Barney and Barry, The Hitchhikers by Sharon Powers

Barney and Barry, is an educational, yet a fun way for young readers to learn about sea creatures and the ocean where they live. It’s a story full of unexpected adventures and problems, much resembling real life. No one lives their life without both good and bad occurrences, but it’s how you handle the situations that matters.

Sharon Powers, includes environmental issues along with many life lessons for her readers to ponder. Every child, along with their parents, can always benefit from a dose of compassion.

The illustrations match the details of the sea creatures. A delightful addition to a child’s growing library.

Defending the Line by Alex Carpenter

This is an inspirational story for children about a role model soccer player. The star’s name is David Luiz. This young man, turned away from playing on teams for being too scrawny, never gave up on his dream to play international soccer. His faith in God and his determination is what kept him driven.

Eventually he made a team in Portugal, which led to playing his defender position for his homeland of Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

The story will appeal to young soccer players, as it uses soccer terminology for the inquisitive mind. The Christian theme, while spread throughout his story, emphasizes David Luiz’s faith in God.

David Luiz is an excellent example to his young readers. He doesn’t forget to help the poor from where he grew up. He proves you can be rich, famous, and humble, at the same time.