Thursday, February 21, 2013

'Awesome Me!' Release Day Party!

We’re celebrating the release day for Awesome Me! A Book of Awesome Affirmations for Little Stars. To celebrate, we’re giving away 5 Kindle Copies of Awesome Me!

Book blurb:
 
Awesome Me! is a book of awesome affirmations for little stars! Written to promote positive self talk to kids, Awesome Me! encourages children to believe in themselves while cultivating love for one's self, their family, and friends. It emphasizes the importance of connection with the people we love while motivating them to go after their dreams, have fun, be creative, smart, confident, and be the best they can be. It truly is an awesome book that uplifts children in a simple, yet positive way.






Read an excerpt:
One special me
is clever and kind,
with a generous heart
and a curious mind

There's no need to ask
for I know in my heart
I am the most awesome me,
I'm thoughtful and smart!

I can't be held back
I'm a great bird in flight.
I can reach any goal
I have in my sight.
Purchase the book
You can purchase the book from Amazon all over the world!


 Author Bio

Cherrie Dejolde Bautista is a Certified Empowerment Coach committed to help everyone reach their fullest potential and be the best they can be. Having a technical background who worked as an Analyst/Computer Programmer, she pursued and became certified as an Empowerment Coach in her quest to understand how she can become the best parent for her kids. She realized that in order to raise her kids to be healthy, responsible, confident and successful individuals with a lot of respect for themselves, their family, other people, and life, she needs to empower herself not only to be the best parent, but also to reach her own fullest potential and be the best individual she can be. Being a good role model is the most effective way of teaching, influencing, and nurturing her kids. She teaches her children how to live by letting them watch her do it.

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Monday, February 18, 2013

'The Three Lost Kids & Cupid's Capture' by Kimberly Kinrade


BLURB:

Evolved Publishing presents "The Three Lost Kids & Cupid's Capture," by award-winning author Kimberly Kinrade. This special holiday edition (Valentine's Day) chapter book is appropriate all year long, and is for kids 6-9 years old.
~~~~~
Lexie is very unhappy this Valentine’s Day. She can’t get anything right, and her hearts all look horrible. In fact, everyone at school seems to be in an extra grumpy mood.

When she and her sisters consult her magic Mirror of Ice to find out what’s going on, they are transported to Heartland, the home of Cupid herself, which is under attack by a scary monster.

When Cupid is captured, the girls must navigate the Maze of Misdirection, pull themselves out of Apathy, and survive against attacking Cruel Crawlies in order to find the Chasm of Broken Hearts… and save Cupid.

But first, Lexie has to learn to love herself just as she is, otherwise Valentine’s Day will forever be filled with broken hearts. 

**My thoughts**
Yet again Kimberly Kinrade has penned a fantastic adventure for young kids. Lexie is the star and narrator of this installment. She is very frustrated on Valentine's Day, feeling quite down on herself. She thinks she can't get anything write, and takes her frustrations out on other people. A lot of the other kids seem to be feeling the same way. When she teams up with her sisters to find out what is going on, they find themselves transported to yet another magical world. As always happens in their adventures, the sisters learn important lessons about life and loving themselves. Once they do this, they are able to save Cupid and help other children like themselves.


There is just enough action to keep children engrossed. I think that boys and girls alike will recognize some of their own thoughts and feelings in what Lexie has to share with them. Discussion questions at the end are helpful conversation starters, in case you need some as a follow-up. I am sure that my students will love this one as much as they did the others. I am eager for yet another installment!

 Buy links: Amazon \ Smashwords \ BookieJar


BIO:

Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon.

She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.

For a list of her books, check out: http://Amazon.com/author/kimberlykinrade

For a fun fan experience, join the team at I.P.I. at http://IPIAcademy.com

For kids and parents of young kids, join the Lost Kids at http://ThreeLostKids.com

ONLINE LINKS:

Website http://KimberlyKinrade.com

Twitter: @KimberlyKinrade

IPI Twitter: @IPIAcademy
I received a complimentary ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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Sunday, February 10, 2013

Review of 'Sophie Hartley, On Strike!'


Book Blurb from Amazon:

Sophie is supposed to help out around the house, and that’s bad enough. But then her mother comes up with a job chart, and all of a sudden Sophie has a whole list of new chores to do. Some of them, like cleaning the downstairs toilet, are gross! “Menial,” says big brother Thad, who somehow manages to avoid doing any of his own new jobs. “No fair!” says Sophie.

Sophie’s father went on strike when his beliefs were on the line. Now Sophie sees no alternative but to stand up for what she believes in.

The ensuing battle of wills threatens to defeat even the indomitable Sophie. Will the Hartleys have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal from now on? Will they ever have happy family times together again?



**My thoughts**

I think I love Sophie Hartley! She is pouty and sassy, reminding me a lot of good ole Ramona Quimby. She is right smack in the middle of five kids, with both younger and older brothers and sisters. At the age of 9, life is just unfair a lot of the time. Things get worse when Mom has had enough and wants them to follow a job chart. Sophie and her older sister Nora seem to have even more work than her older brother Thad, who only gets to do the jobs he likes. Little brother John is too small for much else. And Maura is just a baby.

She gets the bright idea to go on strike, and fully has her sister's support in the beginning. The whole situation quickly spirals out of control, though. I can't imagine letting the battle of wills go to the same extreme that the Hartleys take it! I do admire how stubborn the parents are about the kids learning their lesson, and how strong-willed the kids are in fighting for kid justice. 

This is a fun chapter book read for kids in elementary school. The main character may be a girl, but even boys are going to relate to the kids' plight. I need to check out some more of Sophie's adventures!

Buy on Amazon: Paperback \ Kindle 

Monday, February 4, 2013

'Bittersweet Summer' by Anne Warren Smith

Book description:

It's a strange summer for Katie Jordan.
Her neighbor Claire is scheming again.
Her best friend is away.
Her dad says they might have to move.
And on top of everything, her mom's country music show is coming to town.

This funny, tender novel about friendships, family, and changing lives is a sequel to Turkey Monster Thanksgiving and Tails of Spring Break. 


FOR AGES 8-12




This book focuses on the difficulties of losing one's mom, for a couple of different reasons. Katie Jordan and her friend are looking for a new mother. Girls who are missing their mother for a variety of reasons may be able to relate. It can be a tough topic, but is a good read for kids in upper elementary school. 


Visit author Anne Warren Smith's website:  http://www.annewarrensmith.com/

Guest post by David M. Brown, author of 'Man vs. Cat'

Today, I would like to welcome author David M. Brown to the blog, to talk about his book Man vs. Cat.
It wasn’t until 2010 that I first owned a cat. Growing up, my family had always been dog lovers. We were never keen on cats so I had no idea what it would be like to own one of these furry felines. One day my wife, Donna, told me that we were adopting not one but two cats. It took me some time to understand what she was saying but once I did I was very nervous.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when our first two cats – Kain and Razz – arrived. Kain tried to escape on the car journey home from the RSPCA and he scratched me many times as I tried to keep him safe in his pet carrier. I should have known then that being a cat owner was not going to be easy.
After Kain and Razz, my wife found Buggles who only has one eye but he has a lot of character. We think of him as Phoebe from Friends or Dr Elliott Reed from Scrubs. After Buggles came Charlie who is the smallest of the cats but thinks of himself as a warrior or soldier, always starting fights with the others cats and even with the household furniture. We reached six cats when we adopted two brothers – Bilbo and Frodo. They’re Norwegian Forest cats and are complete opposites. Frodo is loud and enjoys singing, while Bilbo is quiet and enjoys being cuddled. 

I’m not sure how I ended up in a house with six cats but somehow I have and each day these boys continue to astound me with their bad behaviour and cunning plans to annoy me. They often succeed as well. I am in charge of feeding and cleaning up after them which is certainly hard work. After months of bad behaviour from the cats I turned to writing to share their stories online.

Man vs Cat began as a series of blog posts. I shared these once a month and from there I decided it would be fun to reveal what the cats did whenever my wife and I were out of the house. I created 36 Lives, a series of meetings between four of the cats. In these meetings they discuss many things such as Christmas, Easter and David Beckham. Cats think very differently to us humans so I thought it would be interesting to see what they thought about us and our world.

Having written many blog posts, my wife and I decided to put them into a book along with some new pieces including interviews with the cats and even lists and speeches they have written. Man vs Cat is both the story of how I came to be the owner of six cats and simply how naughty these crazy cats are. The cats will tell you that nothing I write is true but I promise you that there are no lies in this book.

Excerpt from Man vs Cat: An Interview with Buggles

Name?

Buggles, but I’m sometimes known as the Magpie Kitten. Not because I’m a bird, though that would be awesome sauce, but because I keep stealing things. I get very excited, you see?

Occupation?

I’m a one-eyed dreamer, a poet (though I don’t write anything down), melodious to the tone deaf, a shiny happy person (cat!) and perennial sidekick to Charlie. He’s a bit naughty (whispers) and he wants to take over the world. Isn’t that just exciting?

Favourite owner?

Frizzy Hair. She found me online (well, a picture of me, not me personally) and brought me home. Beard Face was incredulous, but I soon realised who wore the trousers in the house. Frizzy Hair is always nice to me. Beard Face just looks down at me and when I’m alone he scowls, but when Charlie is with me, he hides behind the sofa! I’m still not sure why.

Favourite film?

When Charlie’s around I’m supposed to say Apocalypse Now! When he isn’t around I say the Twilight films. I love those sparkly vampires, all glittery and wonderful, like tinsel on a Christmas tree. I just want to cuddle them. I have to order the films and books every week though because Beard Face smashes the DVDs with a hammer, and tears the books up whenever he finds them. I think he likes the feel of them. 

Favourite book?

When Charlie’s around I say The Art of War by Sun Tzu. When he isn’t here, I like to go for Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I’m a black cat, you see, and that makes me beautiful. I know the book is about a horse, but I figured we’re not so different. We both have four legs, a head and a body. What more evidence do you need really?

Favourite music?

When Charlie’s around I say Oh! It’s a Lovely War. When Charlie is elsewhere I will listen to Lady Gaga. She is so amazing and colourful, and stylish; she’s a role model to me. I can’t get enough of her; the music I mean. I haven’t actually met her yet, but I will one day. I want to show her my poker face. 

Favourite historical figure?

Charlie told me to say Alexander the Great. Can I pick Mother Theresa or Florence Nightingale instead? I shouldn’t be saying this, but I once thought Florence Nightingale was the lead singer of Florence and the Machine, but it turns out I was a little confused.

Describe a typical day?

I wake up, I enjoy a wonderful English breakfast (cat biscuits), I search the house for food to pilfer, I get excited, I run around the house emitting playful screams, I think of violet teddy bears and moustachioed fairies, I eat, I dream of fluffy white clouds and angels playing harps, I attend Charlie’s daily strategy meetings, I enjoy a nice English tea (biscuits and cat meat), I hunt for more food and then I sleep.

Describe the best day of your life?

My dreams all came true. That hasn’t happened yet, but one day I dreamt it did. Charlie told me I had temporarily passed out after watching all of the Twilight films back to back, but he’s just jealous of my admiration for those sparkly vampires. Gives me shivers just thinking about them and I don’t mean through fear.

Anything else to add?

Did I just dream all this or are you actually real? I struggle to separate reality and dreams.

Mr B: I have often wondered what group of creatures are inside Buggles’ head, working the controls. Pixies maybe? Every day is one of excitement and wonder for him. You never know what his latest antics will be, but you can be guaranteed, just as with an episode of Family Guy, that it will be something random.

Synopsis
History has known many famous cats - Garfield, Mr Bigglesworth, Simon's Cat, the Aristocats, the Cheshire cat and the Keyboard Cat on YouTube.

In recent years these feline things have replaced man's best friend as the most popular pet in the U.S. while the Ancient Egyptians once worshipped them as gods. This was a mistake and I'm here to tell you why.

Man vs Cat is the story of one man, one woman and the six cats that changed their lives forever. To the woman they brought love and affection, to the man they brought sleepless nights, fear, paranoia and even ruined his jigsaw. Need I say more?

Man vs Cat on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/VJvfNf
Man vs Cat on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/SL2oGC
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17050199-man-vs-cat

About the author
David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Hons in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.

Twitter: @elenchera
Facebook: davidmbrownauthor
Website: http://elenchera.com
Blog: http://tweedling.com
 




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Sunday, February 3, 2013

'California History for Kids' by Katy S. Duffield

The story of California is the story of dreamers-explorers, gold miners, immigrants, ranchers, moviemakers, farmers, and everyday Americans who headed west for a fresh start. The first native inhabitants arrived 9,000 years ago, ancestors of the tribes who would greet the Spanish in the 1700s. Father Junípero Serra later established a chain of missions along the coast, expanding European and Mexican influence. But when gold was discovered in 1848, the rush was on, and two short years later California became a state. After the gold ran out, other rushes followed, from agriculture to industry, Hollywood to Silicon Valley.

            California History for Kids includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and Web resources for further study. And to get a better idea of the scope of California history and the lives of its citizens, readers can:

* create a Chumash rock painting
* play the Miwok Hoop-and-Pole game
* bake and eat hardtack like a gold miner
* design a cattle brand
* decode a railroad cipher
* immortalize their handprints in plaster
* assemble an earthquake preparedness kit
* and more

            Author Katy Duffield tells the rich story of the men and women who, despite challenges and occasional hardships, settled and built the vibrant cities and bountiful farms, ranches, and orchards of the Golden State.

Purchase from Amazon: Kindle \ Paperback

Saturday, February 2, 2013

'Sway' by Amber McRee Turner

For ages 9-12

For four long months, ten-year-old Cass has been dreaming of the day her mom, Toodi, will come home.  But when Toodi's welcome back party takes a turn for the disastrous, Cass finds herself stuck alone with her dull-as-dirt dad, who insists that they set off for the summer on a mysterious adventure-just the two of them.

It turns out Cass's dad has some big-time surprises up his sleeve. Once they hit the road in an old RV named The Roast, he introduces her to the amazing power of "Sway," a seemingly magical force that can bring inspiration and joy to people in major need of help.

Cass can think of one particular person who could really use some Sway. If only she could track down Toodi, Cass knows she could convince her mom to come home. But with the help of a little home-spun magic, Cass realizes that the things she needs most have always been within her reach.

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/YLlPVR