A Five-Star Review for Grandma's Sandals!

7 December, 2025

Five stars for Grandma’s Sandals! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Grandma’s Sandals has received a five-star review from Readers’ Favorite, an international book review and award platform providing professional reviews for authors and publishers worldwide.

It’s always a little nerve-racking sending your book out into the world and waiting to see how others will respond, so receiving such wonderful feedback about a story that means so much to me was incredibly special.

Readers’ Favorite described Grandma’s Sandals as “charming and heartwarming” and praised Ana Rodic’s beautiful illustrations for matching the story perfectly.

I was particularly moved by reviewer Joe Wisinski’s reflections on the message at the heart of the book:

“The lessons the book teaches apply not only to children in a new environment but also to those who don’t feel accepted by others for any reason.”

Joe also highlighted the special conversation between Long and Charlie at the end of the book, noting how it helps put those messages into practice.

Another beautiful observation really captured what I hoped children might take from Long’s story: that sometimes something as small as a smile can be the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

Grandma’s Sandals was written with themes of culture, identity, empathy and belonging at its heart and was inspired by my experiences teaching migrant and refugee children. Knowing that these messages have resonated with an independent reviewer means more than I can say.

A huge thank you to Readers’ Favorite for the five stars, to Ana Rodic for bringing Long’s world so beautifully to life, and to everyone who has supported Grandma’s Sandals on its journey so far. 🥰