Category Archives: children’s author

Random Acts of Publicity: Annie’s Special Day

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Darcy Pattison is hosting an amazing blog event: Random Acts of Publicity

The main idea is to spread the word about a book that you think is worth talking about….as long as it is not your own book!!!!

In addition, I just realized that Perfect Picture Book Friday starts up again this week…Hurray!  So, since I am in New Hampshire and don’t have my own computer or the time availability to post another story review (my four-year old grandson feels it is more important for me to be reading the stories to him, as opposed to reviewing them), I’m going to have this wonderful picture book do double duty.

I’m thrilled to share a debut picture book by fellow 12x12er and Perfect Picture Book Friday participant…Clara Bowman-Jahn.

Annie’s Special Day

Written by Clara Bowman-Jahn

Illustrated by Claudia Wolfe

Age: 4-8

Themes: Time/Clocks, Birthdays

Synopsis:  A little girl celebrates her birthday with an adventure every hour. It is a basic concept book about time and clocks.  We learn what Annie does throughout the 24 hours of her birthday.

Why I like this book: The main character is an enthusiastic little girl with a positive attitude towards life.   The wonderful illustrations help bring her character to life.  Young children are fascinated with clocks…and learning about time (and time-management) is a skill kids need to master.

Activities/Resources

Make a construction paper clock and use a metal paper fastener to attach the hands so that the child can change the time.

Annie’s Special Day is published through eTreasures Publishing.   I hope you will check it out.

I’ll be flying to New Hampshire tomorrow morning…and spending the next couple of days reading, crafting and cooking with my four-year old grandson…my daughter says he has been marking off the days on the calendar and can hardly wait till I get there…neither can I!!  I think I will download a copy of Annie’s Special Dayso that I can read it to him…maybe we will make one of those clocks out of construction paper.

Sunday Post: Black & White…or Do We Parent in Shades of Gray?

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Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is BLACK AND WHITE

 

I always love to connect the Sunday Post theme to an aspect of parenting.

As parents, we have many choices to make.

Should we be strict or lenient?

Do we move to the city or the suburbs.

Will our children go to public or private schools…or should we homeschool?

But there are some things about parenting that are BLACK AND WHITE:

Parenting requires organizational skills…kids need routines.

Parenting requires communication skills….kids need you to listen to them.

Parenting requires compassion…kids need your love.

Parenting requires consistency…kids need rules that are enforced.

But setting rules does not means that everything is black and white.

Is stealing wrong?  What if your children were starving?

Is killing wrong?  What if someone is trying to kill you or your child?

Perhaps parenting is a journey in “Shades of Gray”.

Parenting requires participation…kids need your time.

Practice Positive Parental Participation and your child will have a head-start to a happy and successful life.

Spending quality time with your young children now will have a positive impact on their school performance.  It also helps them build stronger relationships later in life. 

To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today.  Show Me How is the book that makes it easy and fun! 

Giving back is important to me.  Part of the proceeds of each copy sold is donated to several children’s organizations.

Schools are opening all over the country and we’d like to give a free copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking to your favorite school or classroom.  Nominate your child’s school or other childcare facility in the Show Me How School Initiative by leaving a comment and telling us why you’d like them to have this book.  If you don’t have young children, but know people who do, please tell them about the free book their child’s school can receive!  At the end of September, we will be awarding a dozen books to the winning schools.

Last, but certainly not least, I just came back from a local SCBWI meeting…one of the members, children’s author Marty Banks, has a new book out on the market.  The Adventures of Tempest & Serena is a wonderful chapter book for readers ages 7 and up.  I’ll be reviewing the book here in a couple of days, but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up about the free download that is coming up next weekend.  I’ll post the correct URL when I do the review.  I think this is a book parents and grandparents will want to buy for holiday gifting!

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

 http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/ 

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post…click on a link and travel around the world:

http://bodhisattvaintraining.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://blueberriejournal.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/bw/

http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/leonard-pitts-jr-s-freeman/

http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/black-white/

http://mariadesuede.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/une-competition-en-noir-et-blanc/

http://jullianeford.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://shaanthz.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://cobbies69.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://nprimopiano.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/bw-stairs/

http://p0nky.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://truthaboveallreligions.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://imexcited.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://connieemeraldeyes.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://cassiemeetsworld.com/photography/sunday-post-black-white/

http://pollysspace.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://davidrwetzelphotography.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

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A Reel Cool Summer is a Really Cool Book for Kids

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Several weeks ago, I connected online with another author, Martha Rodriguez. 

We realized we were on the same page about many things…have 3 children (2 boys and a girl), love our families, have a passion for picture books, recently had our first books published…the list could go on and on.  Martha and I exchanged books and she’s already written a review of my book: http://bit.ly/peQ3mt

So now it my turn to tell you all about her book, A Reel Cool Summer.

  

As parents, we all know how difficult it can be to keep children entertained and busy…especially during the long hot summer.  The story opens with three siblings, Joey, Jacqui and Danny, complaining about how there is NOTHING to do.  After bantering back and forth, the three kids decide that what they need is a pool for their backyard so that they can cool off.  While the two younger children go to ask their mother if they can buy a pool, Joey, the oldest, goes to get the mail. 

After pleading with their mother to no avail, Joey takes his brother and sister aside and tells them about a contest that the library is holding.  All they have to do is make a movie…and the winner will receive $100…enough to buy the pool that they all want.   The entire family works together to build the props and make the costumes and Danny, Jacqui and Joey finish the movie and hand it in to the library with just moments to spare.  Will they win the first place prize of $100 and be able to buy the pool that they want?  Will they win the third place prize of the mystery box that contains who knows what?  You’ll have to buy a copy of this lovely book to find out.  You can visit the author’s website and purchase a copy at: http://www.readtomepublishingllc.com/Book.html

She also has a blog: http://areelcoolsummer.blogspot.com/

And you can contact her: info@readtomepublishingllc.com

One of the coolest things about this book is that kids love it.  I brought it along with me on my recent trip to Chicago and read it to my 8-year old great-niece and 6-year old great-nephew.  They absolutely LOVED it and listened intently to the story.  They took turns reading some of the pages and were engaged with the colorful illustrations…which were done by the author’s now-adult son, Joey.

 

Ms. Rodriguez is to be commended on her first book for children. ..kids obviously love it.  As soon as we turned the last page, my niece and nephew jumped up and ran into the house clamoring, “Can we go in the pool?”  They were also anxious to hear it another time, so later we sat under the shade of a big tree and read the book again.

I’m sure that the author has more stories about Joey and Jacqui and Danny that she will share with us in future books…I know my niece and nephew and all kids ages 5 to 9 will be ready to listen.