Jason, Lizzy and the Snowman Village by Charity & Ryan Kountz

JASON
Jason, Lizzy and the Snowman Village by Charity & Ryan Kountz
 Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Young Adult, Holiday, Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (49 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Astilbe

After Jason and Lizzy’s family move hundreds of miles south from Chicago to Texas, leaving behind friends, school and the only home they’ve ever known, they are desperate for something familiar. Together, Jason and Lizzy make a late-night wish upon a star for snow that launches them on an incredible adventure even bigger than their recent cross-country move.

Join Jason and Lizzy as they make new friends, visit far-away lands, and learn, sometimes, home is more than where you live.

Without snow no one will be able to celebrate Christmas this year. Can Lizzie and Jason change the forecast before it’s too late?

Slow down aging activity: it is a rich antioxidant fruit which slow-down the process of aging and keeps you away from adverse reaction. viagra sale uk Those interested in the much more adventurous masturbatory experience of penis sounding should be aware that I canadian pharmacy tadalafil write these articles to keep your sex life the way it is currently going can affect it as well. Likewise, most of the men are unwilling to forgo eating meat due to the fear buy tadalafil from india of losing their power of masculinity. So, as the medicine is cheap cheap generic viagra and works just like its branded partner. The first time I realized that I adored this book was when Jason and Lizzie encounter a toy plane that suddenly grows large enough for them to climb inside of it. It reminded me of the cakes and bottles of mysterious liquids in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that cause similar changes in people, and it was a wonderful introduction to the talking snowmen, elves, reindeer, and other magical creatures Lizzie and Jason are about to encounter. I never would have guessed the North Pole was so well populated, or that Mr. and Mrs. Claus have so many other duties beyond preparing for Christmas each year!

The chapters are short, and each one provides a natural stopping point for families who would rather stretch out the adventure over several nights. The last few pages include a series of questions parents and caregivers can use to start a conversation about certain decisions Lizzie, Jason and other characters make throughout the course of the plot. I prefer asking open-ended questions about generosity and the Christmas Spirit, but I can see how this resource could be useful in a classroom or small group setting.

It took some time to figure out the most appropriate age recommendation for this tale. Certain vocabulary words may be too difficult for kids who have just moved onto chapter books, but if an adult reads it aloud the imaginative plot will delight preschoolers and early elementary students who believe in the magic of Christmas. The plot is best suited for kids between the ages of 5 and 8, but there is nothing in it that would be inappropriate for a slightly younger audience.

One of the trickiest aspects of writing in the fantasy genre for this age group is crafting a story that stands up to endless repetition. Each chapter includes unexpected references to characters from ancient myths and legends that are sure to make adult readers and older children crack a smile. Mother Nature was particularly amusing, and I hope to meet her again soon when Jason and Lizzie go on other adventures.

Jason, Lizzy and the Snowman Village is an instant classic. I highly recommend introducing it to the children in your life, and I can’t wait for the next installment in this series.

Comments

  1. Oh my goodness, this review appeared as a Google alert in my inbox. I immediately read it aloud to my husband (co-author) and we are beyond thrilled that you liked the book so much! The airplane was a combination of our ideas but largely his. Being compared to a classic like Alice in Wonderland is amazing and has us both speechless with delight. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful review, it means the world to us both!

    • You’re very welcome, Charity!

      I have a family member who is the perfect age for this book, and I can’t wait to share it with him. 🙂

      Do you know when the sequel might be released?

  2. We’re planning for the sequel to come out sometime this summer, no later than the beginning of September. So glad you’re excited for the next one – we are too! 🙂

  3. By the way, my husband was wondering what the “best book” star means. I tried searching the site and couldn’t find anything about it. Can you explain what that means?

    • A “best book” is the highest rating we give here. It’s reserved for truly exceptional books that make us want to buy everything else the authors who wrote them have ever published.

  4. Being A good friend of Charity may make me basis about her book but I can tell you that it doesn’t make my 3 year old basis for sure! She Loved Jason and Lizzy and still 6 months after Christmas is asking to have it read to her at least once a week!

    • Astilbe – I’m so flattered – I figured it was something like that but didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. 🙂 Thank you so much! We’re thrilled to have your support!

      Troy – my friend, your support means the world to me. I’m delighted that your three year old loves the story so much! That’s fantastic and more than I could have hoped for!

      Thanks to you both for making this just a super fantastic week!

      • You’re very welcome, Charity! I hope you’ll consider sending in the next book to LASR once it’s ready. I’d love to be the one to review it.

        Troy, thanks for chiming in. I thought this book might be ok for younger kids, but as I’m not a parent I tend to err on the side of caution. 🙂

  5. Oh I’d be more than happy to send in book 2. Would you like me to send an advance release copy prior to publication?

Trackbacks

  1. […] To purchase your copy of Jason, Lizzy and the Snowman Village, visit the store. To read the full review, visit Long and Short Reviews. […]

Leave a Reply to Astilbe Cancel reply

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.