Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

Sharing Spring Break with Nancy Drew

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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD/Blu-ray I reviewed in this blog post, but the opinions I share belong to my kids and me.

*****

We started off Spring Break with a movie that seemed well suited for both my sixth-grade girl and third-grade boy. I was right – they both enjoyed “Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase.”

After the death of his wife, Carson Drew decides to leave Chicago behind and make a fresh start with his daughter in River Heights. But for 16-year-old Nancy Drew, life in a small town is mighty dull. She longs for excitement, adventure, and the chance to make a difference. Nancy gets that opportunity when she is asked to help solve the ghostly activity at the Twin Elms mansion.

Can she help explain the creaking footsteps, exploding lightbulbs, and the ominous creature? Is it the handiwork of high-school bully Derek Barnes? Or is it possible that the ghost of original owner Malcolm Colfax is back for revenge? Recruiting her best friends George and Bess, along with local “mean girl” Helen, Nancy Drew is on the case!

Ben said it reminded him of the Hardy Boys books. Cate, who has read several Nancy Drew books, said Nancy didn’t look like she expected her to but she did play the part well. Cate also considered the books more serious than the movie. Ben agreed the movie was funny: “If I were going to watch that again, I’d go right to the end because it was the funniest part!”

Both my kids thought they had solved the mystery before the end of the movie, but they were wrong! They recommend this movie to anyone who likes mysteries. They didn’t think it was scary, but it was creepy enough that my 3-year-old girl left the room for other entertainment.

About the movie

The iconic mystery-solving teenager from the classic Nancy Drew books is back with an all-new feature-length film that will keep you guessing until the very end! “Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase” stars Sophia Lillis (“It” and “Sharp Objects”), Sam Trammell (“True Blood” and “This is Us”), and Linda Lavin (“The Good Wife” and “Alice”) and follows Nancy Drew in her new town, making new friends and on a mission to solve the case! Ellen DeGeneres is the executive producer.

This DVD/Blu-ray combo officially releases today (April 2, 2019) from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The suggested retail price is $19.99 for the digital, $19.98 for the DVD, and $29.98 for the Blu-ray combo. It’s rated PG.

Watch the trailer here.

Giveaway

And there’s a copy of this movie for one of you, thanks to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter this giveaway between now and Tuesday, April 9. Open to U.S. residents only.

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I Love You Just Because {review & giveaway}

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“Three very different bear cubs liver together in one place,
Each chosen for these parents by God of love and grace.
And when the cubs ask why they’re loved, their parents often say,
‘We love you just because you are God’s gifts for whom we prayed.’”

“I Love You Just Because” by Donna Keith is a book about a bear family, but those opening lines reminded me of my own family. We are a family of five put together through adoption.

While I was reading the book to my 6-year-old son and then sitting by my 9-year-old girl when she read it, they each talked about which bear they are like in the story. I loved the sweet conversation about how God put us together to be a family. We talk about that regularly, but I love any book that prompts more of that.

ABOUT THE BOOK :: Through cute illustrations by Alison Edgson and rhyming text, “I Love You Just Because” will help little ones understand their parents’ love for them doesn’t have to be earned. With the same friendly bear family from Donna Keith’s first two books — “I Love You All the Same” and “I Love You Even When” — the sweet story of this book will remind you that family members love each other … just because.

This 20-page board book is for children 4 to 8 years old and was published by Thomas Nelson on June 7, 2016.

Learn more about this book and others on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Learn more about Donna Keith on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY :: One of you can win your own copy of “I Love You Just Because,” thanks to FlyBy Promotions. This giveaway is open through Sunday, Aug. 7 to U.S. and Canadian residents. Use the Rafflecopter widget for multiple ways to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My kids have a copy of this cute book that we reviewed and there’s a copy for one of you, thanks to FlyBy Promotions/Propeller Consulting. I received this book in exchange for a review, but these thoughts are our own.

Books to share with YOU!

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There’s nothing like packing your entire house to realize you have too much stuff. And by “your” and “you,” I really mean “mine” and “me.” Too. Much. Stuff.

I spent a good portion of the weekend packing and purging and organizing. We even loaded up the mini van and car with boxes and delivered them to our new house. The actual big move is happening Saturday.

So this week is going to include more packing and purging and organizing and hauling. And there will afternoon breaks at the pool, if you were wondering. Probably some errands too.

But while we’ve been uncovering all sorts of treasures and memories in our house and Greg and I have told the kids stories they may or may not actually care about, I discovered we have some duplicate chapter books that I want to share with one of you – well, really, the young reader in your life.

Specifically, the chapters books I’m sharing are:

“Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt (Grades 5-8)
“Wayside School is Falling Down” by Louis Sachar (Grades 3-7)
“Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume (Grades 3-7)
“Pippi in the South Seas” by Astrid Lindgren (Grades 2-5)
Boxcar Children Mysteries #2 “Surprise Island” by Gertrude Chandler Warner (Grades 2-5)

Most of these are fairly classic children’s chapter books, but I put the suggested grade level next to them. Obviously, kids are across the board when it comes to reading, but as a point of reference my daughter who is going into fourth grade and reads well above grade level has read and enjoyed all of these in the past couple of years except “Tuck Everlasting,” which she and I are getting ready to read together.

(Meanwhile, I’ve been devouring some adult fiction. Lately I’ve read this one, this one, and this one. And I’m in the middle of this one. Besides afternoons at the pool, what is summer for? Oh, moving, right! Anyway, stay tuned because at the end of the month I’m sharing a whole list of what I’ve read this year!)

Back to the giveaway: use the Rafflecopter widget below for several ways to enter to win the stack of chapter books. The giveaway is open to only U.S. residents through next Monday. Then, from the comforts of my new house, I will choose a winner. Until then, happy reading.

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