The Adventures of Hardy Belch by William G. Bentrim

Book Description:  The Adventures of Hardy Belch chronicle the exciting and unbelievable adventures of a normal 12 year old boy and his 240 pound telepathic dog. Hardy and Tiny (his best friend and dog) find themselves in many predicaments but as a team and best friends they always end up helping others. Combining mystery and humor each story is written to entertain, and highlight the value of friendship, planning and selfless actions.

My Review: The Adventures of Hardy Belch by William G. Bentrim is, in my opinion, the author’s best yet. Twelve year old Hardy Belch (What a perfect name for a 12 year old boy!) and his dog, Tiny, are featured in three stories: The Bully, The Green Man, and the Delaware River Pirates.

Tiny, who is actually very large, is also telepathic dog and when problems come up he loves to help Hardy plan solutions. These are all stories that are not only entertaining, but also have an important message. Children will love the stories of Hardy Belch and Tiny and will also learn about how to stop bullying, how to treat those who may look different, about fairness, and dealing with financial stress.

Parents can read the Author’s Notes in which Mr. Bertrim explains his mission to help children learn in a positive and fun way. The author has a wonderful web page here: Hardy Belch  where you can meet Hardy and Tiny, and even print out a Hardy Belcher bookmark. I highly recommend this wonderful book for children.

About the Author: William Bentrim is currently working hard to become an author, his 4th career. After owning and operating a computer networking company for 25 years, teaching and counseling in the public schools for 10 years, owning and operating a convenience store for 10 years, he is trying something new. His hopes are to improve the society we all live in, to leave the planet a little better than it was the previous day and who is cognizant that his impact on the world is minimal.

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren and David Holm, Art work

Purchase Link for:
God Gave Us Christmas

Book Description:  In God Gave Us Christmas, as Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear has something on her mind: “Who invented Christmas?” she asks. “Is God more important than Santa?” 
Her questions reflect the confusion of so many children during the holiday season. And this heartwarming story takes them on a wonderful journey of discovery—right to the heart of Christmas. 
Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns that God loves her and everyone— polar bear, moose, or human—so much that he gave us Jesus, the very best gift of all.


My Review:
Little Cub is excited about Christmas and when Mama mentions God, little cub asks the type of questions our own children would ask about God, Jesus, and Santa.  Mama Bear and Little Cub set out for the mountains to learn about God and His gift to us. Mama Bear teaches Little Cub about God by using God’s masterful creation surrounding them. With the beautiful artwork and gentle teachings, this book is a perfection in its simplicity. Who could resist the cute smiling bears! More importantly, is the clear message of God’s gift of Jesus as the real meaning of Christmas. Santa is given the lower position of a reminder of Christ’s love. This would be a wonderful gift book for children, Sunday School classes, church nurseries, or day care groups.

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

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

Daddy Goes on a Trip by William G. Bentrim

Amazon Link for Daddy Goes on a Trip

Daddy Goes on a Trip is a wonderful new book by William G. Bentrim that deals with parent/child separation. I am so impressed with Mr. Bentrim’s books because he writes children’s books of genuine value to help both the parent and child deal with difficult situations. This one helps young children whose parents must travel, including travel for military deployment. The book is beautifully illustrated with kind bear characters. Included in the book is a section for parents with other resources to help children deal with separation. This book would be perfect for preschools, a gift book, or for our own children and grandchildren.


William G Bentrim is a former teacher and guidance counselor, but he is also a grandpa and that is what shines through in his books.

The Everyday Promise Bible By Phil A Smouse*****

Amazon link for My Everyday Promise Bible


The Everyday Promise Bible is a full year of daily devotionals for children. Each day contains a Bible verse which is paraphrased by the author so that the child can fully understand God’s promises for that day. Along with the Bible verse is a short paragraph of instruction and uplifting direction. Everyday Promise Bible is perfect for reading to a small child or for a young reader to read aloud. Both will find a perfect devotional for the day. The devotions cover a variety of subjects from salvation to behaviors, and the art work in the book is beautiful, colorful and soft. The text is spaced well and readable. I would recommend this book for children, ages from babies to about 8 years old. Perfect for every home, it would also be a good addition for Church nurseries, Sunday School Classes, day care or just a lovely gift.

The Inconvenient Adventures of Uncle Chestnut by Paul Nowak *****

In The Inconvenient Adventures of Uncle Chestnut the author introduces young people to G. K. Chesterton through the character of Uncle Chester. I confess I was not familiar with G.K. Chesterton before I found this book, but now that I have investigated a little, I am looking forward to knowing more about this talented 20th Century writer. Just to learn that he wrote a book that led C.S. Lewis to become a Christian has made me interested in him.

With four short stories the author tells about a young man’s relationship with his Uncle Chestnut, an interesting and entertaining character. The stories and interaction between them are both funny and touching. Along with the stories is a chapter on the real Chesterton and some of his quotations. There is also a “Words to Know” section to assist young readers with some words they may not understand.

I enjoyed the book very much. This is a great book for a family member, a gift, and certainly should be in every middle school age classroom.

The Mystery of the Third Lucretia *****

Amazon link here: The Mystery of the Third Lucretia


From the back of the book: Kari and Lucas first noticed a man copying a famous Rembrandt in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Thanks to Lucas’s photographic memory, they recognize him copying another Rembrandt in the National Gallery during their trip to London. Then when a never-before-seen Rembrandt shows up in Amsterdam, the girls start to think that something unusual – and quite possibly illegal – is going on. The only problem is who’s going to listen to a couple of teenagers?

My Review
What happens when 14 year old girlfriends, Kari and Lucas, show a little too much curiosity around a mysterious artist in a Minneapolis art museum? What happens is an international mystery and intrigue happening around them. Kari and Lucas are delightful characters who are fun, smart, talented and curious. Their adventures take them overseas when Kari’s mother takes a job that allows them to travel with her.

The dialog is spot-on for the age of the characters, and I could almost hear their voices while I was reading. Also, their friendship was true to life, including a few spats. I thought I would be able to say this is a great mystery book for young people, but I enjoyed it so much that I would have no problem recommending the book for parents to read too. (ages 10 - ?) I think it would allow some interesting dialog between parents and young teens.

It would also make a good classroom book. The author has a website with more information on the characters and books. http://www.susanrunholt.com/ Thankfully, this book is a part of a series and I look forward to reading more.

The Adventures of Snip in Oregon by Betty S. Moir and Illustrated by Yumi V. Vong *****

Amazon link for the book:The Adventures of Snip in Oregon


The Adventures of Snip in Oregon is an adorable book about life in the country from the eyes of a dog and his family. As a dog owner myself, I am not the least bit surprised that Snip thought it was his job to help a youngster learn to drive, or that he was not about to share his dinner with the local raccoon. I am, however, happy to know that I am not the only one who takes their dog out for an ice cream cone! These are just a few of the stories shared with the reader about Jim, Jr., Heather, John, and, of course, Snip. The book is beautifully illustrated and even includes some photographs.

This is a perfect book to read to small children or for older school aged children to read for themselves. I liked very much that the dialog in the book does not talk down to children. Young children will learn new words, and older children will not think that the book is babyish. It is a book that teaches about animals, country life, chores and dog care. I highly recommend this book to parents, teachers, and daycare workers.

I Like To Whine!: Dealing With Whining Children by William G. Bentrim *****

Purchase this book on Amazon.com by clicking here:I Like To Whine!: Dealing With Whining Children

“I Like to Whine” written by William G. Bentrim, a former teacher and guidance counselor, is an absolutely delightful book for preschoolers about whining behavior. Each page has a comical character behaving in a typical childish whining way, and a wise character responding in a kind, gentle, and correct reaction to that behavior. I love that the book does not scold children, but instead gives wise advice at the children’s learning level, and Mom and Dad are always respected as authority figures. This is the perfect book for new parents to begin reading to their children, and as the children begin to read, the parents will enjoy listening to children teaching themselves.
At the end of the book the author gives tips on how to use the book to encourage good behavior and how to deal with difficulties along the way. “I Like to Whine” is a perfect book for parents to teach good behavior before problems start.

ISBN #1442131721