Nancy Stewart

Bella and Britt and exploring Manatee Key when they come across a baby manatee all by itself. They go to find the ranger, but the ranger is missing too! Bella and Britt try exploring more to try and find mom manatee. Instead, they find a poacher and more trouble. Now, Britt must find a way to reunite mom manatee as well as rescue her friends.

A fun, fast-paced mystery about the loveable manatee. Bella and Britt make quite a team, showing kids that they are able to make a difference through their observations and actions even though they are younger. Britt's quick thinking and ingenuity allowed for a happy ending. I do wish there was a little more information about manatees such as their status on the endangered species list, why poachers are bad, and why Britt needed to be careful with the boat. The watercolor pictures depict lifelike scenes and a multicultural cast. An exciting read for children ages 7-10.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (mer)

Cute story. Young readers will enjoy this book. It has adventure, mystery, bravery, and good characters. I read this book in ebook format. The illustrations were good, so I can imagine that they were be just as good in paper format.

What I liked about this book is that the words for the most part were on blank pages. So as not to get clustered in the pictures. This made it easy to read. There were so big words that the young readers will need help with pronouncing but otherwise, they can read the book for the most part on their own. Britt was very brave and smart. She really saved the day.… (mer)

Children love the sights and sounds of the salty ocean and sandy beach, but not when it's covered with trash. Two dear friends, Bella and Britt have concerns for the safety of mammals, birds and fish. With Britt willing to help, Bella shows great leadership skills in launching a campaign to save their beach where everyone gets involved with picking up beach trash. What I enjoyed most about the story is the realistic approach to a dream coming true along with a practical plan. In addition, it just takes one sincere girl and lots of helpers to make a clean beach happen. An additional educational bonus is the author's end notes on the dangers of beach trash with solutions to this problem, along with a list of some birds we all enjoy at the beach.

5/5 stars. Highly recommend this well written story with beautiful art by Samantha Bell.… (mer)

Eight-year-old Katrina Simpkins wears a prosthesis or “helper leg” due to a birth defect known as Proximal femoral focal deficiency (PPFA), but she longs to be just a normal girl. Then one day she, her parents, and her older sister Sara visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, FL, which is a home for marine animals that cannot be returned to the wild. There she meets and befriends Winter, a dolphin whose tail was caught in a crab trap line when she was just a few months old and has a prosthetic stump instead of a tail. What important lessons can Katrina learn from Winter? And is there anything that Katrina can do for Winter in return?
This inspiring true story will be especially helpful to children who are having to deal with various kinds of disabilities, but it will be of general interest to young people all over the world as they read how Katrina comes to cope with her difficulties and change her whole life. Award winning author Nancy Stewart, whose four “Bella and Britt” series books for children are bestsellers, has a talent for reaching children with essential life lessons in the most entertaining ways. In addition, there is a lot of useful information about dolphins and the work of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Readers of all ages will take delight in the antics of Winter and will applaud Katrina for the courage that she shows in overcoming a handicap.… (mer)