Review of Mansa's Little Reminders

  

Mansa’s little Reminders is a book long overdue that highlights the life of an inner-city kid with big dreams but no direction, a strong and loving family with few resources. Mansa’s little Reminders introduces the fundamental strategies that can help bridge the financial literacy gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” in a way that is fun, relatable, and needed. Mansa’s little Reminders is the first of many fun-filled adventures of a young and curious boy named Mark and his wise furry companion, Mansa. 

Our journey begins on an unusually bright morning, with the sunshine piercing through Mark’s window, blinding him into reality. As he prepared himself for the hot summer day, he noticed a squirrel perched outside of his window. Mark did not know that Mansa had been watching him for a long time. You see, Mansa knew that Mark had the potential to change the path of his life, and he was going to do everything he could to give him the tools and encouragement needed to do so. Will Mansa be successful at helping to change the trajectory of Mark's life?

Goodreads

On Amazon

Kindle * Paperback

(affiliate links included)

**My thoughts**

Mark loves to daydream and doesn't yet understand much about money. Between his family and a little squirrel, he learns a lot.

His mother really does bring in a real world perspective of being frugal when you don't have a lot of money. Especially in our current climate, this is a reality that a lot of families are facing. She also works hard at teaching him about making a business plan with the lemonade stand he wants to start. Other family members end up contributing to his new store of knowledge. And he also reflects on some past conversations with people in his life. Plus there is a little squirrel named Mansa who drops a few nuggets (or should I say, acorns) of wisdom.

The book is definitely written with the inner city kid in mind and seems to reflect that culture. I admit that I cringed a little with a couple of passing moments, most notably his cousin riding in the car with no seat belt. But overall, I really liked the lessons being taught and the different way of doing so. We need more books like this for kids.

I received a requested review copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the authors:

A.D. Williams learned early on how powerful representation is in books. Ensuring that kids can see and feel success through the lens of characters that look and face many of the same challenges they do. When I was growing up no one talked about investing, wealth, business plans or how to acquire real wealth, said A.D. His underlying motivation is that this book will ignite discussions around finances in households across the world and be a seed that blossoms until wealth equity for our children. In addition to his writing, A.D. is a children hospital administrator, private investor, and entrepreneur.

Kendal Fordham grew up in a home brimming with financial literacy. Her father tried eagerly to engage all his children in economics, financial planning, and investing as children. Out of the three children, Kendal found it fascinating. Straight out of college, Kendal studied hard and became a fully licensed Financial Professional. A year later as a Dave Ramsey endorsed financial professional, she started her own business as a financial and investment advisor. It didn't take long for her to realize the value in her skillset, but after becoming a mother, Kendal saw how crucial it was to plant the seed of this knowledge into our youth. Kendal is the mother to 2 young children, a landlord, a multi business owner, a mentor, and now, an author.

Creepy and Scary Tales: A Collection of Short Stories by Reuben Shupp

 

Do you enjoy creepy and scary stories? Not sure which one to pick? Then this will be the perfect collection for you!

Creepy and Scary Tales: A Collection of Short Stories is filled with brilliantly crafted stories which allows you to choose how quickly you want to read them. From Harry to Andrea, there is something for everyone.

Reuben Shupp has superbly created a fantastic collection of horror stories aimed at kids aged 8-12. Whether you’re looking for a new book or perhaps a present, this book collection is truly spine chilling.

So, what are you waiting for? Delve into a new story collection now!

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate link)

Read an excerpt:

Harry

“Hurry up,” I say.

Brendan slams the door and mutters, “I’m com’n.” He is my best friend and my comrade for this evening’s adventure. He moved across the street when I was in kindergarten and we have been best friends ever since. Brendan collects comic books like other kids collect baseball cards. His favorite Marvel character is Wolverine.

I asked him once, “Why do you like Wolverine so much?”

He said, “Knives are awesome and Wolverine can heal himself. How cool is that!”

Everyone calls me Spidey. It is not because I like Spiderman. I love spiders. It is not like I am going to marry a tarantula. But they are the most mysterious creatures on Earth.

Posters line my wall with creepy and scary spiders. I have every spider book known to man. I even talked my grandmother into buying a Spider Encyclopedia set.

Last Christmas, my Dad bought me an aquarium for when Mom finally lets me have a real spider in the house. My brother has a hamster so why can’t I have an arachnid? Did I say it? I love spiders. They are my thang.

We get on our bikes and head towards the fair. This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened in our small town. We have one of everything. One school, one road that leads in and out of town, one grocery store (Walmart), and now we have one fair. I do not care that it is going to be here for only the weekend. Halloween is tomorrow. How cool is that!

“I’ll beat you to the fair,” Brendan says.

“In your dreams.” After about two blocks, we are out of breath. It is a good thing the fair is not too far. We will never make it. Jocks, we are not. Spider nerd and Wolverine superfan are our thang.

The setting sun shimmers in our eyes as the faint music of the Merry-Go-Round echoes along the street. I look over at Brendan and say, “We are almost there.” He grins while we pedal harder.

The cool breeze whistles and combs my hair. A stranger appears out of nowhere. I slam on the brakes. Brendan swerves and hops on the grass and then skids. I stop inches from plowing over an old woman.

My heart skips a beat and I say, “Sorry.” Wow, I almost hit a Gypsy and the only thing that comes out of my mouth is “Sorry.” I am a jerk. She peers at me and smiles, showing her black teeth.

Creepy. A chill runs along my spine. “Do not go to the Spider House,” she mutters. I pedal around her and catch up to Brendan.

“Weird, old, coot, we need to get out of here,” I say. Brendan nods. I glance back and the Gypsy is gone. She vanished as quickly as she appeared. Poof.

Ten minutes later, we park our bikes at the school and walk over to the fair. The Ferris Wheel’s lights blink on and off. The Merry-Go-Round music echoes in the background.

“Where do you want to go first?” I say.

“You can’t go to the fair without riding the Ferris Wheel,” he says with a grin.

“The Ferris Wheel is for kids.”

“I’ll bet all the cool kids are riding the Ferris Wheel.”

I shove him and say, “You are an idiot.” We weave through the crowd at a steady pace.

Brendan yells, “There she blows,” as we approach the Ferris Wheel. He points to Scott Hazelton. “I told ya. All the cool kids ride the Ferris Wheel.” I glance at the top of the Ferris Wheel. Scott and a girl sitting next to him are laughing.

“I did not know Scott had a sister?”

“Hey stupid, that’s Sharon Moran.” He punches me in the arm. Scott Hazelton is the shortest kid in our fifth grade class. All the girls get gooey-eyed around him except for Sharon. She calls him names or trips him in class. Now, it makes sense.

Waiting is the worst. We hope the line will move faster. But of course, it does not.

Finally, we are next. After waiting in line forever, we get on the Ferris Wheel.

The ride moves at a snail’s pace. And then it moves faster and faster. It stops. I look at Brendan and raise my eyebrows as if to say, “Is that it?” He shrugs. The Ferris Wheel moves in reverse. We hold our hands above our heads and hoot and holler.

“We need to find the Haunted House,” I say.

“Not, yet. Let’s go on a few more rides,” Brendan says. Did he blow me off? That has never happened before.

We get on the Bumper Boats. It is like Bumper Cars but on the water. We exit the boats laughing. I squeeze the water from my shirt like a washrag.

“Are you ready to find the Haunted House?”

Again, he says, “Not Yet.” I am tired of him brushing me off. Halloween is tomorrow. I have to visit a Haunted House!

“Let’s play some games,” Brendan says. I agree, but I am not happy about it. We walk through the crowd and pause in front of a dunking booth.

“Do ya wanna play this game?” Brendan asks.”

“Nah, I am trying to save my tickets for the Haunted House.”

“You’re being a jerk,“ Brendan mutters.

“You are being a butt. I have been trying to go to the Haunted House all night. Every time

I ask, you brush me off. Why is that?”

Brendan shrugs. “I dunno.”

I walk away in a huff. When I glance over my shoulder, Brendan is still standing in line as if nothing happened. I continue stomping my feet in the opposite direction.

A neon sign flashes behind the Ferris Wheel. I quicken my pace. It seems like everyone is in my way. “Watch it kid,” says a man waiting in line.

“Sorry,” I say. I rush around him and walk for a few more minutes.

“How many tickets?” I say to the man behind the ticket counter. He slowly holds up his index finger.

“Are you sure?” he nods in slow motion. I hand him the ticket. The door creaks as I rush inside.

A flashing neon sign says, “Spider House.” Spider-shaped desserts cover the kitchen table. I grab a cookie and bite off one of its legs.

Several dozen spiders crawl across the table. I jump back and screech like a girl. Those can not be real. This house is supposed to scare me. Right? I bend down to get a closer look. A black spider crawls up my arm faster than I can blink.

I shake and dance to get it off. I dash out of the kitchen.

The hallway has black lights that shimmer through the spiderwebs hanging from the ceiling. Spiders crawl back and forth along the wall. I pause in front of a coffin resting in the middle of the corridor.

I lift the lid. A spider crawls out of a vampire’s mouth. He sits up and says, “Good evening.” My heart skips a beat. I walk a little faster.

A mummy with spiders crawling out of his eye sockets hobbles towards me. I crawl in between his legs and sprint down the hall.

I crash through a wall of spider webs as I breathe in the cool night air. It is pitch black. No lights. No music. Where is the fair?

I jog across the open field. The thump thump echoes in the moonlight. After a few minutes, the outline of the Ferris Wheel creates a shadow against the night sky.

I stop. No lights. No crowds. Where did all the people go? How long was I in the Spider House? It felt like ten minutes. I cross the fairgrounds to the school, grab my bike, and hurry home.

The porch light is on when I arrive home. This can not be a good sign. I open the back door and peer inside. CNN rings across the house. My parents look up as I enter the living room.

I am a Navy Veteran of the Persian Gulf War. In the Navy, I was given the rare opportunity to view parts of the world most of us never get to see..

 
In the Spring of 1974, I went to France for six months because my father was in charge of a foreign exchange program in Bourges, France. When I returned to the United States, I did not know English.

I have been writing short stories since November 2020. "A Collection of Short Stories or Tales" is my debut book (April 2021).

"Creepy and Scary Tales: A Collection of Short Stories" was published October 4, 2021.

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Review of Inside a Bald Eagle's Nest: A Photographic Journey through the American Bald Eagle Nesting Season by Teena Ruark Gorrow and Craig A. Koppie

Take a photographic journey of American Bald Eagles during nesting season. Through 160 breathtaking images captured in eagles' natural habitats, this factual account offers a rare glimpse into the behaviors and activities of America's national symbol as it prepares a nest, mates, lays eggs, and raises its young. Travel with adult eagles as they gather nest materials, forage for prey, and ward off intruders into their territory. Inside the nest, observe how eaglets grow from hatchlings into fledglings, and experience first flight. Included are tips for observing eagles and a glossary of terms. This is a perfect book for eagle enthusiasts and eagle nest cam viewers, nature and wildlife lovers, bird watchers, conservationists, scientists, teachers, children, and photographers. The one-of-a-kind photographs and comprehensive descriptions make this a must-have treasure to be enjoyed by all ages. It is sure to become the go-to reference on bald eagles.

Goodreads * Amazon * BN

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**

The bald eagle is one of the most majestic creatures found here in the United States. It's no wonder that we have it as one of our national symbols. They are rare, and so exciting when you get to see one! This book provides an insider's look at their life, in a way that we are most likely never going to be able to witness in person.

Breathtaking pictures capture all aspects of the bald eagle's life, from feeding to nesting to flight. Other pictures demonstrate how well they can blend in to the world around them. One of my favorites is a close-up of the profile of an adult male bald eagle and a frontal view in the glossary. I'm also intrigued by a series showing how the parent feeds the eaglets fish. And the little babies are absolutely adorable!

You can tell that Tessa has spent considerable time researching and observing the bald eagles during their nesting season. She is able to interpret the actions and interactions that she skillfully captures in her photography. Their lives are actually much more intricate and involved than we realize. For example, the way in which the male and female communicate with each other is almost reminiscent of how humans interact with each other when in love. It's also fun to read about how young eagles learn about the world around them, much in the same fashion as human babies. 

Younger children will be in awe of the pictures and may sit through explanations of what is going on, even though this is a long book. Older children will soak up the information. It's a great resource for a school project, or simply as a coffee table book.

Thank you to Netgalley for a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of KidVenture: Twelve Weeks to Midnight Blue by Steve Searfoss

 

Welcome to the review tour for Twelve Weeks to Midnight Blue, part of the KidVenture series by Steve Searfoss. Take a peek inside and then learn my thoughts on this middle grade educational story. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

Chance Sterling launches a pool cleaning business over the summer. Join Chance as he looks for new customers, discovers how much to charge them, takes on a business partner, recruits an employee, deals with difficult clients, and figures out how to make a profit. He has twelve weeks to reach his goal. Will he make it? Only if he takes some chances.

KidVenture stories are business adventures where kids figure out how to market their company, understand risk, and negotiate. Each chapter ends with a challenge, including business decisions, ethical dilemmas and interpersonal conflict for young readers to wrestle with. As the story progresses, the characters track revenue, costs, profit margin, and other key metrics which are explained in simple, fun ways that tie into the story.

Read an excerpt:

If anyone tells you that kids can’t start a business, don’t listen to them. They can. I should know, because I did. People sometimes ask me how KidVenture started and how it got its name. Well, I’ll tell you. It all started the summer before sixth grade. All I remember about that summer is that it was hot, so hot I thought I would melt. That and my sister Addison kept annoying me. You could say I was boiling and steaming that summer.

My dad told me he would pay me ten bucks to clean the pool. It was a pretty good deal. I’d take a net and scoop out all the leaves and dead bugs that had landed in the water. It took me about two hours to clean the pool so I 3gure I was making about 3ve dollars an hour. Not bad for a ten-year-old kid.

I thought it was going to be a one-time gig, but the following week my dad asked me if I wanted to clean the pool again.

“But I already did,” I said. He told me to go take a look. I couldn’t believe it. The pool was full of leaves and dead bugs again. I had spent all the money I made from cleaning the pool the week before on a slingshot, two comic books and an ice cream cone. I needed the cash so I said yes.

Next thing you know, I’m cleaning the pool every week and making an easy ten bucks each time. After a couple weeks, I realized I could save my money and buy that bicycle I had seen one time at that big sporting goods store on Wilson Street. The bike was super cool. When I looked at the sticker, it said the color was midnight blue. I didn’t know what that meant, except that it sounded dangerous and I liked that. I asked my dad if we could get it and he said, which is the grown-up way of saying No, but I want to let you down easy.

The bike, the dangerous one, cost $225. Which is way more money than a ten-year-old could ever hope to get. That is, unless said impoverished ten-year-old had a job, which I now apparently had.

“It’s going to take forever to save up for that bike,” I said, after I had just 3nished cleaning the pool for the second time, and my dad handed me a crisp ten dollar bill.

“No, not forever,” my dad retorted. “You’ll save up $225 in no time.”

“Not when I’m only making ten bucks a week.” I started to feel sorry for myself and walked away.

Then I turned around. “Dad, how long will it take if I save all my pool cleaning money?”

“You figure it out,” my dad said, and handed me a paper and pencil.

“But I hate math!” I protested.

“Well then you’re right. It will take forever,” my dad said and returned to reading his newspaper.

“Oh all right,” I sighed. “Hand me the pencil.”

I started scribbling some numbers.

“Twenty…Twenty-two…Twenty-three! No, wait. Twenty-two and a half weeks!” I shouted excitedly.

“How many months is that?” my dad asked.

“Ugh. More math? Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

My dad has a way with words. I began scribbling numbers again. “Let’s see, four weeks in a month, approximately, so that works out to…” I mumbled.

“Five-point-six-two-five months.” I said triumphantly.

“That’s right,” my dad smiled. “So about five and a half months.”

“Wait…” I said dejectedly. “Oh no!”

“What?” “That’s five and a half months, if I don’t buy any more ice cream.”

“True.”

“Better call it six months.”

“Six months is not a long time,” my dad insisted.

“It is!” I scowled. “At this rate I might was well just wait till Christmas.”

A couple more weeks went by, and even though I dreamed of mint chocolate chip ice cream almost every night, I had managed to save all of my pool money. I had $30 tucked away in my bike fund when I suddenly had an idea.

I went straight to my dad and declared, “Dad! Dad! I have an idea.” He put his newspaper down slowly and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes?”

I could barely contain myself. “How about you pay me $20 for cleaning the pool!”

“$20?”

“Yes! Yes! Twenty buckaroos. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. Twenty dollars for cleaning the pool instead of ten.”

“Hm….I like it.”

“You do?” I have to admit, even as excited as I was, I wasn’t really expecting the conversation to go so well.

“You’re negotiating,” my dad said. “I like that.”

“Great!” I exclaimed. “Wait, what’s negotiating?”

“It’s what you’re doing now,” my dad said. “Asking for more.”

“Great! Awesome. So, is that a yes?”

“No.”

“But why not? I’m negotiating, just like you said.”

“Yes,” my dad said. And then he smiled. I recognized that same smile. It was the smile he had when he told me when I was three years old that Santa had made a wrong turn somewhere east of Winnipeg on his way to our house and there would be no Christmas presents that year.

“You’re forgetting that I’m negotiating too.”

My mom had her own smile. It was the smile that immediately told my dad to stop making the children cry on Christmas Eve.

“And I want to know,” my Dad continued, still smiling, “why would I pay more for the exact same pool cleaning service you’re already providing for the handsome sum of $10.”

I had to admit he had a point. Where was Mom? I could really use her help right now.

“You raise an interesting question,” I said, trying to sound as serious as I could. “I’ll have to think about that and get back to you.”

I couldn’t sleep that night. I was thinking about what I could do that would be different than just the same pool cleaning service I offered. What could I offer my dad that would be of more value, so I could charge more?

Goodreads * Amazon * BN

(affiliate link included)

 

**My thoughts**

The teacher in me really appreciates so many aspects of this book! It's an entertaining story that I think kids can relate to. I mean, everyone wants to try to earn money, right? And Chance has to work at figuring out how much money he needs for his prized bike and then how to make his business happen. His father isn't just handing him the money, nor is he handing him the answers to questions. "You can figure it out." I am a firm believer in guiding toward answers and not just giving them. You'll raise better critical thinkers that way. 

And does Chance always get his way? No. Is it a super easy ride for him? Of course not. He's going to make a few mistakes. But being allowed to make mistakes actually allows for better learning experiences in the future.

I also like that at the end of each chapter, there are questions for readers to ponder. They can do so on their own, in their head or maybe in a journal. But these also make for some great discussion questions should this book be read with multiple kids at home or in a group setting at school. Lots of possibilities here.

Now I'm curious about other books in the series!

Thank you to the author and Goddess Fish for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wrote my first KidVenture book after years of making up stories to teach my kids about business and economics. Whenever they'd ask how something works or why things were a certain way, I would say, "Let's pretend you have a business that sells..." and off we'd go. What would start as a simple hypothetical to explain a concept would become an adventure spanning several days as my kids would come back with new questions which would spawn more plot twists. Rather than give them quick answers, I tried to create cliffhangers to get them to really think through an idea and make the experience as interactive as possible.


I try to bring that same spirit of fun, curiosity and challenge to each KidVenture book. That’s why every chapter ends with a dilemma and a set of questions. KidVenture books are fun for kids to read alone, and even more fun to read together and discuss. There are plenty of books where kids learn about being doctors and astronauts and firefighters. There are hardly any where they learn what it’s like to run small business. KidVenture is different. The companies the kids start are modest and simple, but the themes are serious and important.

I’m an entrepreneur who has started a half dozen or so businesses and have had my share of failures. My dad was an entrepreneur and as a kid I used to love asking him about his business and learning the ins and outs of what to do and not do. Mistakes make the best stories — and the best lessons. I wanted to write a business book that was realistic, where you get to see the characters stumble and wander and reset, the way entrepreneurs do in real life. Unlike most books and movies where business is portrayed as easy, where all you need is one good idea and the desire to be successful, the characters in KidVenture find that every day brings new problems to solve.

KidVenture Links

Website
https://kidventurebook.com/


Author Bio
https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Searfoss/e/B08N1K65G1/


Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/kidventurebook


Twitter
https://twitter.com/KidVentureBook


Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kidventurebook/


Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/kidventurebook/_saved/

Steve Searfoss will be awarding one $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC + 10 Print copies to 11 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

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