Cover Reveal: CAUGHT ON CAMERA

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Hello dear friends! Are you ready for something different? I hope so!

Usually, I’m shouting out about picture books, whether with an exciting cover reveal, a celebratory book birthday, or a Perfect Picture Book Friday. But today, for your dining and dancing pleasure, we are getting a FIRST DAY peek at the cover of a Middle Grade novel!

Yes! When long time participant of #50PreciousWords (and multiple time winner’s circle recipient) Melissa Miles reached out to let me know that her debut MG novel will be launching next year, I knew I’d want to share the good news with all of you. And what better way than for you to get that FIRST DAY peek at the cover.

WOW! The cover immediately grabs my attention…and I want to know what is going on…and how these two kids are involved. I feel connected with their adventure already and I am driven to find out more…and that’s exactly what a great cover sets out to do.

Melissa kindly stopped by to tell us a little bit about the book.
ME: Welcome, Melissa. Thanks for stopping by. Will you tell us a little bit about the book?

MELISSA: Thanks so much for having me and for helping celebrate the cover of my debut novel.
Here’s a little about the book: 

A high-stakes Hitchcockian cat-and-mouse action adventure thriller perfect for 8-12-year-olds about a neurodivergent young podcaster pushed on the run after spotting a supposedly dead senator on a Times Square livestream.

After a summer of non-stop news footage of Senator Jefferson Morgan’s suspicious death just days before his testimony against the global crime ring, Double Helix, Dominic does not expect to spot him in live webcam footage of NYT Square
looking very … alive!

Dominic knows he saw him, but he can’t convince anyone to believe him.
Desperate to prove he’s right and to bring Senator Morgan to justice, Dominic creates a podcast to share his conclusions about Morgan’s identity. It goes viral in away he never imagined. Can Dominic uncover the real story behind Senator
Morgan’s fake death, evade underworld operatives, stay one step ahead of a (potentially!) untrustworthy rogue federal agent, handle new social ticks and anxieties brought on by his sudden fame AND navigate the pitfalls of middle social hierarchy . . . without losing sight of the things that make him, well, him?

This new middle grade adventure from Georgia-based teacher Melissa Miles shows the power of seeing and thinking differently from the status quo, and how being brave enough to embrace what makes you unique has the power to change the course of millions of lives.

ME: Well, Melissa, after that brief and exciting pitch, I totally can’t wait to read it! But it will definitely be hard to wait until April 27, 2027 when the book flies into bookstores.

Dear friends…please check out the pre-order link if you want to make sure to get your copy as soon as it comes out!.

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: DOLL TROUBLE Plus Giveaway

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Hello dear friends! Happy Perfect Picture book Friday! I’m thrilled to share a BRAND-NEW picture book with you. And we are so fortunate because…author Kim Larson stopped by to share the story behind the story…her inspiration for this book AND she and the publisher are offering a GIVEAWAY…later in the post I’ll explain how to enter the giveaway AND how to receive an extra ticket in the giveaway hat!

Title: Doll Trouble                 

Written by: Kim A. Larson

Illustrated by: Nataša Vertelj

Publisher: Clavis Publishing

ISBN#: 979-8890631220

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

SYNOPSIS:
A heartwarming story about loss, courage, and empathy.
Emma takes her beloved doll Mia everywhere she goes. They play, laugh, and cry together, but one day something happens that makes Mia look less than perfect. The children in the neighborhood tease Emma about her broken doll, so she hides Mia and plays with her new, beautiful doll instead. But no matter how hard she tries, Emma can’t forget Mia. When she meets Sophia, who doesn’t have a doll, Emma suddenly knows what to do.

WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK:
1. I love heartwarming stories that inspire children to be kind and compassionate.
2. I love books that are filled with glorious illustrations that help kids engage with the story.
3. I love stories that empower young readers and listeners to hold strong, even when they have to stand alone.

ME: And now it’s time to welcome author Kim A. Larson! Hello, Kim! Thank you for stopping by. We always love to hear the story behind the story. Can you share what inspired you to write this book?

KIM: Thanks so much for helping me celebrate the beautiful book, Vivian. I’d be happy to share.
As the oldest of five siblings, my toys rarely “lived” to see old age. Between a house full of kids and a particularly destructive brother, I spent a lot of my childhood figuring out how to keep loving my dolls after they ended up with missing limbs or shaved heads. Those early lessons in empathy—loving something even when it isn’t “perfect”—became the heart of this story.  

But the spark for Doll Trouble really ignited when I watched the kids next door playing while their dad mowed the lawn. It brought back the memory of my cousin, who lost several toes in a lawnmower accident as a child. I wanted to weave those two worlds together: a story that celebrates the resilience of a well-loved toy, while gently alerting children to the very real dangers of lawnmowers. It’s my way of helping kids stay brave, empathetic, and most importantly, safe.

ME: THANK YOU SO MUCH, KIM! I love the intention you brought to writing this story.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
DIY DOLL-MAKING TUTORIAL

Here’s a little bit about author Larson:
Kim A. Larson writes humorous and lyrical picture books and more. She is the author of Doll Trouble (Clavis Publishing, 2026) and Goat’s Boat Won’t Float (The Little Press, 2024). She was honored to receive the SCBWI Ann Whitford Paul Award, two Minnesota State Arts Board grants, and three Lake Region Arts Council grants. Kim lives in Minnesota, and when she’s not writing, you may find her gardening or playing Sequence with her husband. Visit Kim’s website to learn more about her and her work, or connect with her on social media via linktr.ee.

To order a copy of DOLL TROUBLE, you can go here.

To be entered in the giveaway of a copy of DOLL TROUBLE, please leave a comment and share this post on your social media platforms. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian addresses only.
To qualify for the Bonus Giveaway
Subscribe to Kim’s newsletter by August for another chance to win (US & Canada only). You’ll also receive a PDF copy of her first published book of short stories and poems: Love, Laughter, and a few Happily Ever Afters.

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Happy Book Birthday: DIVING DEEP ON ROSH HASHANAH

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Hello dear friends! I’m so glad you’ve stopped by today…and I know you will be, too…because we are celebrating the book birthday of a wonderful new book written by the talented Rachelle Burk and brilliantly illustrated by Craig Orback.

It’s always a joy when authors return to Picture Books Help Kids Soar…and I’m thrilled to welcome Rachelle who has agreed to share the story behind the story.

ME: Hello my friend! So nice to see you here again. I’m hoping you can share a bit about the book and how it came to be.

RACHELLE: It’s lovely to be here, Vivian. Thank you for helping to celebrate my newest book. And it certainly does have a wonderful backstory.

Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah
by Rachelle Burk
illustrated by Craig Orback

I love adventure! A few years ago, I wrote Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman’s Cosmic Mitzvah—a true adventure picture book set in space. Next came Passover on Everest, the story of a mother-daughter climbing team who held a Seder on the world’s highest peak. As a scuba diver, I knew my next book had to dive into a true, Jewish-themed ocean adventure.

That dream is now a reality with my new picture book biography: Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah: Reverse Tashlich for a Better World.

The book tells the inspiring true story of Rabbi Ed Rosenthal. He created “Reverse Tashlich,” an environmental tradition where people clean beaches and oceans to practice Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). From this initiative, he founded the organization Repair the Sea (Repairthesea.org).

Our first meeting felt like destiny. When I learned about Rabbi Ed, I was already scheduled to fly to Tampa for a school author visit. Coincidentally, that was exactly where he serves as a college campus rabbi!

He invited me to dive with his college club, the “Scubi-Jews.” Unfortunately, the boat engine failed that day, and we never left the dock. Instead of diving, I spent the afternoon conducting interviews right there on the deck. That boat ride may have been cancelled, but the book was born!

The book follows Ed’s journey from his childhood love of the ocean to the global growth of Repair the Sea. It focuses on modernizing a centuries-old ritual:

Traditional Tashlich involves symbolically casting away past wrongs by tossing breadcrumbs into the water. Reverse Tashlich flips the concept. Instead of putting debris into the water, participants remove physical “sins”—like plastic, trash, and marine debris. This new tradition protects marine life and restores local aquatic ecosystems.

What started as a local project has exploded into a global movement. People of all backgrounds now participate. To date, the initiative has mobilized thousands of volunteers across 6 continents, 31 countries, 307 communities!

Rabbi Ed and I are celebrating the book launch with a unique event in Palm Beach, Florida. The celebration will include scuba diving and an underwater “reading” of the book, with the audio dubbed in after the dive!

Stay tuned—the fourth book in my true Jewish adventure series is already in the works, featuring a true Hanukkah story set deep in a cave!

https://rachelleburk.blogspot.com

facebook.com/rachelleburk  instagram.com/rachelleburkpurchasing:  

https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/26798

Amazon Sales Page

ME: THIS IS FABULOUS, RACHELLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING ALL OF THIS.

And now, friends, here’s a little bit about the creators of this fabulous new book.

Bios:

Author:

Rachelle is the author of over twenty fiction and nonfiction titles for children ages 0-13. Her books include Don’t Turn the Page!, How to Be an Awesome Toddler: 50 Easy Rhymes to Make Growing Up Exciting & Fun, and Stomp Wiggle Clap & Tap. Biographies are The Story of Simone Biles, The Story of Taylor Swift, The Story of Caitlin Clark, and Happy Birthday to You: The Sisters Who Wrote the Most Famous Song in the World. Rachelle’s science-adventure novel, The Walking Fish, received a Science Teaching Association/National Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Book award.

She has also published acclaimed Jewish children’s picture books such as She’s a Mensch! Jewish Women Who Rocked the World; Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman’s Cosmic Mitzvah; Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah; Passover on Everest; Mitzvah for George Washington and Matzah Ball Chase. Rachelle loves to visit elementary and preschools around the country with her dynamic author visit programs. Visit her at www.RachelleBurk.com


Illustrator

CRAIG ORBACK has illustrated over 20 children’s books, including Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman’s Cosmic Mitzvah, Passover on Everest, Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah, The Boxcar Children, and Starring Steven Spielberg: The Making of a Young Filmmaker. Craig lives near Seattle, WA, where he teaches children’s book illustration classes at several local colleges. Visit www.craigorback.com to see more of his work.

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. Stay tuned for a Perfect Picture Book Friday post later this month as we celebrate a new book from the lovely Kim Larson…DOLL TROUBLE!