talk about how they all work together to bring you whatever elixir you crave!

1. You can see that the water is kept at the back of the machine - this is just room temperature water filled from the tap or from your purifier whichever you prefer.   A bonus with this machine is that if you forget to check if you have enough water before starting it up (lack of caffiene can cause concentration problems after all!) the machine will stop midway and allow you to add water.
2. Here you can see where you add the pods or coffee capsules (I'm never quite sure which term to use!)  For the hot chocolate, chai latte and other specialty coffees there are two capsules required a 'coffee' one and a 'milk' one.   Nescafe make the coffee ones black and the milk ones white to make it easy to grab one of each from the box.
3. Depending on what drink you're making it will tell you how many levels to 'dial up' on the machine - the green lights indicate the level on the Dolce Gusto machine.   When I say tell you, it doesn't actually speak but rather is shown on the capsule lid!  My niece told my mum to go up an extra level and we enjoyed it just as much doing that so I would just use their instructions as a guideline as opposed to written in stone.
4. The final part of the Dolce Gusto coffee maker is the switch which you put to the hot or cold side depending on what you're making because this gem of a machine makes iced drinks too!   Apparently the iced tea is delicious, but I didn't try it myself as mom had a peach flavored one which I wasn't too keen on.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee Capsules

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee Capsules

Let's look at the fuel of the machine, the coffee capsules or coffee pods whatever you want to call them.  They are available in a wide range of flavors and as you've seen above the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee machine allows you to make both hot and iced drinks.

Looking on Amazon I can see a range of flavors that my mom hasn't even mentioned so I'm excited about my next trip to stay with her.........or maybe I'll just have to get one of these machines myself and call it Lou's New Nescafe Coffee Machine!

I can thoroughly recommend the Chocoletto and the Chai Tea Latte and on my next visit I want to try the Mocha because combining chocolate and coffee is just like manna from heaven in my mind!  My daughter was looking over my shoulder as I checked out what capsules were available and has decided that her Nan will just have to get some Dolce Gusto Nesquik capsules!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Sully Movie Reviewed

When A Man Does His Job Well

Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

Recently, my husband and I enjoyed watching the movie Sully and I still can not stop thinking about the film. I think most of us from the US remember the breaking news about the airplane that was landed in the Hudson River by the pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger. We were amazed and cheered the pilot and his co-pilot for their heroic actions. 

The movie shows us what happened that day over the skies of New York city and the days that followed. Captain Sullenberger is played by Tom Hanks and does a marvelous job. 

In real life, I remember being struck by Sully's humility and his repeated comment that he was not a hero but was just a man who did his job. He seemed to be so uncomfortable in the limelight. What we, the public, did not know was what was going on behind the scenes to the two pilots who saved the lives of 155 people by landing the plane in the waters of the Hudson. 

The movie shows us what happened with the bird strike and the quick thinking of a veteran pilot. It also shows the process of investigation that is necessary with any plane crash. What is different in this real life event is that the pilot and the crew along with all of the passengers are all alive and can testify to what happened. Sadly, there is normally no one who can explain the events that caused the crash. It is much easier to deduce that there was pilot error and the case is closed. 

Sully

We are shown in the movie, Sully, that the investigators are most assuredly about to railroad a decision that will find fault with Captain Sullenberger's heroic act and most likely end his career as a pilot.  After all, there were the options to land the plane in two other places without causing much damage to the plane. But the Captain knows that there was no way he could have saved the passengers or the plane if he had gone to either option that the investigative board thinks he should have. It just boils down to him proving he had no other choice but to land the plane in the river.

I won't reveal everything about the movie here in the review. What I will tell you is that it is a movie that both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed. It made us feel good and it made us appreciate what really happened that day in 2009. The movie made us proud that there are men like Captain Sullenberger who perform their jobs on a daily basis to the very best of their abilities, not for glory but because they take pride in their work and want to do their job well. Included in those who do their jobs well are the first responders who quickly went into action that day and rescued the crew and passengers from the frigid waters of the Hudson. That day in January 2009 is often referred to as the "Miracle On The Hudson" and it does seem to be quite miraculous. Perhaps it was a miracle, the powers that be saw to it the the right people with the right skills and experience reported for work that day. They did their jobs well and instead of a tragedy on the news, people all around the world were able to experience the joy of lives being saved by a pilot who knew exactly what needed to be done and whose main concern was the safety of the passengers on board his airplane.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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