Creative Mind, Happy Soul is a colouring book for individuals to get their creative minds rolling! From prompts to patterns, questions to sketching, this book is amazing for a wind-down after a long day.

Having the digital version, I printed off a couple of these pages to try them out too, and they did not disappoint! Especially after a long day of school, I looked forward to this activity at the end of the day. I especially love how low the time commitment is to have some time to myself while enjoying some artsy activity and listening to my favourite music.

I think this activity book is great for all ages, but as for who would get the most out of it, it would for sure be those who love art, creativity, peaceful, and calm things to do. Some occasions where I would strongly recommend doing this are on a rainy day, snow day, boring day, or simply when you want to clean the dust off of your markers and curate some art masterpieces!

Sheree Fitch captures perfectly the beauty of simplicity in this book. I personally loved it. I loved the light sketches of symbols that highlight the meaning of life. One page included a mother carrying the world in her arms, trying to get the dear infant to fall asleep. Another had a heart broken in half, portraying the loss we all have experienced towards someone we felt deeply towards a time in the past. Although this book was short with only a couple of sentences, the vocabulary speaks high value. It gave me a gentle reminder that we all have people who surround us because they love us and that it is okay to express yourself.

It also showed me that we are not alone. Whether we have bombed a test, forgotten an important event, or had an awful day, it is normal to feel like that at times. It is okay to cry and not be 100% you. This book showed me that success shouldn’t be the priority, but being for the ones you love.

Sheree Fitch had beautiful light colours that filled each page, capturing the reader’s attention. From light green to purple and blue, they represent the many emotions we all have as individuals. Green for the happy things, like the joyful sun and summer break. Blue for the darker moments, such as a loss or unfortunate news. The colour purple in this book, however, reflected on the importance of love, which I adored.

Overall, I highly recommend you purchase this book! Whether it is for a bedtime story or a self-reflection, it is perfect for both occasions.

“The Little Way” written by Carol Bruneau begins in a cold Halifax neighbourhood by the Arm. Main character Isla runs a small flower shop, with love towards flowering and looking after others. She is also a single mom with a dog named Flora. Life seems to be going, but with many conflicts in her life, such as financial pressures and rapid development along the shoreline, it can be a lot at times. One day, Isla meets a widower named Lester “Les” Ambrose, whose sailboat had sunk near Isla’s house. In the beginning, it seemed as if they had a potential romantic relationship blossoming; however, Les starts to pressure Isla to sell her home and shop to make more money and separate from her family.



I really enjoyed the overall tone and message of the story, which was to live a life YOU want to, and not for anyone else. Bruneau makes Isla quite an interesting character: kind, anxious, sometimes overprotective, and super aware of everything happening around her. I especially loved how the book’s title, “Little Way", acts as a bit of a hint towards the idea of the story, which suggests that kindness can be expressed through small, repeated actions rather than a big gesture.



The novel also makes readers aware of environmental change that is happening in present time today. The many disagreements over property throughout the novel give ideas of real-life problems and can be educative for young adults purchasing a new home for their future.

Overall, this book is a compelling read for anyone who is interested in family dynamics, environmental topics, and the importance of community. I was especially fond of all the vivid descriptions and different characters.

No Turning Back by Ida Linehan is a deeply moving memoir about surviving tragedy and learning that healing is not always as simple as returning to one’s life before the tragedy.

Through honest and straightforward storytelling, Linehan reflects on the devastating fire that changed her family forever and the long journey that followed. What makes the book especially powerful is its quietness; rather than exaggerating her suffering, Linehan allows the reality of her experience to speak for itself. Her determination, vulnerability, and love for her family make the story both heartbreaking and inspiring.

No Turning Back is ultimately a reminder that some experiences cannot be undone, but they can shape a person’s understanding of strength, hope, and what it truly means to heal.

Book: The Girl Who Could Fly
Author: Ian Roy
Publisher: Nevermore press

What child (or adult for that matter) hasn’t wished they could fly?

A huge thank you to Digitally Lit for providing this book for me to read!

This wonderful middle-grade book takes that delightful universal wish, and runs with it - turning out a somewhat dark and dangerous fable about a twelve year old girl, a sailor and a shipwreck, an eagle, an Icelandic island, ancient runic symbols, a 400 year old book of black magic, and yes, an inconspicous vial of volcanic-like ash which seems to confer that very remarkable power just discussed.

Olive Hanson is an endearing, funny, and somewhat precocious young girl. Upon the death of her much beloved Grandfather, Olive and her mother take up residence in his former cottage in Halifax - a move which exposes Olive to GrandDad’s long-ago mysterious past and a particularly intriguing hint of some “unifinished business”.

Without giving the plot away (no spoilers here), uncovering and resolving GrandDad’s history, aided by with her hilarious wise-cracking long-time friend and neighbor, Con (Constantine) places Olive on a path wrought with danger, mystery, and an unexpected rendezvous with what may be her cross-generational destiny.

Intelligently written and brimming with authentic young characters and their voices, (the chemistry between Olive and Con in particular is funny, charming, and terrificly engaging), the author is to be commended on a lively and entertaining read that transports and satsifies from start to finish.

Highly recommended to both children and adults, this is a fun, imaginative and captivating story, - you will likely be as charmed by it as this reader certainly was.

I read this book in less than a day and I think that any reader would love it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars