The Sacrament is for Me by Jessica B. Ellingson & illustrated by Chase Jensen -- Book Tour Review
10/22/2016
About the BookThe sacrament is the most important part of the Sabbath day—and our week. Teach your little ones about the sacred sacrament and how they can apply it in their everyday lives, from the playground to piano lessons. Help your children start each week right and understand the reason behind the reverence of Jesus’s eternal sacrifice, love, and example. About the AuthorJessica grew up in a small twon in southeastern Utah and moved to Utah County to attend college. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she pursued her dream of becoming a book editor. She now lives above the valley with her cave-dweller husband and is pursuing another dream of becoming an author About the IllustratorChase grew up in Cleveland, Utah, and has always wanted to be an artist. He went to Brigham Young University where he studied illustration. He later returned to live near his small hometown with his wife and two daughters. You can find his work at www.chasejensenart.com. ReviewAuthor Jessica B. Ellingson and illustrator Chase Jensen have come together and created a beautiful children’s book on the importance of the Sacrament. With a poetically written story and beautifully colorful and bright pictures, this book is perfect for teaching young children the gospel principle of the Sacrament; the reasons behind why we take the Sacrament and what it is all about. I would recommend this book to parents with young children. Genre: inspirational, LDS, Christian Publisher: Cedar Fort Publication date: October 11, 2016 Number of pages: 32 Category: Kindergarten + Content Rating: G Book Rating: 5 stars A print review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. Tour ScheduleOctober 14: My Book Addiction
October 15: Inklings and Notions October 16: Share. Love. Serve. October 17: Brooklyn Jolley October 18: Heidi Reads October 19: Mel’s Shelves October 20: My Book a Day October 21: Eccentric Eclectic Woman October 22: Singing Librarian Books October 23: Reidhead Random-ness October 24: My Little Sunshines October 25: The Things I Love Most October 26: Rockin’ Book Reviews October 27: Sweetly Made October 28: A.L. Sowards About the BookDefenders of the Family, assemble! God’s magnificent plan for us rests upon the strength of the family. In this engaging children’s book, discover the roles and teachings needed to unite your family, from devoted parents to extended members, all centered on the power of the gospel. Help your children see their families as they can be: incredible, empowered, eternal followers of Jesus. About the AuthorBen began an epic comic book collection as a boy and always cheered for the good guys like Spider-man. He developed his superpower of dancing and met his beautiful wife Keenan at BYU while part of the International Folk Dance Ensemble. They now live in Utah Valley with their five children where he teaches seminary. Ben enjoys dates with his wife, cheering on sports teams with his sons, and having dance parties in the driveway with his girls. He is also the author of the children’s book “I Hope They Call Me on a Mission.” He has also authored two more books: “10 Questions to Answer While Preparing for a Mission” and “10 Questions to Answer After Serving a Mission.” About the IllustratorAs a young boy, Jay Fontano loved to watch cartoons on TV and read comic strips in the newspaper. Now he works as an illustrator drawing funny pictures for t-shirs and illustrations for books. Jay and his wife have six children and a dog named Nacho. They live near the mountains in Utah and love to go camping and have fun together. He still watches cartoons and reads comic strips whenever he can. ReviewAuthor Benjamin Hyrum White and illustrator Jay Fontano have come together and created a book that is perfect for teaching young children basic LDS gospel principles. With easy to read text bright and colorful pictures in a graphic novel and super-hero style, this book is perfect to capture the attention of young readers. This book would also be a good Family Home Evening tool as well. I would recommend this book to LDS families with young children. Genre: religious, inspirational, LDS, Christian Publisher: Cedar Fort Publication date: October 11, 2016 Number of pages: 34 Category: Kindergarten+ Content Rating: G Book Rating: 5 stars A print review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. Tour ScheduleOctober 11: Myself as Written
October 12: Rockin’ Book Reviews October 13: My Book a Day October 14: Brookie Cowles October 15: A Little Too Jolley October 16: Brooklyn Berry Designs October 17: The Write Path | My Little Sunshines October 18: I Am a Reader October 19: Singing Librarian Books October 20: Reidhead Random-ness October 21: Mel’s Shelves October 22: Eccentric Eclectic Woman October 23: Katie’s Clean Book Collection October 24: Bookworm Lisa October 25: The Morrell Tale | Sweetly Made October 26: I Love to Read and Review Books October 27: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books | Little Red Reads October 28: Making Life a Bliss Complete | The Things I Love Most About the BooksBaby Book of Mormon Stories: Bless the Nephite ChildrenSnuggle up with your kids and learn about Jesus’s visit to the Nephites. This colorful board book is perfectly designed for little fingers and small attention spans. Experience the beauty of Christ’s personal love in the Book of Mormon with your little ones and come to see the ways the Savior reaches out to them today. The Holy Ghost: Discovering Your Extraordinary New GiftGet to know the Holy Ghost, from baptism on! This engaging book provides fill-in-the-blank stories, coloring pages, and other fun activities for your kids to help get them ready to receive the Holy Ghost and rely on Him for the rest of their lives. Come to understand and feel the Spirit, one of the greatest gifts from God. About the AuthorCatherine Christensen graduated magna cum laude from BYU with a degree in English and editing. She worked in her dream job acquiring and editing books before switching to her other dream job of full-time mother. She is a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom and has lived most of her life in England. She currently resides in Springville, Utah, with her husband and daughter. Catherine is the author of “I Can Pray Everyday” and “Emily’s Perfect Christmas Tree.” ReviewThe Holy Ghost: Discovering Your Extraordinary New GiftBlessings of the Nephite Children is an adorable board book for toddlers and young children. It has brightly colored pictures depicting Jesus interacting and blessing children. As a mother with her first baby on the way, this a perfect book to include in my bag to take to church. I would recommend this uplifting story to young children just beginning to learn and understand the gospel. Genre: LDS, inspirational, board book Publisher: Cedar Fort Publication date: August 9, 2016 Number of pages: 20 Category: Baby Book Content Rating: G Book Rating: 5 stars A review copy of this novel was provided by Cedar Fort. The Holy Ghost: Discovering Your Extraordinary New Gift The Holy Ghost is a fun interactive activity book for children preparing to be baptized or children recently baptized to help them learn more. It has coloring pages, games, pencil mazes, dot-to-dot games, and much more. This is a great teaching tool to use with kids. Genre: LDS, inspirational, childrens Publisher: Cedar Fort Publication date: September 13, 2016 Number of pages: 80 Category: Elementary + Content Rating: G Book Rating: 5 stars A review copy of this novel was provided by Cedar Fort. Tour ScheduleSeptember 12: LDS and Lovin’ It
September 13: Read for Your Future September 14: Singing Librarian Books September 15: Making Life a Bliss Complete September 16: My Book a Day September 17: A.L. Sowards September 18: Brookie Cowles September 19: Reidhead Random-ness September 20: September 21: September 22: September 23: September 24: Heidi Reads | Inklings and Notions September 25: Jorie Loves a Story September 26: Mel’s Shelves September 27: Jorie Loves a Story September 28: The Things I Love Most September 29: Jorie Loves a Story September 30: Rockin’ Book Reviews October 1: Brooklyn Berry Designs October 2: Little Red Reads October 3: Wishful Endings | Little Red Reads | Eccentric Eclectic Woman About the Book
Flossy is the bossiest girl around. She's bossy at home and she's bossy in school. She's bossy to her friends and she's bossy to her cat. Sometimes she's even bossy to her teacher! Flossy doesn't understand why no one will listen to her. One day, Flossy meets Edward, a boy who may be just as bossy as she is. Has Flossy finally met her match?
About the Author
Paulette Bogan admits she was bossy as a child. She is the author and illustrator ofVirgil & Owen, which was chosen as one of Bank Street Best Children's books of the Year 2016, Virgil & Owen Stick Together, which won a Mom's Choice Award Gold Medal for Picture Books, and Lulu The Big Little Chick, which won a Children's Choice Book Award. She lives in New York City with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs. They ALL think she is STILL bossy. But they've never told her to go to her room!
Interview with the Author
Check out the interviewHERE.
Art Class
Just being bossy...
Swing like me...
Time-out
Review
Bossy Flossy by Paulette Bogan is a fun and entertaining book that kids will not only love, but parents or teachers can use as a teaching tool on being bossy. This book teaches children the meaning of the word bossy and that it is not very fun to get bossed around. It is more fun when everyone gets along. The plot of the story is about a young girl that is bossy to everyone all the time. She does not realize how not fun it is for everyone around her until another bossy boy comes along and starts bossing her and everyone else around. These young children learn to work through their bossiness and be nice to each other and their other class mates. Additionally, each page is filled with brilliantly bright and delightfully colorful pictures that are engaging, as well as help depict the delightful story. I would recommend this story to teachers, parents, and kids as a learning tool and a fun story to read together.
Genre: childrens, picture book Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. Publication date: July 19, 2016 Number of pages: 32 Category: Pre-school + Content Rating: G Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by iRead Book Tours.
Giveaway
Win a package of 3 children’s books by Paulette Bogan: Bossy Flossy, Virgil & Owen, and Virgil & Owen Stick Together plus a $20 Amazon Gift Card (Open to USA & Can)
2 winners, giveaway ends Oct 8 Tour Schedule
Sept 1 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review / guest post / giveaway
Sept 1 - Did YOU Hear About the Morgans? - review Sept 1 - Domestic Chanteuse - review / giveaway Sept 2 - 100 Pages A Day - review / giveaway Sept 2 - Singing Librarian Books - review / author interview / giveaway Sept 5 - Bookroom Reviews - review / guest post / giveaway Sept 5 - I'd Rather Be At The Beach - review Sept 6 - Working Mommy Journal - review / giveaway Sept 6 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review / giveaway Sept 7 - One Frugal Girl - review / giveaway Sept 7 - Library of Clean Reads - review / author interview / giveaway Sept 8 - Sahar's Blog - review Sept 8 - The Writing Garnet - review / guest post Sept 9 - Christy's Cozy Corners - review / guest post / giveaway Sept 9 - 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! - review / giveaway Sept 12 - Katie's Clean Book Collection - review / giveaway Sept 12 - Living à la Smart - review Sept 13 - New Horizon Reviews - review / author interview Sept 13 - Heidi's Wanderings - review / giveaway Sept 14 - Fantastic Feathers - review Sept 14 - Blooming with Books - review / giveaway Sept 15 - Seasons of Opportunities - review Sept 16 - My Journey Back - review / author interview / giveaway Sept 16 - Writer with Wanderlust - review / giveaway Sept 19 - Bookworm for Kids - review / giveaway Sept 20 - Brooke Blogs - review / guest post / giveaway Sept 20 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review Sept 21 - Pause for Tales - review Sept 22 - Stranded in Chaos - review / giveaway Sept 23 - Reading Authors - review / giveaway Sept 26 - Bound 4 Escape - review / giveaway Sept 27 - Life as Leels - review Sept 28 - Reader's Cozy Corner - review / giveaway Sept 29 - KC Beanie Boo - review / author interview / giveaway Sept 30 - Create With Joy - review Sept 30 - All the Doodles 'n Scribbles - review Christmas in August: The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks by Cindy Vincent -- Book Tour Spotlight
8/25/2016
Series: Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Caper
Genre: Christian, Children's, Cat-themed Mystery, Suspense Publisher: Whodunit Press Publication date: October 11, 2013 Number of pages: 178
Buckley and Bogey, Cat Detectives, find their next case hits a little too close to home. Because someone has been breaking into houses and stealing all the Christmas presents! And the first two robberies even took place in their very own neighborhood. Holy Catnip! Of course, the boys leap in on all fours to investigate right away. Then it isn't long before they realize they are dealing with some real criminal masterminds, since these burglars know exactly how to cover their tracks. Plus, the crooks have the whole town of St. Gertrude on edge and they're threatening to ruin Christmas for everyone.
But figuring out the identity of the Christmas Crooks isn't the only mystery around. After all, Buckley had just been adopted from the cat shelter this year, and this was the first he'd ever heard about Christmas. And he quickly finds out there is a lot to learn! From Christmas trees to Santa Claus, and jingle bells to the birth of baby Jesus, the real meaning of Christmas is a mystery to him. But he and Bogey can't really enjoy any of it until the Christmas Crooks are caught. That's because it becomes very clear, very quick — these Christmas Crooks have set their sights on the boys' house, too! And the burglars are headed straight for their door. Holy Mackerel!
Cindy Vincent, M.A. Ed., is the award-winning author of the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers, a mystery series for kids and cat-lovers that features the adventures of two black cat detectives. And yes, as she is often asked, Cindy used her own black cats, Buckley and Bogey, as the inspiration for the series, since they seem to run surveillance on her house each and every night. Cindy is also the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls, along with the Daisy Diamond Detective novels, which are a spin-off from the games. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines. Cindy is a self-professed “Christmas-a-holic,” and usually starts planning and preparing in March for her ever-expanding, “extreme” Christmas lights display every year . . .
The Story Behind the Story or the Story of the Real-life Buckley and Bogey,
the Inspiration for This Series
My real life cats, Buckley and Bogey, were the inspiration for this book and the series. We had adopted Bogey from a local animal shelter when he was a kitten, and he joined our household of three much older female cats. Of course, Bogey wanted to play 24/7, but the older girls had no intention of playing with him. And Bogey, having come from a litter of five boys, liked to wrestle and roughhouse. We soon realized that Bogey needed a brother. So we adopted Buckley from another animal rescue agency, and the two boys have been best friends and inseparable ever since.
As they seemed to explore our house together every night, we joked about them "running surveillance" to make sure the place was secure. That's when the idea hit me — Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Especially when I realized how very different the boys were. While they're both black cats with gold eyes, Bogey is sleek and wiry, whereas Buckley is huge and fluffy. Bogey is laid back and fearless, and Buckley is anxious about pretty much everything. Bogey is the expert and Buckley is the rookie. Together their personalities play off each other beautifully, much like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Only at a children's level, and well, at a really adorable level, as both boys are such a joy, and happy to cuddle and purr at a moment's notice. So, with cats usually sleeping near my keyboard, I started writing their cat capers. Book four was released just last year and I’ve got book number five outlined. Funny, but here I thought I was doing something nice by rescuing a couple of homeless cats, and I ended up being the one with the most blessings . . .
Favorite quote: Jeremiah 29:11. 11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Favorite book: (Right after the Bible,) How to Murder the Man of Your Dreams, by Dorothy Cannell. So, so funny . . . Favorite dessert: Chocolate Molten Lava Cake. ‘Nuff said. Favorite flower: Roses, red or bright pink. Favorite season: This is a hard question to answer, since I absolutely enjoy all the seasons. But I guess I’d have to say Summer, which is sort of crazy, since I live in Houston and our climate is pretty much like that of Calcutta. Even so, I absolutely love floating around my pool, and I love the laid-back, lazy attitude of Summer. I always consider it the perfect time of year. I write in the morning, then take a little swim, and write in the afternoon. Then we might barbeque something for dinner, and finally, I might go swimming before bedtime, with the moon and the stars out. Perfect. Favorite movie: Casablanca. Favorite place to visit: Gallatin Canyon in Montana. There is just nothing more majestic than the road between West Yellowstone and Bozeman. Favorite Restaurant: Pappas Seafood, near me. I’ve never had a bad meal there. Yum. I get hungry just thinking about the place!! Favorite author: Dorothy Cannell Favorite holiday: Christmas, which in my household begins with decorating in October and lasts until late January. I put up three different Christmas trees. But here in August, if you were to look close enough, you’d see my Swarovski ornaments are still hanging around . . . And I have a few “minor” trees up all year long.
1. Each of the Buckley and Bogey books features an adoption scene where a homeless cat is given a forever home. In one episode it was a cat who needed to be rescued from a bad situation, and another time two “special needs” cats were adopted. I always get a little emotional when I write this little sideline to my stories, yet my real goal here is to encourage people to adopt cats who need a home, especially shelter cats.
2. In the book, Buckley is shown a plastic Santa Clause ornament that is hanging on the lower branches of the tree and put there for the cats in the family. In real life, an ornament just like it is hung on our main Christmas tree every year, along with a few other unbreakable ornaments. We often find them on the floor or around the house. But it doesn’t matter, since we simply put them back on the tree. No problem. We learned long ago, that, if we wanted to have a decorated Christmas tree and cats, it was a very good idea to leave ornaments “just for them” on the lower branches of the tree. 3. Early in the story, there’s s a scene where the Princess runs straight up the Christmas tree and knocks it over. This actually happened in real life . . . in fact, it happened many, many times the first Christmas after we adopted the real Princess Alexandra (Lexie). She would run as fast as she could and leap onto the tree with enough momentum that it would fall right over, and the branches would go flying. I probably should have been upset, but honestly, it was so hilarious that I’d laugh till I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Especially when I saw the wild-eyed, quizzical expression on her face each time. Finally, my husband invented a “Lexie proof” Christmas tree stand, and the tree stayed upright from then on. 4. I always include three of my other cats in the Buckley and Bogey books, too — Miss Mokie, aka The Wise One; Libby, aka Lil Bits; and Lexie, aka Princess Alexandra. I wrote them into the first three books in the series, and sadly, not long after I’d started the fourth book, Miss Mokie and Libby passed away within a month and a half of each other. They were 21 and 20 years old, which is remarkably old for cats. Funny, but somehow I had the idea that losing an older cat might be easier, considering they’d had a nice long life and weren’t in the best shape near the end anyway. But oddly enough, I found it was even harder to lose a couple of feline friends who’d been part of my life for a couple of decades. I went through a very rough grieving process. And even though they are gone, they will forever be in my heart. And I decided to write them into the fourth book and all subsequent books anyway. 5. My favorite scene in this book is the night when Buckley finds himself locked out of the house. That’s when he cuddles up in the Nativity Scene on the front yard to stay warm, and looks up at the night sky, trying to find the brightest star out there. 6. I completed this book in August. So the whole time I was writing and dreaming of snow and Christmas decorations, it was actually about a 100º here in Houston, with 99% humidity. Hmmm . . . 7. The Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers are set in a fictitious town called St. Gertrude. Why St. Gertrude? Because the real St. Gertrude of Nivelles, who lived in the seventh century, was known as the Patron Saint of Cats. 8. I sometimes write friends’ cats into my books as well. For instance, Ranger, a Tonkinese kitty who is in two of the books, belongs to my friend who spends most of the year traveling in an RV with her husband, and takes Ranger with them. She once sent me a picture of Ranger going nose-to-nose with an Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, so Ranger quickly became an adventurer in the books. And Luke, the church cat in one book and mentioned in another, is the late cat of an online friend who plays piano at her church. His real name was Ebony, and he is also forever immortalized in my books. 9. Most of my cats nap in my home office while I write. It makes for such a cozy atmosphere. And Buckley, who is the narrator of the series, frequently sits on my desk. Considering he’s a huge Maine Coon Cat, this can make things a bit challenging, especially when he wants to lie on top of the keyboard . . . 10. I'm always a little surprised whenever I finish writing a book. I look back and think, where did that come from? I especially like the "feel good" ending in this book, which takes place right on Christmas Eve. I not only wrote about the true meaning and spirit of Christmas, but I felt it the whole time I was typing away. And since Christmas is my favorite time of the year, this book has a special place in my heart. As the story talks about the joy of giving rather than receiving, I feel like this book is my Christmas present to my readers. Though to tell you the truth, I guess I was really the only one in a crouched position. And well, I was probably the only one whose eyes were watching every movement. Actually, Bogey was kind of lolling on his side with his eyes closed. He opened them just enough to help himself to a cat treat from a foil pouch. He passed one to me and then closed his eyes again. But I, Buckley Bergdorf, was almost too nervous to eat the fish-flavored treat. My heart was racing, and I'm sure my long, black fur was standing on end. I couldn't believe that Bogey wasn't even the least bit worried. Then again, he was a professional when it came to being a cat detective. He'd been in the business for years, ever since he'd been adopted from the cat shelter. As for me, I was barely more than a rookie. In fact, I'd really only solved a few cases so far. Thankfully, I had Bogey to lean on to help me learn the job. He'd been teaching me everything he knew about the cat detective business. And believe me, there was a lot to learn! But I was happy to have the job and happy to help out my family. Especially since I didn't even have a family for a while. I still remember the day when my human Mom adopted me and brought me home from the cat shelter. Bogey took me under his paw right away, and I’ve been grateful for it ever since. After all, I’d once been out on the mean streets with nothing to eat. Now I have a home with plenty of food, and people and cats who love me. Plus I have the best big brother in the world. I jumped when a loud whump suddenly echoed up to us. I noticed yet another box had appeared in the hallway below. I gulped. "Aren't you scared?" I asked Bogey. He grabbed another cat treat. "Nope, kid. I've seen this kind of thing before. It happens every year."
It did?
August 22--Mochas, Mysteries and Meows
August 23--Pause for Tales August 24--Christy's Cozy Corners | The Power of Words August 25--Singing Librarian Books August 26--Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen August 27--Katie's Clean Book Collection | Bibliophile Reviews Picture Book Wednesdays -- 08.02.16
8/3/2016
I have always loved this colorful and fun story about a boy that was raised by librarians. Being a librarian myself, I love the influence these spunky and delightful librarians have in the life of this little boy. Have you heard of or ever read this book? What picture books have you been reading this week? Share the title and the author in the comments! About the BookDoing fun activities with the family gets expensive, but now with Meggan’s $5 Family Fun, you can make, bake, and do incredibly fun things with your young family for under $5. Using dollar store finds, free local services, generic bands, and common household items, you can make every day an adventure. Gather your whole family together for inexpensive family fun activities and memories that last forever. Publisher: Cedar Fort | Publication date: June 14, 2016 | Number of pages: 131 AMAZON--KINDLE About the AuthorMeggan Spicer is the author of $5 Family Fun (50 Craft Projects That Won’t Break Your Budget) with other writing projects in the works. She also enjoys blogging about food, fun, family-friendly movie reviews & much more. Meggan is a HR Recruiter by profession, a wife, mother and resides in the Little Rock, Arkansas metro area. She has a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Arkansas, enjoys cooking, watching movies & crafting. She can be contacted at megganspicer [at] yahoo.com. Example of one of the fun activities from this fantastic book:Open-Faced Teddy Bear SandwichJuly 10 th is National Teddy Bear Picnic Day. Pack a teddy bear–themed lunch and head outside for a whimsical afternoon of fun and frolic. Grab a blanket from the closet and as many of your kids’ teddy bears and other assorted stuffed animals as their arms can carryto keep you company during your picnic. Open-Faced Teddy Bear Sandwich - $4.25 Supplies: • Loaf of bread from the dollar store - $1 • Peanut butter from the dollar store - $1 • Raisins from the dollar store - $1 • 1 large banana from dollar store - $0.25 • Teddy bear–shaped cookies from the dollar store - $1 Directions: • Generously spread peanut butter on each slice of bread. • Slice the banana into thin slices. • Lay three banana slices on each sandwich, one in the center for the bear’s snout and two in the upper corners for the bear’s ears. • Place three raisins on each sandwich, one on the banana snout to finish the nose and the other two just above to create the bear’s eyes. Tour ScheduleYou can check out the other blogs on tour HERE and see other activities from the book, reviews, etc.
Picture Book Wednesdays -- 07.27.16
7/27/2016
I grew up loving Jillian Jiggs by Phoebe Gilman. I actually only had three of the books though, Jillian Jiggs, The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jigs, & Jillian Jiggs to the Rescue. I have since learned and read the others and they are just as fun and delightful as the three I grew up loving!! What favorite picture books do you have? Or share one you have read recently.
This can be from growning up or reading with your kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews. Share the title and author in the comments!
trusted. ClaireLee drifts further from honesty, her friend, and a broken mother’s love, until one very public night at the yearly school awards ceremony. The spotlight is on her, and she finds her courage and faces the truth and then ClaireLee saves her mother’s life.
Author Jean Ann Williams, the eldest in a large family, enjoys digging into her fascinating childhood to create stories for children. Having written over one hundred articles for children and adults, this is her first book. Jean Ann and her husband live on one acre where they raise a garden, goats, and chickens. Her favorite hobbies are hiking through the woods and practicing archery with her bow.
Link to the interview HERE.
A wool pea jacket cut between ClaireLee and a boy in the
line. Nervous, she counted from the bottom eight black buttons all the way to the collar. The girl wearing the coat was head and shoulders taller than her. Peacoat crinkled her nose, while ClaireLee squinted at the raised scar running from eye to chin. Cocking her one good brow, Peacoat sized up—or more like sized down—ClaireLee. Her voice boomed in the outside hallway. “Ya must be in fourth grade, so you take the right side in my classroom.” She pointed to herself. “I’m in sixth, so I’m on the left.” Rolling her eyes, ClaireLee disliked it when someone believed they knew all about her. Fourth grade, my eye. Besides, she had things to think on. Why hadn’t Mama and Daddy come home? She had watched for their station wagon on the short walk to school. Then, there was Lolly, and ClaireLee clutched the handle of her lunch box. Lolly will eat with me at lunch. Peacoat’s rude mouth interrupted ClaireLee’s mute conversation. “Hey, I’m talking to ya, squirt.” Without blinking a lash, ClaireLee glared at her. Her mouth open, Peacoat placed her hands on her hips. “Why ya gawkin’ at me?” “What does gawkin’ mean?” “You’re as tough as a banty rooster, ain’t ya?” Peacoat burst out laughing.
Jean Ann Williams’s Just Claire is a beautiful story of a young girl that must deal with some tough life challenges and help take care of her family. After having a baby, ClaireLee’s mother becomes depressed. ClaireLee must decide how to deal with her family situation, as well as deal with making new friends at a new school. This novel is a tender and heart rendering story that young readers that also have family struggles or friend struggles can relate to.
Genre: fiction, historical, children’s Publisher: Clean Reads Publication date: January 6, 2016 Number of pages: 208 Category: Middle School + Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by SLB Tours.
May 23--Reading Is My SuperPower
May 24--Bookworm Lisa | Toni Shiloh Prayerfully-Lifted Romance May 25--Katie's Clean Book Collection | Christy's Cozy Corners May 26--Mel's Shelves | Simply Harvest Reads May 27--Christian Bookaholic May 28--Singing Librarian Books About the Book
Tadpoles, clams, and minnows wow! For siblings Beth and Paul, growing up on a lake is fun... until they are startled by a fishy find along the shoreline. When they discover the scaly, moustached carp, they become afraid.
Seasons pass, and Beth and Paul avoid the swampy reeds at all costs until a flood brings about a life-or-death situation for the creepy looking carp, right in their own backyard! With guidance from their father, will Beth and Paul be able to overcome their apprehensions about the carp and help save them before it s too late? About the Author
Irish Beth Maddock (nee Fell) was a columnist for two local newspapers, had stories published in Reader’s Digest Canada, and broadcasted on 100 Huntley Street, CHBC Television and CBC Radio.
She is a published poet, and has both performed in and directed plays and musical theater productions. A playwright for a church drama production, her three part monologue “Tapestry” helped fund-raise over $1,000. So began the realization that she can help raise much needed funds for great causes with her creativity. Her award winning children’s book, “The Great Carp Escape” is available as a fundraiser for schools, churches, charities and ministries in need. A member of SCBWI, IBPA, Inscribe & The Word Guild, Irish would like to continue doing something about those ideas that get downloaded into her brain at 2 AM. Review
The Great Carp Escape by Irish Beth Maddock and illustrated by Lucent Ouano, is a fun, cute story. It is about a brother and sister, Beth and Paul, who grew up on a lake. One day along the shore line they find a gross and scary carp with a moustache. After the run-in with the carp Beth and Paul avoid the reeds along the lake’s shore. Until one day they discover many carp trapped in a pond near their home. As much as they don’t like the carp, Beth and Paul do not want the fish to die. So with the help of their father and a few friends, they dig a trench so that the carp can swim back out to the lake.
This is a story that adults can use as a teaching mechanism for kids. Sometimes there are creatures or maybe even people we don’t like. But when troubles arise, it is best to help each other out. The bright and colorful page enhance the beautiful story along, as well. I would recommend this story to all young readers, as well as teachers or parents to teach with. Genre: children’s Publisher: Word Alive Press Publication date: January 13, 2015 Number of pages: 24 Category: Pre-School + Content Rating: G Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this novel was provided by the author, Irish Beth Maddock.
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September 2023
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