Author Archives: Trixie Raboy

Author Success - In the media, awards, reviews

Stories That Shined This July!

Jul 21,2026 / By / No Comment

July was a month of momentum, with stories gaining visibility and connecting with readers in new ways. Through features and reviews, authors continued to build their presence and reach wider audiences. Together, let’s celebrate those highlights and the success behind them!

These moments go beyond milestones. They show stories finding the right readers and making a real connection. Each feature and review adds to that journey, helping a book grow and reach even further.

Publicity

Recently featured in a Patch article, author Martin Jarvis shines a light on one of those overlooked stories through his novel The Other Bach: The Mysterious Magdalena Wilcke. The book revisits Magdalena Wilcke, Johann Sebastian Bach’s second wife, reimagining her not just as a supporting figure, but as a skilled musician who may have played a far greater role than history suggests.

Blending research with imagination, Jarvis explores the gaps in history—reminding us that some stories are still waiting to be fully heard.

Featured in KidlioMag’s July issue, Millian Lloyd Jones shares the heart behind Milli and Max: An ABC Adventure Under the Sea—a story shaped by her deep connection to the ocean.

Born in Fiji and now based in Australia, Millian draws from her island roots to create a world where two young sea turtles, Milli and Max, guide readers through an underwater alphabet adventure. Along the way, children meet a colourful cast of sea creatures, brought to life through playful storytelling and vibrant imagery.

At its core, the book is more than just an ABC journey. It’s a reflection of Millian’s love for the sea and her hope to inspire young readers to appreciate and care for the life within it.

Review

Earning a five-star review from Reader Views, Me, Mom & the Monster: Our Dance Through Huntington’s Disease by Corinne Brown offers a raw and intimate look at a daughter’s experience supporting her mother through illness.

Balancing grief with moments of tenderness, the memoir highlights the strength of their bond and the resilience it takes to face something so life-altering.

It’s a history continually written in the present moment.  At the same time, it’s a memoir of supreme courage, extraordinary devotion, and overwhelming love. 

-Reader Views Book Review

Featured in a Kiddable book review, Wanda the Witch and the Broom That Went Zoom! by Dana Ginnett brings young readers into a whimsical world filled with magic, imagination, and heart. 

The story follows Wanda Wayble, a talented witch fashion designer who learns that embracing her unique qualities is what makes her truly special. Through Wanda’s journey, readers discover an uplifting message about appreciating their talents, accepting imperfections, and believing in themselves. 

Ginnett’s rhyming text flows smoothly and is well-suited for read-aloud sessions, while the colorful cast of witches, magical mishaps, and playful details keep the pages engaging. 

-Kiddable Book Review

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Book Giveaways

Summer Story Selection

Jul 21,2026 / By / No Comment

This July, we’re bringing together a selection of reads that go beyond the surface. From personal journeys to thought-provoking topics, this month’s giveaway is all about discovering stories that stay with you. It’s a quiet invitation to read with intention this summer.

Looking for your next favourite read?

“The results of your predictive testing are here, and they show that you did inherit the gene for Huntington’s disease.”


Those words, delivered by the neurologist to 57-year-old Mae Brown, forever changed her life and the lives of her family. Me, Mom & the Monster is a soul-stirring memoir that follows the path of this farming wife, businesswoman, mother and grandmother who lived a life with a monster of a disease. Interwoven with Mae’s story is that of her third child, Corinne, whose life is intrinsically connected to her mother’s diagnosis. Told from alternating voices of Corinne and her mother, this is a candid account of the harrowing effects of living with a fatal, genetic disease. Me, Mom & the Monster captures the authenticity and vulnerability of a mother and daughter who find themselves entwined in a long dance with a neurodegenerative disease.


“A poignant reminder to us as physicians and scientists that a diagnosis is but the beginning of care. This book offers a humbling opportunity for us to consider the impact of illness as an extension of the human condition. It provides keen insight into not only our individual patients’ struggles, but how the impact of illness can span generations, and the power of family in the provision of care.”

Get Your Free Copy Here

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Tellwell Books

Stories From Canada

Jul 21,2026 / By / No Comment

From coast to coast to coast, Canada is shaped by the stories, cultures, and people that make this place feel like home. Beyond the fireworks and red and white, it’s about shared moments, diverse voices, and the memories we continue to create together.

With that spirit in mind, we’ve put together a Tellwell booklist featuring stories that reflect journeys, perspectives, and voices from across the country, each one offering a glimpse into the richness of life in Canada.

Canada 1867–2017 by Paul Taillefer

A lifelong collection of Canadian history comes together in a passion project decades in the making.

In compiling, writing, and illustrating the most important event that marked the History of Canada each year since Confederation, the author restricted his choices to history, political, economic, and cultural phenomena.In the 1960s, the author acquired hundreds of clippings, magazines, encyclopaedias, and history books pertaining to Canada’s history. He had contemplated preparing a special project for Canada’s Centennial with them, but was forced to drop the idea for lack of time.In retirement, he was urged by his wife Pierrette, who saw his archives lingering in filing cabinet

Positively Canadian by Heather Ann Pattullo

Discover Canadian culture through fun stories and engaging insights.

Want to know more about this great country of Canada?
Want to improve your English as you “share a conversation” with the author?
Then this book is for you!

The informal writing style makes it utterly readable and delightfully entertaining. You could read it just for the fun of knowing more about Canada and skip the English exercises.
Or, you could just do the exercises to give you a little help in improving your English grammar. Either way, you can’t help but learn more about Canada as every sentence in the exercises tells you a bit more.
The author’s light-hearted comments and personal experiences regarding many of the “facts” on each province and territory add a delightful informality to the writing.

Whether you are an adult wanting a ‘refresher’ on Canada, an ESL student wanting grammar practice while learning zany Canadian facts or a new citizen of Canada, there is something here for everyone.

Canadian Encounters of a Human Kind by David Watts

Stories that reveal the ever-changing Canadian identity.

A Canadian is essentially a citizen of the world and the Canadian spirit is a sense of connection that makes the world work. Beyond that, nobody can define what it means to be Canadian because it’s always changing. The moment we think we’ve got it, we find we’ve left something out.

We can however describe what it is based on the relationships of flesh and blood people who have lived and met here. Of more than two dozen people in these sketches, less than half were born or died in Canada or would be considered long term residents.

Some lived before there was a “Canada:” when the word referred to a postage-stamp province or string of villages along a great river. All these figures became leaders in communities. Not all were well known in their time here or afterwards. Here are some of their stories.

That Little Blue Car by Ronda Potts

An unexpected journey from stillness to adventure sparked by a single message.

You get a medical order to stay in bed indefinitely, and take some time to let that sink in, with the help of family. You stare at the new smartphone in your hand, which has a mind of its own. There’s a whirlwind of activity around you—the arrangement of a Personal Support Worker you like, and soon you’re adapting to a new routine.

Then…a text message appears on your phone. You’re invited on a road trip. You know you can’t go, but you text back anyway, enthusiastically accepting the offer.


How did that happen?

Then…at a California gas station, a little toy car with a for sale sign and an adorable Alabama drawl captures your heart. Giddy with your newfound freedom, the two of you barrel down a Death Valley highway, scouting for roadrunners and coyotes.

How did that happen?

That Little Blue Car calls, so hop in! Join an epic Canadian/American roadtrip.

Embracing Canada by Jan Soukup

An immigrant’s journey shaped by Canada’s wild beauty and spirit of freedom.

Canada has had a special appeal for the author from an early age. Its image in the mind of the nature-worshipping ambitious European youth was combining the vastness of the wild northern land—bounded by oceans on three sides, the unfathomable beauty of endless boreal forests, sun-kissed prairies, snow- and glacier-capped mountains and toughness-testing winters—with the lore of its Indigenous past and the relatively young history of the accomplishments of its newcomers from the outside of the continent. His image of Canadians was that of straight honesty, physical and mental strength, determination in achieving their goals, and a love of peace and freedom. In spite of seemingly unsurmountable obstacles, all this culminated in his decision to choose Canada as his homeland. He immigrated to Canada in 1968 after the Warsaw Pact invaded his birth country of then Czechoslovakia. He arrived with a fresh MSc in Nuclear Engineering and settled with his Czech fiancée in Edmonton. Here, after “seven skinny years,” he obtained a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Alberta. Using his qualifications as a means of earning a living, he ended up working at UCLA and in world-renowned research establishments of particle physics in Canada, the USA and Europe, including the LHC Supercollider at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. He finally settled back in Edmonton working at the UofA as a Detector Engineer/Physicist until 2011, when he retired.

Throughout his modern frontier science work in Canada, there has always been the awareness of his wilderness backyard in the back of the author’s mind, which drew him to Canada in the first place. He devoted most of his spare time to his hobbies: wilderness hiking, canoeing, skiing, cycling, dog sledding and riding, especially after his children grew up and left home

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Book Giveaways

This June’s Pick

Jun 24,2026 / By / No Comment

June is here, and it’s a great time to discover a new read. This month’s pick offers something a little different, bringing together real-world ideas and thoughtful insights in a way that’s easy to get into.

It’s the kind of book that gives you something to think about while still being an engaging read. If you’re looking to switch things up this month, this might be a good one to add to your list.

A nonfiction book for your next insightful read

The Super Seeders is based on first-hand accounts from the scientists, breeders, and curators who have built the seven pillars of today’s plant genetics revolution. It begins with the guardians of global gene banks, conserving the rare and diverse crop genes that form agriculture’s safety net. From these collections, plant geneticists are now unlocking hidden traits with fast-moving genome technologies, transforming the possibilities of crop improvement.

International research centres and the groundbreaking Plant Treaty have opened the floodgates for the free exchange of genetic material, enabling a new wave of discovery. Crop breeders are translating these breakthroughs into reality, delivering drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and higher-yielding varieties for farmers.

The book raises a pressing question: will this revolution reach the 70 percent of Africans who still depend on subsistence farming? The answer will shape not only the future of food in Africa, but the future of food security worldwide.

A story of ingenuity and urgency, The Super Seeders captures the hopes and challenges of the women and men driving a genetic transformation of agriculture—and the farmers whose lives depend on its success.

Get Your Free Copy Here

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Tellwell Books

Stories That Celebrate Fatherhood

Jun 24,2026 / By / No Comment

With Father’s Day this month, it’s a great time to explore stories that reflect the people who guide and support us. In this collection, we’re highlighting books that capture those quiet, everyday moments of care, strength, and presence.

From lighthearted adventures to more heartfelt reflections, these stories offer different perspectives on the bonds that shape us. Each one is a simple reminder of how lasting an impact those relationships can have.

Papa the Shoemaker by Kyra Kalweit

Step into William’s world and discover the art of shoemaking through fun and meaningful lessons.

Hi there, my name is William and I have a question for you!
Would you like to know how your shoes are made?
I invite you to come inside my papa’s workshop and learn all the secrets of the ancient art of shoemaking and more.

Let’s embark on a creative adventure of fun challenges and life lessons along the way.

Sometimes Daddy Cries by Todd Rennebohm

A gentle story about a child learning to understand his father’s depression.

Sometimes Daddy Cries is told through the eyes of a boy whose father suffers from depression. He sees his dad get sad, rest and even go to the hospital, all while comparing his father’s depression to a physical ailment.

Is My Dad a Superhero? by James J. Caparosa

A fun story about discovering the everyday superpowers that make a dad truly special.

Have you ever wondered if your dad has special powers? What makes him so amazing? Follow along in this fun story and try to unlock the mystery of what makes one father a real superhero. You will be surprised that the power is something we all can possess.

My Time With Papa by Shauntae Spaulding

Through a young girl’s eyes, a heartfelt journey of remembering and cherishing a beloved Papa.

This is a loving story about a little girl who lost her Papa and finds a way to remember all the wonderful memories she had of him that she will cherish forever. Walk down memory lane and recapture the memories of lost loved ones from the imagination of a young girl.

 A Day Out With Dad by Riley, Enzo, & Zoe Pugliese

A playful beach day adventure with Cookie and her dad.

Cookie loves going on adventures with her dad, whether it’s on the farm, heading into the bush or at the beach. Join Cookie for a trip to the beach and see what she gets up to.                                  

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Tellwell Books

Stories That Celebrate Indigenous Voices and Culture

Jun 24,2026 / By / No Comment

Stories have always been a powerful way to share culture, history, and identity—and this month is a meaningful time to listen, learn, and reflect. Indigenous voices offer perspectives shaped by deep roots, lived experiences, and rich traditions that continue to inspire today.

This curated list highlights books that celebrate Indigenous stories, from heartfelt journeys to powerful reflections. Each one invites readers to better understand the past, connect with the present, and appreciate the voices that deserve to be heard, shared, and remembered.

They Called Me 33 by Karen Chaboyer

A powerful story of survival, healing, and reclaiming identity.

Karen longed for acceptance, validation and love, but had no ability to form healthy, meaningful relationships. Born into a large family already suffering the effects of two generations of residential school, and surviving her own nine years at St. Margaret Indian Residential School, Karen (like everyone she knew) had been systematically stripped of her dignity, identity, language, culture, family and community support systems.

Not wanting to be alone as an adult, Karen tolerated unhealthy relationships with family and partners. Still, she was coping. But after suffering further trauma, Karen turned to alcohol and other addictions to numb her pain.

Eventually, Karen found the strength to reach out for help. She learned to grieve through layers of shame and was finally able to embrace her identity. Karen also discovered what has long been known in her culture – the healing power of sharing your story. Karen would now like to share this book, her story, with you.

Peaceful Relationships by Wendy Hill

A journey through Indigenous wisdom, healing, and finding peace within.

This book is a collection of teachings and experiences from a Native traditional healer. Wendy shares her people’s history and her own personal experiences of bringing peace into situations where it was desperately cried out for. It’s a self-help book to give you ideas and different ways of thinking to help bring you back to peace within. If you have never known peace then this book will explain how to achieve it, and how to be very defensive about maintaining this essence of the spirit.

Courage and Complicity (1st Edition) by Claudette Languedoc

A reflective story of idealism, loss, and a return to truth shaped by time and experience.

In August 1947, Mary Brock boarded a train in Toronto. She was headed for the wilds of Northwestern Ontario and a teaching job at an Indian residential school. Her family was horrified.
At the end of her first day of teaching, Mary was horrified too. This was not the exciting adventure she had imagined. But Mary wasn’t one to give up. Buoyed by her ideals and her pragmatism, she kept showing up.
She lasted the academic year. When she boarded the train for home, she knew she had failed; in every way that mattered. The ideals she had come with had shattered on her classroom floor, and a big piece of her heart lay buried behind a small log cabin in the woods.
Sixty years later, two unexpected gifts forced her to take a second look back and a more hopeful look forward. Maybe her ideals weren’t so naïve after all.

Strengthening Canadian Indigenous by Cathy A. Martin, Ed.D.

Mi’gmaq leader focused on education, governance, and community wellness.

Dr. Cathy Martin, Ed.D. is a Mi’gmaq woman who was raised and resided most of her life in the Listuguj First Nation. Dr. Martin has a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Martin has been an elected member of council for three terms for the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government; two of those terms she was elected Chief Councillor.
Dr. Martin has a wealth of experience interacting at the grassroots level. Her diverse academic and career experiences, have demonstrated her research abilities, facilitation, and co-ordination skills. In addition, to the research skills necessary to obtain a Doctorate in Leadership, Dr. Martin was the main writer/researcher for the development of the First Nations Health Directors Curriculum Manual; which was an eight-module curriculum for Health Directors Association of British Columbia. Dr. Martin has also facilitated, at the grassroots level within her First Nation Community of Listuguj, in the development of a Community Safety and Wellness Accord; and in the grassroots development of domestic violence research and recommendations for a reduction of abuse program in the same community.
Dr. Martin’s future goals include a return to consultation, research, writing and the facil
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Author Success - In the media, awards, reviews

Celebrating Creative Wins This June!

Jun 24,2026 / By / No Comment

June has been a steady month of progress for our authors, with a mix of book awards, thoughtful reviews, public recognition, and well deserved spotlights. It is always encouraging to see their work continue to find its way to new readers and receive recognition in different spaces.

In this roundup, we are sharing some of these recent highlights and moments of success. Each one reflects the ongoing effort and creativity behind every book, and we are glad to take a moment to recognize these creative wins from the month.

Awards

Paul Smyth’s Deliveries has earned strong recognition in the independent publishing space, winning The International Impact Book Awards and The Brew Readers’ Choice Awards, and placing as a Finalist in the Ian Book of the Year Awards by the Independent Author Network. These achievements reflect the book’s positive reception among readers and within the literary community.

Deliveries follows bush pilot Paul Jackson as he navigates the demands of running a small air charter operation in a rugged, unpredictable landscape. What begins as routine flights quickly escalates into high-stakes situations that test his skills, judgment, and priorities.

As pressure builds, Paul and his friend Dave McMurray are forced to make difficult decisions that affect both their livelihood and their lives. The story explores passion, responsibility, and the unpredictability of life, grounded in Paul Smyth’s real-world aviation experience.

Author B. A. Agha’s The Sage and the General has been awarded The Literary Titan Gold Award, recognizing its thoughtful storytelling and themes of peace and conflict.

The novella follows the Sage, a peaceful leader who is forced into conflict when a General chooses violence in response to a threat in their Himalayan community. As tensions rise, the Sage is exiled for standing by his beliefs in balance and nonviolence.

At its core, the story is a reflective fable about peace, resistance, and human choice. This is B. A. Agha’s first literary work, drawing on his diverse life experiences.

Event

Gaia, Mother Earth by Lacey Clews follows Gaia herself, who grows weary from humanity’s neglect of her once thriving lands. Recently, Clews held a book signing event for her debut release. In response, Gaia sends a soulful call across the cosmos to her starseed daughters, asking them to return home and help restore balance so the Earth may heal and flourish once again.

Lacey Clews is a psychologist from Canberra, Australia, with over 25 years of experience in trauma-informed mental health and wellbeing. Alongside her professional work, she explores photography, sound therapy, spiritual wellness, and nature-based healing. Inspired by her role as a grandmother, she now brings her creativity into storytelling with her first book.

Publicity

House of Cards: Surviving Munchausen by Proxy and a Mother’s Web of Lies by Phillippa Mann was recently featured in an interview with The Chilliwack Progress, highlighting her work and author journey in a meaningful media spotlight.

The memoir shares a raw and unflinching account of survival, following a childhood shaped by fear, silence, and emotional trauma. Through her story, Phillippa Mann explores healing, truth, and self-forgiveness, showing how strength can be rebuilt even after deep personal pain.

Phillippa Mann is a Canadian author who writes to help others find healing through shared experience. She is inspired by her family, enjoys baking and crafting, and runs Nana’s Cookies and Gifts in memory of a close friend. She is also working on a children’s book titled Hop Hop and the Great Garden Adventure. 

Featured on KULR8 NBC in Billings, David Brandon’s Rings of Saturn: Enemy Within is a military sci fi thriller inspired by aviation and space exploration.

The story follows F-16 pilot Dan Russell, who joins a secret U.S. Space Command program and soon discovers a hidden interstellar conflict involving Solar Warden and an alien force near Saturn’s rings.

Written by commercial pilot and flight instructor David Brandon, the novel blends real aviation experience with speculative science fiction storytelling. 

Reviews

The Super Seeders by Miles Hillmann has received a five star review from Reader Views for its clear and insightful look at the people driving today’s plant genetics revolution.

The book explores how scientists and research centres are using genome technology to improve crops and strengthen global agriculture.

It also raises the important question of how these advances can reach smallholder farmers and support global food security.

This is a book that everyone should read, not only because it will educate them in the realities of what farmers go through in growing the food that we eat, but also in how science protects and improves farming on a global scale.

-Reader Views Book Review

The Sage and the General by B. A. Agha has received five star review from Literary Titan, recognizing its reflective storytelling and themes of peace, conflict, and human choice. 

The novella follows a Sage who stands for nonviolence as he faces a General pushing for armed response within their Himalayan community, leading to conflict and exile.

It is a spiritual fable about compassion, fear, and whether balance can survive in times of division.

For readers open to a clear-eyed, sincere, and thoughtful spiritual fable, this book has something real to offer. It feels like a conversation about how people lose themselves in conflict, and how th

-Literary Titan Book Review
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Book Giveaways

May Book Giveaway

May 27,2026 / By / No Comment

A new month brings a new story to discover, featuring one that captures the heart of storytelling and the power of a well-told narrative.

Whether you’re looking to explore something new or add another meaningful read to your collection, this month’s giveaway highlights a book worth diving into. Thoughtfully written and engaging from start to finish, it’s a story that leaves a lasting impression long after the final page.

Searching for your next favourite non-fiction read?

A sharp, uplifting take on finding meaning and humor in life’s unpredictability.

Diagnosed with epilepsy at 13, Jane’s life took a wild turn full of seizures, specialists, and some seriously strange hospital adventures. But instead of letting it break her, she learned to laugh—at the chaos, the cringe, and even the curveballs. Laughing Through the Storm is a hilariously honest memoir about finding resilience, ridiculousness, and unexpected joy in the middle of life’s messiest moments.

Get Your Free Copy Here

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Author Success - In the media, awards, reviews

May Author Success Highlights

May 27,2026 / By / No Comment

This month, we’re celebrating authors who brought their books to life through engaging events, connecting with readers and building lasting impressions beyond the page. Alongside these moments are instances of public recognition that highlight the growing impact of their work within their communities and beyond.

Every success, big or small, is a testament to the journey of storytelling, and this May we’re proud to shine a light on the authors who continue to inspire, connect, and make their mark.

Award

Award-winning author Richard K. Lowy has received the Grand Prize for Journalism at the Chanticleer International Authors’ Conference in recognition of his powerful and deeply moving work, Kalman and Leopold.

Known internationally as a producer and creative director behind world-class experiences featuring legendary artists and thought leaders, Richard’s most personal and meaningful project began with the discovery of his father’s Holocaust history. This profound revelation inspired him to preserve a story rooted in survival, friendship, and remembrance—one that eventually led to an extraordinary reunion between his father and a long-lost campmate after more than fifty-six years apart.

Through Kalman and Leopold, Richard honours the lives and legacies of those who endured unimaginable hardship, while offering readers a lasting reminder of resilience, humanity, and the importance of preserving memory across generations.

Dana Rawdah has been named a finalist in the 2025 Children’s Fiction category, a recognition that highlights excellence in writing, design, and overall market appeal.

Her book Cee Cee Nanigans follows a curious and lively young girl whose playful imagination often leads to adorable chaos. From experimenting with markers in unexpected ways to learning gentle play with her brother, Cee Cee’s everyday adventures capture the humor and heart of early childhood, shared alongside her mama.

With over 14 years of experience as an educator and inspiration drawn from her own children, Dana brings warmth and authenticity to her storytelling. Cee Cee Nanigans reflects her passion for creating engaging stories that celebrate childhood curiosity and family connection.

Publicity

Nataly Restokian has been recognized on the international stage with two prestigious honors at the BookFest Spring 2026 Awards, as featured on EIN Presswire.

These latest accolades highlight her ongoing contributions to literature that blend powerful storytelling with meaningful advocacy. Through her work, Nataly continues to engage readers with narratives that reflect depth, purpose, and real-world relevance, earning recognition from both readers and industry professionals alike.

The BookFest Awards celebrate outstanding achievement in publishing, honoring authors whose work demonstrates quality, creativity, and influence. Nataly’s recognition further solidifies her presence as a distinguished voice in contemporary literature, with a growing body of work that continues to resonate across audiences and communities.

Events

Mike Rafferty, author of The Last Neighborhood: A South Philly Memoir, recently held a book signing event that brought readers together to celebrate a story rooted in grit, faith, and resilience.

A former professional boxer with a 9–1–1 record, Mike shares a personal journey shaped by discipline, setbacks, and perseverance. His boxing career was cut short by injuries and a car accident, but his determination carried forward into a 28-year career in law enforcement with the Philadelphia Police Department, where he now serves as a sergeant.

The Last Neighborhood reflects a life built on strength, service, and resilience, offering readers a powerful reminder of what it means to keep moving forward through every challenge.

Reviews

Reader Views features What Remains After by Pauline J. Grabia as a gripping psychological suspense novel that explores trauma, memory, and survival.

The review highlights Beth Clark’s return to her childhood home after her mother’s death, where buried memories and unresolved pain resurface. As the past and present collide, she is forced to confront the lasting impact of abuse, loss, and the search for healing.

The novel received a five-star review from Reader Views, praised for its emotional depth, suspenseful storytelling, and its ability to balance psychological tension with a deeply human narrative. It stands out as a moving reflection on what remains after survival and the path toward healing.

What Remains After will appeal to mature readers who enjoy a rising-from-the-ashes type of novel and are capable of handling deeply disturbing topics. Abuse is portrayed through a childhood lens, prompting important questions. Grabia’s writing illustrates the inspiring regenerative ability of the human spirit through Beth’s transformation.

-Reader Views Book Review
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Tellwell Books

A Collection of Heartfelt Reads for Mom

May 27,2026 / By / No Comment

Stories of love, memory, and gratitude come together in a celebration of the many ways mothers and mother figures shape our lives. From quiet guidance to powerful acts of sacrifice and care, these books reflect relationships that leave a lasting imprint on the heart. Each page offers a moment to reflect on the bonds that ground us and the love that stays with us.

Here are some heartfelt reads that honor motherhood, family, and the enduring power of love, with curated Tellwell titles featured this year that beautifully capture these themes across different voices and stories.

The Magic of Mom’s Hugs by Moments de Joie

A heartwarming bedtime story that celebrates a mother’s love that lives on in every hug .

Some magic you can’t see — but you can always feel.

The Magic of Mom’s Hugs is a cozy, heart-filled adventure about love, laughter, and a little bit of magic. 
But when that magic suddenly disappears, Mom sets out on a tender journey to find it, asking the fastest, bravest animals for help. What she discovers is something even more powerful:
the magic of a hug isn’t something that can be stolen — it lives forever in the love we carry inside our hearts.
The Magic of Mom’s Hugs is a beautifully told story about love’s quiet strength, the bond between parent and child, and the invisible threads that tie us together — no matter where we are. A timeless bedtime tale that will comfort, inspire, and remind readers that real magic is found in the love we share.

Mommy, Is My Hair Nice? by Tanika J. Baker

A heartfelt journey of two sisters discovering identity and confidence with their mother’s support in a new country

“Mommy, is my hair nice?” That’s what Kaliah asked her mom one day after dinner. Kaliah and Asara migrated from Jamaica to Canada four years ago with their parents.

The girls attend the local elementary school and love to share stories of their daily encounters with their parents. Most situations are fun, and problems are usually easy fixes for Mom and Dad, but others not so much. How does Mom help Kaliah and Asara to understand that people are different and assure them that there’s beauty in being different, no matter what others might say?

Join Kaliah and Asara for their adventures and experiences growing up and learning to adjust to their life in a foreign country.

Who Loves Mama? by Cathy J Schmidt

A sweet story about family love, teamwork, and little ones showing Mama Mouse just how much she is cherished

Mama Mouse is sure that her mice do not love her. Can Tiny convince her siblings to help her surprise their mama? Join this mouse family in their little home where they learn the importance of working together.

I Call My Grandma Gigi by Carole Aldred

A rhyming celebration of the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren, filled with warmth and connection

Read along in this heartwarming and whimsical celebration of the relationship between grandmothers and grandchildren, the special names we give them and the fun times we share that turn happy days into lasting memories.

Written in rhyme, it is sure to delight young and old alike. The beautiful watercolour illustrations capture the fun and warmth of this special bond in an inclusive way.

Lil’ Cloud and Momma by Dayna Young

A gentle story of a curious baby cloud learning from Momma about rain, love, and the life-giving water cycle

Lil’ Cloud and Momma is a short story about the water cycle. A baby cloud asks its mother questions like, “Why do we cry?” This tale tells about the importance of the raindrop and its part in keeping living plants and animals alive.

From Grandma with Love by Bella Neville Cruz & Mom (Katia Quintana Cruz)

Imagination, small missteps, and love that never changes between granddaughter and grandma

From Grandma with Love was created by Bella, a five-year-old with a very vivid imagination. Her Mom, Katia, has been her accomplice since the moment Bella said, “Mamá, I would love for my family, my friends and my teachers to read my story. Is that possible, Mamá?”

When I agreed to the possibilities of publishing her book—our book—I knew that it was going to be the biggest and very best project together of our lives. Seeing her big smile of happiness, the proudness of her work in her face, and the sparkle of her eyes brought us even closer by creating and writing.

From Grandma with Love: a story inspired by her own grandma, family situations and lots of love.

Bella is a five-year-old child. Like any other, she could get into mischief sometimes. She does not want Grandma to be upset about her occasional adventures. Bella wonders, “Grandma, will you love me even when I misbehave?”

Mimi, the Solo Magician Mom, and Cameron by Melissa A. MacDonald

Tells the story of a boy, his magician mom, and the beauty of diverse families

Cameron is a confident, fun-loving kid who can’t wait to tell you all about his magician mom, Mimi, and the things that make his family unique.

For grown-ups: This heart-warming tale is told by a donor-conceived child named Cameron who shares his family’s story with pride and honesty, even when offering a matter-of-fact explanation of conception. Being donor-conceived is just one way Cameron is one-of-a-kind.

This is a wonderful resource for friends and classmates of donor-conceived people. It seeks to promote a greater understanding of family diversity and encourage thoughtful discussion.
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