Mascot Blog

It’s beginning to look a lot like….holiday shopping season! From early chapter books about magical underwater cities to cookbooks that include delectable recipes for home cooks, our December releases are perfect gifts for all the book lovers in your life. Jump into the holiday spirit by checking out our list of new books!

Children’s Books

A Fairy on My Sleeve



By Mari Sherkin

If you look closely through the green, there are wonders to be seen!
Join author, poet, and actress Mari Sherkin as she glimpses a magical world where things are as real as they seem.




Can You?: A Food Allergy Story



By Emily Duty

When Maya first meets a new boy at a party, she thinks his habits are a little strange—especially when it comes to eating. After the new boy explains that he has food allergies, Maya starts asking questions, and she learns they have more in common than she thought.




Dash and Nikki and The Jellybean Game



By Anthony C. Delauney

Welcome, kids of all ages, to The Jellybean Game! Dash and his sister, Nikki, are so glad that you came. Discover what awaits—there are surprises in store: candy, competition, and a little something more! Join in the excitement as they challenge one another, and learn a life lesson that’s unlike any other.




Football Freddie & Fumble the Dog: Gameday in Tampa Bay



By Marine Schneider

There’s only one thing that Freddie loves as much as football: sightseeing! Every time she and her trusty companion, Fumble the Dog, visit a new city, they set out to learn all about the location and its history before cheering on the home team!

It’s gameday in Tampa Bay! Football Freddie and Fumble are on their way to RJ Stadium to cheer for the Buccaneers. But first, they’ll explore beaches, meet some manatees, and visit other historic locations to learn everything they can about this coastal city in the Sunshine State. Come along and cheer with Freddie and Fumble for Tampa!




Gingerbread Cone: Under Construction



By Melissa Tumpane

The Gingerbread Cone is being chased by a fleet of hungry trucks! Will he make it to safety, or will he be their snack?




Go Be The Light!



By Robin Bennett

Lester is a little firefly who suddenly loses his tail’s special glow. Even though his glow is gone, he learns how to gain it back by spreading kindness and looking for the good in each day. Go Be the Light! is the perfect book to help children—and adults as well—learn the importance of sharing their light with the world. After the story, it includes a journal that prompts readers to reflect on their blessings and make plans for spreading kindness.




Good Brother No



By Pastor Dave Oravec

If God came to you with a scary request, would you be like Brother No? Would you answer with a “yes?” Good Brother No retells the Genesis flood narrative in invigorating and relatable rhyme that all young readers can enjoy. Pastor Dave Oravec’s rendition of the Noah story is honest and hopeful. It’s a wonderful reminder of God’s love and what happens when people trust in God’s promises.




Goodness Gracious Golly Gee: I Forgot My Christmas Tree!



By Carol & Cori Burcham

Goodness Gracious Golly Gee, I forgot my Christmas tree! Goodness Gracious Golly Gee, what will Santa think of me?

With Christmas right around the corner, a stay-at-home dad scrambles at the last minute to get everything ready for the holidays. Like many parents who experience holiday-related anxiety, the father is overwhelmed by the many expectations that come with Christmas. From putting up the tree, decorating the house, and baking Christmas cookies, the father worries he won’t be able to get it all done in time for Santa’s arrival.

Will his family, not to mention jolly old St. Nick, be disappointed if there’s no Christmas tree? In this whimsical rhyming Christmas tale, the pressures to buy the perfect present and maintain holiday traditions take a backseat as the father is reminded of the true spirit of Christmas (with a little help from a mysterious, magical Christmas figure who comes to save the day)!




Happy in Hope



By Kristina Gipe

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What is Hope?

It is through God’s word that we learn more about hope. We learn how to trust in Him through each step in our journey through life. We can be happy in hope.




Howdy’s Adventures in Aggieland



By Annabeth Reeb

This is the story of Howdy, a friendly golden retriever who lives on a farm outside of College Station, Texas. When Howdy’s family goes missing one afternoon, he sets off on an adventure that takes him all over Aggieland. Filled with familiar College Station scenes and faces, Howdy’s Adventures in Aggieland is the perfect book for little Aggies.




Listen and You Can Hear the Call: The Journey of Kansas State University’s Bluemont Bell



By Debbie Mercer

Answer the call of Kansas State University’s Bluemont Bell! Journey through the bell’s 160-year history with illustrations by Kansas State teacher education students and discover what makes the Bluemont Bell a K-State icon, from a lightning strike to the theft of the bell’s clappers. 




Little Lu Finds Courage



By Denise Dagash

A tiny, skittish chihuahua, Little Lu spends most of her life terrified of just about everything. But when a thief breaks into her house one fateful evening, Little Lu faces a scary decision: she can either find the courage to defend her family or stay terrified. Read along to discover what this tiny little chihuahua will do!




My Favorite Day of the Year



By Jessica DeGorter

Imagine yourself walking into a sweet little bakery in a quaint little town. Bells chime as you enter, the delicious smells surround you, and you’re greeted by so many desserts that it’s impossible to pick just one.

Behind the front counter a little bit of magic is helping to create the dozens of beautiful, joyful sugar cookies that rest in the gleaming display cases. You will find smiling cookie cutters and their friend the baker hard at work. People come from all over just to try this bakery’s beloved sugar cookies, and now you will too. Which will your favorite be?




Popper and Friends



By IL Ritchie

Popper is a sweet little woodpecker who is trying to find a new home. Now that he is grown, it’s time for him to leave the nest and find a home of his own. The first book in the Popper and Friends series, follow along as Popper explores different options and gets helpful advice from his friends.




Raising Betty



By Sarah Zagaja

Betty is a golden retriever who is training to be a guide dog. Follow her family’s heartwarming and whimsical adventures as they attempt to raise a successful and confident puppy. With the help of her friend Old Tess, Betty learns the ins and outs of the training process. Does Betty have what it takes to become a hero and change someone’s life?




Super Girl Azalee



By Shameeka Spann

Azalee is a second-grade girl raised by a single mom, with help from her grandmother and aunt. She struggles with low self-esteem because she feels like she does not look or dress like her peers. Azalee focuses so much on what she does not have that she forgets that she is special. She has great family members and friends who try to help her understand her worth.

In this book, Azalee is nervous about the first day of school because she is afraid kids will pick on her for not looking like them. Azalee also faces a bigger challenge: bullying. With the help of her friends and family, she stands up to her bullies and finally understands her worth. This book focuses on the bond between family and friends, and how these bonds can positively affect us in life. This book also encourages children to develop self-love at any age.




Tails From Down Under



By Tara Lala

When Paradise Royale goes on a vacation with her cruel adoptive family to Italy, she discovers an entrance to a world full of mermaids and mermen. But how does she unlock the entrance as a human? Will she be able to solve the many mysteries in this magical underwater city called Aquaria? Or will the monster living in the depths of Aquaria capture her first?




The Bubble’s Day at LSU



By Rachel Chustz

Do you ever wonder where bubbles go once you have blown them into the air? Most of the bubbles pop, but what about the bubbles that slip away? Where do they go?

Well, the little bubble in this story floated right over to Louisiana State University. She rolled through the campus, where she got to see Mike the Tiger, an LSU football game, and a performance by the Golden Band from Tigerland. The little bubble even got to dance with the Golden Girls! Join her as she spends the day at LSU and becomes a true Tiger fan!




The Hero of Hawk’s Nest Beach: A Sea Turtle Rescue



By Barbara Gervais Ciancimino

“Finn, who was good at finding things on the ocean floor, jumped into the water to look for the bucket. He looked in seaweed beds and behind rocks, but he couldn’t see it anywhere. Then, just as he was about to give up, he noticed something in the distance. Swimming closer, he saw a fishing net wrapped around a piling…and there, caught in the net, was a very frightened sea turtle. Finn knew he had to work fast, but would he be able to free the turtle in time?”

Finn, who considers himself to be a “regular everyday” dog and his best friend, Little Mutt, spend every summer together on Hawk’s Nest Beach, fetching driftwood and playing with the children. The last thing Finn expects is a life-and-death adventure beneath the waves. After unexpectedly coming across a trapped sea turtle, Finn does what heroes do: he selflessly jumps into action to save the turtle’s life. Finn discovers that being ordinary doesn’t mean you’re unable to do extraordinary things. Many regular everyday” heroes give of themselves to help others and save lives, no matter how “ordinary” they may think they are.




The Rescue of Philip the Houseplant



By Casi Babinchak

When a happy little houseplant is left behind in a dorm room at Penn State University, his rescue and the adventures that follow capture the hearts of many during a time when hope is needed the most.




The Truth Fairy



By Tori Praver

Lily is an ordinary little girl, but she has one bad habit that gets her into trouble: she often tells fibs. One day, Lily learns about The Truth Fairy and starts to think twice about telling the truth.




There’s a Hummingbird in My Garden



By Donna Brainard

Marcus is a boy living in Brooklyn, New York, who loves to ride his bike and his skateboard in the park. He loves moving FAST, but everyone is always telling him to slow down. One day, in a rare moment of standing still, a hummingbird whizzes past his head! Marcus is intrigued and begins to observe this wonder of nature. In time, the hummingbird teaches him a valuable lesson: some things are worth slowing down for.

Cookbooks

Fine Dining Made Easy: Galley Gourmet with Chef Lisa Mead



By Chef Lisa Mead

Lisa Mead, international TV host of Galley Gourmet With Chef Lisa for the last seven years, has perfected the ability to cook quickly and efficiently within very limited spaces, particularly about luxury yachts and for private estates. Her goal is to satiate hungry people waiting to be wowed—something that will resonate with home cooks around the world. The recipes in her debut book are all favourites of her tropical yachting guests, with each dish easily translatable to home cooking. Have fun preparing and cooking what she terms “global cuisine,” enhanced by the bountiful flavours of the Caribbean, her home base when not in Australia.

Nonfiction

Experiencing the Lowcountry



By Pamela Craft

Dive into the Lowcountry with these gorgeous pictures and insights into South Carolina living.




Verdaderamente Poderoso



By Dr. Rosa Romero

Permite que la ponderosa palabra de Dios transforme tu vida, cambiando tu rutina cotidiana atraves de tus pensamientos y tu manera de hablar. Para poder vivir segun la verdad y sabiduria, hay que aprender a razonar uno mismo. Con un mensaje importante y sencillo este libro te ayudara ha encontrar tu proposito en la vida, te identificaras con el de principio a fin, esta basado en testimonios reales que tocaran lo mas profundo de tu alma.

Reconoceras que eres el unico dueno de tu destino y que tienes el poder de reescribir tu historia, que cada crisis, cada reto son para profundizarnos en una intimidad con el creador. Busca dentro de ti hasta encontrar a Dios, el esta en el interior de todas las personas, todo mundo tiene por lo menos un atributo positivo, el cual es visible a todos aquellos con una mente y corazon abiertos.

Rosa Romero una gran mujer de Dios, multifacetica con un doctorado en letras humanas, madre, empresaria, instructora de comestilogia, master coach certificada, Pastor y Profeta que obedeciendo la volunta de Dios junto a su esposo el Pastor Fredy Gonzalez, iniciaron en el 2015 la Iglesia Cristiana Unity Life El Reyno de Dios para las Naciones en el area de Manassas y son ellos mismos quienes continuan al frente de la misma como Ministros Principales.