Giveaway/Review of The Cheshire Cheese Cat A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy & Randall Wright, Drawing by Barry Moser

About Book


In this playful homage to Charles Dickens, unlikely allies learn the lessons of a great friendship

Skilley, an alley cat with an embarrassing secret, longs to escape his street-cat life. Tired of dodging fishwives' brooms and carriage wheels, he hopes to trade London's damp alleyways for the warmth of ye olde Cheshire Cheese Inn. He strikes a bargain with Pip, an erudite mouse: Skilley will protect the mice who live at the inn, and in turn, the mice will provide Skilley with the thing he desires most.

But when Skilley and Pip are drawn into a crisis of monumental proportions involving a tyrannical cook, an unethical barmaid, and a malevolent tomcat, their new friendship is pushed to its limits. The escalating crisis threatens the peace not only of the Cheshire Cheese Inn but also the British Monarchy!

Unbeknownst to Skilley and Pip, however, they have a secret ally: a famous author who scribbles away many an afternoon in ye olde Cheshire Cheese Inn...

READ EXCERPT here.

Click here to learn more about The Cheshire Cheese Cat.

Published by Peachtree Publishers
Age 8-99
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-56145-595-9
Total Pages: 256
Size: 6 x 8

Where to buy: Amazon, 

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR


Carmen Agra Deedy is a New York Times bestselling author and has been writing and traveling around the world telling stories for more than twenty years. Her books, including 14 Cows for America, The Library Dragon, The Yellow Star, and Martina the Beautiful Cockroach have received numerous awards and honors. Carmen has performed in many prestigious venues, but children are her favorite audience. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the United States as a refugee and like most immigrants sees the world from multiple perspectives.

You can visit Carmen Agra Deedy’s website here.

Randall Wright is the author of several novels for young readers, including A Hundred Days from Home, The Silver Penny, and Hunchback, a 2004 VOYA Top Shelf Award winner. He lives in Utah.

Barry Moser is one of today's most celebrated illustrators of children's books. He is also a printer, painter, printmaker, designer, author, essayist, and teacher. The books Moser has illustrated and/or designed forms a list of over three hundred titles. He lives in Massachusetts.

You can visit Barry Moser’s website here.

~ ~ ~ ~

Peachtree has decided to provide a copy of THE CHESHIRE CHEESE CAT for this blog giveaway and another copy of my other blog, It's Time To Read Mamaw

GIVEAWAY

of one Hardcover copy of THE CHESHIRE CHEESE CAT

one winner

provided by Peachtree Publishers

giveaway will be from Oct. 31- Nov 6, 2012

  Leave a comment (this is mandatory for the giveaway) 

about who you will give this book to if you win.  

Be sure to leave your email address in the comment

 so I can contact you if you are the winner. 

example of email:  johndoe(at)yahoo(dot)com

I can not contact you without an email.

 I invite you to follow me and the author by

email, GFC, Linky Follower, Facebook, Twitter, G+

 but this is not mandatory for the giveaway.

 The winner will be announced 

on November 7th, 2012. 

GOOD LUCK!!

~ ~ ~ ~

My Thoughts

Skilley the alley cat has made up his mind he is going to sneak inside the Cheshire Cheese Inn.    So, he will cunningly convince the Innkeeper to let Skilley stay as the Inn's mouser. You see a mouser is a cat that catches mice. The Inn has the best cheese around and the Inn is overrun with mice.

He finally sees the chance to sneak in after a customer.  He puts on such a good performance and even caught a mouse.  Well he convinced the Innkeeper that this was THE MOUSER  for the Cheshire Cheese Inn.  Skilley took off with the mouse further into the Inn and spit out the mouse. The mouse was called Pip and he has lived at the Inn his entire life.  He could not figure out why the cat spit him out.  Why didn't he eat Pip that is what any other cat would have done.  Well you see Skilley has a secret and so does Pip.  They agreed never to give away their secrets.

They become buddies and together they are quite the little schemers.  If they are careful and everything goes as they have planned they can live in peace with everyone, including the British Monarchy.

The man at the beginning of the story that let Skilley into the Inn had a friend with him, Charles Dicken's.
He found the Cat and Mouse antics to be very entertaining and with his imagination he had fun with these very unusual characters. 

Kudos to Charles, Carmen, Randall and Barry for putting their talents together into a neat little package for us to enjoy. The illustrator did a marvelous job of depicting all the characters through the author's detailed description to perfection.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publishing for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.


If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.

TOMMY GOES TRICK-OR-TREAT (A BIRD BRAIN BOOK) by EMLYN CHAND ~ GIVEAWAY/REVIEW

About Book

Tommy is a mischievous little woodpecker who loves to fly to the edge of the forest and watch the people in the nearby suburb. One evening, something strange and exciting happens—people emerge from their houses wearing costumes and carrying colorful buckets with smiling faces on them. What’s even crazier is that they shout a special codeword while standing outside of each house, and are given delicious-looking candy.

Tommy simply must join in the fun. He and his friend, Michael the raccoon, fashion their own costumes and head off to join in the festivities. Thanks to Tommy’s knock-knocking beak and Michael’s quick paws, the duo is able to heist many a candy bar from the unsuspecting homeowners and children.

But are they missing out on the true spirit of Halloween?

There’s only one way to find out: join Tommy and Michael in their trick-or-treating adventure, in this special holiday edition of the color-illustrated Bird Brain Books series for children 3-6 years old.

Paperback,  65 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Evolved Publishing

ASIN: B009JW9HZ4

http://www.evolvedpub.com

The Bird Brain Books

Available as eBook or Softcover at:

ON AMAZON KINDLE/KINDLE CLOUD FOR ONLY $2.99

Also available at Smashwords and BookieJar, and coming soon to Barnes and Noble, Apple iTunes-Books, and Kobo.

About Emlyn 

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children’s book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. 

Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. 

Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

About Illustrator

Noelle Giffin is an alumna of the Savannah College of Art and Design, equipped with a BFA in Sequential Art. She enjoys a good story and believes that it should always be accompanied by art that complements it, instead of overshadowing it. Her favorite part of creating artwork is working towards that feeling of “being in the zone,” where everything just fits together seamlessly and is difficult to distract from.

She likes to listen to music while she draws and, as a result, comes up with silly music video ideas for her characters. Her medium tends to be digital, but nothing beats drawing with pencil and paper. Lastly, she loves fat little birds like nothing else in the world (and now no one is surprised as to why she’s drawing Bird Brain Books).

You can find more of Noelle’s work at her website, and you can connect with her at Facebook and Twitter.

My Thoughts

Tommy the woodpecker could not understand why he was not able to peck a hole in a house.  He had no problem with trees.  When he finally gave up he noticed the boy and girl coming out of the house looked different today.  Michael the raccoon raced up the tree to see what Tommy was looking at.  Tommy asked why the boy and girl look different?  Michael told him it was a special day called Halloween and the little people were going to go door to door and get candy from each house.  This sounded like a wonderful idea. He loved candy.  They finally came up with a plan and was able to get a large stash of candy. By snatch and grab.  Which was not very nice! Do they need a codeword to get the candy?

Would they eat all that candy?  What do you think will happen if they eat too much candy?
Do you think they should give the candy back since they took it without asking? 

This was a really cute Halloween story.  A tale of a mischievous raccoon and woodpecker. In real life they both can be annoying a destructive but they are nice to look watch.  The author picked the perfect critters for her characters Tommy and Michael.  The illustrations created very cute characters in Tommy and Michael.  Michael has sweet blue eyes, to bad he was such a little stinker.  

I recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free digital copy of this book from Evolved Publishing for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.

Three Lost Kids - The Death of the Sugar Fairy by Kimberly Kinrade

About The Three Lost Kids

The first three books in this series (Lexie World, Bella World and Maddie World) were inspired by Kimberly's three little girls of the same name, who discovered their own worlds where they had magical powers and wanted their mom to write about it!

This special edition trilogy includes full color illustrations and each book is told from the first person perspective of that little girl's world. The paperback editions of these books are 7x10 full color with a coloring book in the back of each. They also include discussion questions to get kids and parents talking about the important themes in each book, such as caring for the planet, emotional maturity and handling bullies.

In The Death of the Sugar Fairy, the Three Lost Kids start a whole new series of chapter books, told from all three kids' point of view. Moving forward, the series will not include illustrations, but will include the same fantastic stories that have made the special edition trilogy so popular.

About The Three Lost Kids & The Death of The Sugar Fairy

Halloween is here and Lexie, Bella and Maddie couldn't be happier. But why does everything feel so different? Fewer houses are decorated and fewer kids are out trick-or-treating. Still, that's not going to stop the three girls from eating as much candy as they can before their parents can stop them, even if that means fighting each other for it.

When they finally discover a haunted house worthy of their favorite holiday, they forget their parents' warnings and go in alone, only to discover that the house really is haunted, and not only that, but they've been transported to a whole different world!

A dying Sugar Fairy in one of the abandoned rooms send them on a quest to find her Sugar Baby and the magic Sugar Flower in order to save her and Halloween. If they fail, Halloween will be gone forever, and they'll never return to their family.

But with Sugar Bug attacks, the Cavity Caves where they must face their deepest fears, and giant gummy bears armed with candy cane swords, the girls aren't sure they'll make it.

Where to Buy: Amazon

About Kimberly

I was born with ink in my veins and magic in my heart. As a child, where others saw shapes in clouds, I saw words. But I was also an entrepreneur at heart. So when my business arrangement with the Tooth Fairy ended, I went pro by writing my fantastical stories and selling them to all my neighbors.

Fast forward…um…many years and many college degrees later…and I am now a published author and reformed journalist.

Though I have written in many genres and fields, I am most passionate about the world of the paranormal and fantasy. Look for these exciting young adult paranormal novels from Evolved Publishing.

Website: http://kimberlykinrade.com/
Blog: http://kimberlykinrade.com/category/blog/
Facebook, Twitter

My Thoughts 

Maddie is so excited about Halloween not just because her and her sisters get to go trick-or-treating today is her birthday.  The girls were arguing about everything while getting their costumes on.  

They head out with their parents going door to door but for some reason it isn't as festive this year. Not many people seem to be handing out candy or decorating for this Halloween. Maddie feels as if her birthday is spoiled. 

That is until they see a haunted house and leaving their parents behind Bella enters the house. While Maddie holds Lexie's hand she hollers at Bella to come back and wait for their parents.  But Bella sounds further away so she must scream for help yet no one hears. Then she hears Bella upstairs and with Lexie in hand she heads upstairs. She is so afraid!  She  hears Bella speaking to someone.  When they enter the room where Bella is their is a real live fairy and she looks very pale, like she is ill.  She tells the girls she is the Sugar Fairy and she is dying.  She sends them on a quest for a flower that holds her Sugar Baby and they must find her and bring her back to this house to her mother or her baby will die too.

The author had the girls go through some real scary things like Sugar Bugs and the Cavity Cave that is impossible to find you way out of.  Will the girls work together to find Sugar Baby and bring her safely to her mother the Sugar Fairy?  Are they too afraid to complete this quest?  

The fantasy adventures and quest the girls go on build character in the girls and always has a lesson of some sort to learn.  The lesson in this quest was don't stray away from your parents.  Don't eat too many sweets.

Working together is much better than against each other it accomplishes so much more.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure

I received a copy of this book from the author/I.O. Book Tours for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

MILLICENT MARIE IS NOT MY NAME by KAREN PORAS TOZ

CLICK IMAGE ABOVE TO FOLLOW TOUR!!

About Book

Twelve-year-old Millicent Marie does not like her name. After all, she was named for a woman who died more than fifty years ago and was not the most loveable member of the Harris family. Her friends call her Millie, but when she writes in her diary she refers to herself as Amanda – the name she always wished she had.

When Millie’s younger brother finds her diary on her computer, he decides to publish it as a blog for the entire world to see, including the boy Millie has a crush on. In the midst of all the mayhem, Millie/Amanda discovers she is suddenly Springside Elementary’s most sought after sixth-grade mystery gossip and advice columnist.

But not all is fun and games, as Millie quickly learns, once she realizes feelings are at stake. Nobody, least of all Millie, expects things to turn out as they do in this tale of friendship and respect.

Follow the tour on Pinterest and 
don't forget to check out Millie's blog.

 
About Karen Pokras Toz:

Karen Pokras Toz is a writer, wife and mom. Karen grew up in Connecticut and currently lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. In June 2011, Karen published her first middle grade children’s novel for 7-12 year olds called Nate Rocks the World, which won First Place for Children’s Chapter Books and the Grand Prize Overall in the 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as placing first for a Global E-Book Award for Pre-Teen Literature. In 2012, Karen published the second in the Nate Rocks series, Nate Rocks the Boat, followed by middle grade novel, Millicent Marie Is Not My Name. Karen is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI).

Social Media Links:
Website:  www.karentoz.com
Blog: http://kptoz.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/karenptoz
Twitter: www.twitter.com/karentoz
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5009570.Karen_Pokras_Toz
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/karentoz

My Thoughts

Millicent Marie is the definition of a twelve year old girl.  She keeps a daily journal under the fake name Amanda.  Parents she is willing to trade in for new ones but only temporarily.  A younger brother, Doogle who is always up in her business.  Best friend Natalie that always seems to have a solution for Millie's problems.  She even thinks she has found her dream boy and has three months to nonchalantly convince him to take her to a school dance.  Then there is the girl at school that is a thorn in her side.  That girl thinks she is all that and more. Not!

Millie aka Amanda  begins giving advice from her new blog Doogle set up for her.  It started innocently and then she realized it was not going as well at all.  People could get hurt.

Sounds like a twelve year old girl to me.  Since I raised four daughters myself I know what goes on with twelve year old girls. The things I have had to endure!  I teased my granddaughters that when they turned twelve they were not allowed to come stay the summer.  They knew better.  The three granddaughters are now sixteen going on twenty.

The author did a great job of getting in the mindset of a twelve year old girl's daily antics and routine.  The transitions of a twelve year old girl is full of hormonal changes and crying fits for no reason as they edge from little girls to young ladies.

'Thank Heaven for Little Girls'

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author/Girl Who Reads Tours for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

WINNING THE CITY (REDUX) by Theodore Weesner

Youth Basketball Drama a Surprising

Backdrop for Modern Literary Classic

Coming-of-Age Tale Examines Roiling World of Teenage Sport

Read What People Are Saying

“It’s fascinating to see in which direction Weesner’s quiet, patient, almost unnerving talent takes him.”

Joyce Carol Oates, Professor of Humanities and Creative Writing, Princeton University, Pulitzer Prize Nominee, National Book Award Winner, Author of Black Water, What I Lived For, and Blonde

“Weesner is definitely a man to watch—and read.”

Newsweek

"A knockout!...Dale [Wheeler's] struggles to win in a world whose odds are stacked against outsiders…lead to a heartbreaking kind of disillusionment and courageous maturity."

Dan Wakefield, Boston Globe

"Winning the City tells of a young athlete 'nearly driven out of mind with all that he knew,'…Theodore Weesner is an extraordinary writer."

Richard Yates

"Winning the City is a fine novel, a crisply written story about a young boy's struggle to define himself."

James Carroll, Ploughshares

Highly acclaimed Literary fiction author Theodore Weesner is back, following up his “modern American classic” (The Car Thief) with an exciting coming-of-age literary drama, set within the background of inner city youth basketball.

Winning the City Redux  is now re-imagined for a new generation of readers to discover. Written in Theodore Weesner’s signature gritty style, Redux again breaks through as an enduring piece of literature, even as its language and plot coalesce to form an enthralling page-turner.  Winning the City Redux entertains as it examines new dimensions of classism, corruption, youth angst and dangerous passion.

ISBN: 978-1-938231-08-7 
Literary Fiction; Paperback and ebook
March, 2013

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/XTVj8O

B&N: http://bit.ly/TU7MFi

ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s Detroit, 1961. Fifteen-year-old Dale Wheeler, the son of an unemployed, alcoholic auto worker  has big dreams of leading his team to the City Basketball Championship.  But his dream is shattered when Dale—the co-captain and top point guard—is cut from the team to make way for the son of a big money team sponsor.

His life in a tailspin, Dale finds a helping hand in Miss Furbish, the beautiful homeroom teacher whose well-meaning kindness gradually builds into a potentially dangerous passion.  And in his lowest times, Dale gets a final shot at his dream:  A hardscrabble team of street-ballers that may have what it takes to win the City Championship.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Theodore Weesner, born in Flint, Michigan, is aptly described as a “Writers’ Writer” by the larger literary community.  His short works have been published in the New Yorker, Esquire, Saturday Evening Post, Atlantic Monthly and Best American Short Stories.  His novels, including The True Detective, Winning the City and Harbor Light, have been published to great critical acclaim in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper’s, The Boston Globe, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, Boston Magazine and The Los Angeles Times to name a few.

Weesner is currently writing his memoir, two new novels, and an adaptation of his widely praised novel—retitled Winning the City Redux—also to be published by Astor + Blue Editions.  He lives and works in Portsmouth, NH.

EXCERPT

WINNING THE CITY BY THEODORE WEESNER   

PART ONE   

ONE

            This is it.  Today is the day.  The first practice of the year after school in the boy's gym.  Time to show the speed, do the deed, take the lead!  All these weeks and months Dale has been able to think of little else.  Since last spring. 

            Since forever.  Now it’s his turn to be the oldest, the biggest, the best.  Tryouts.  But he’s a returning starter and is sure as #### not trying out.  He'll be leading the way, making them pay!  His excitement is such that for days on end he has been telling himself to be cool.  Time to be cool and not a fool.  For playing it cool is the only tool...if you’re out to win the entire ####### city.

            Dale Wheeler is fourteen all the same, and whatever energy he may be bringing to his talking-the-talk temperature he doesn't know how not to dream.  He’s grown an inch and a half since the season ended last year and is growing still.  In this instant he’s pushing up through five-nine.  Sitting at his desk in school he can look at a forearm and see it growing larger, stronger, longer.  Can pump up bicep-pears before the bathroom mirror at home.  One on the left, one on the right!  Pop, pop!  Pow, pow!  Hey, hey, get outta my way...my name is Dale Wheeler and I came to play!  Besides confidence Dale can call up conviction in his mind and heart.  Secret power leading the way, making his day!  Call me cocky and I’ll make your fat ### pay!

            Dale knows he’s good.  There’s no doubt he’s done the work.  Like a saver saving every penny, he’s given himself to little else.  At times it seems it’s all he’s done, all the time, is work-work, practice-practice.  And work some more.  And worked on anyway.  Worked into work.  Sweated into sweat all over again, before taking his shower, doing his homework, dreaming his dream.  For work, as every athlete knows, is the key.  The more you practice the luckier you get. Acquire the moves, absorb the steps...and when the time comes you'll hit the groove no matter some hee-haw in the stands sputtering about luck and the bounce of the ball.

            Dale has done it, is doing it, will do it.  For an athlete is what he is.  Maybe he’s only fourteen but he knows what he knows and he knows it’s his turn to take them all downtown to win the city!  "Here comes Wheeler," cries the Sportscaster on high.  "He takes the shot! no--he fakes the shot!  He fakes the shot!!  He drives! shoots!  SCORES!  SCORES!! SCORES!!!"

            Even in his sleep at night Dale dreams of winning the city.  Moments and moves from outdoor pickup games under the lights (amazing things happen in outdoor pickup games) blend in his dreams into games indoors rocking with all the students and teachers he has ever known or passed in the hallways of Walt Whitman Junior High.  Waking from a dream with his mind full of rainbows he reminds himself not to go off the deep end.  To settle down. 

            Don't be a fool, play it cool!  Playing it cool is the only tool!

            Everything is a game.  Life, Dale knows, is a game all the way and everything that happens depends on how you play.  It’s something else he knows he knows.  He has no notion of himself as a thinker, or as a smart ### ninth-grader either, but he knows what he knows and he knows that everything is a game.  That playing it cool is the only tool...when you’re out to rule. 

            (Okay, maybe he is a smart ###, but whoever won the city who wasn't?)

TWO

Coming in late from working second shift at Chevy Plant Ten--a weaving silhouette filling his bedroom doorway--Dale's father invites his sleepy-time son into the kitchen for a Coney Island dog.  Could anyone in the world more appreciate the taste of a Coney Island dog in the middle of the night than an ever-voracious fourteen-year-old playmaker, ball handler, first string guard?

   

            As on every other night, Dale practiced at the park until the lights went out…before shooting a few in the dark.  Dribbling home, into and out of illumination under corner street lights  driving one telephone pole after another, pulling it back at the last minute (all but the dream), he showers with the landlady's hose, reviews his school notebook at the kitchen table, and hits the sack dreaming his dream...into which swamp there appears the purveyor of tender words and unconditional love in his life.  "Hey sleepy time pal...come have a Coney Island dog with your old dad."

            Daylight is in Dale's eyes and it’s time to rise and shine...despite a spur picking at his mind.  Clomping into the bathroom to wash and brush, he detects "I Fall to Pieces" circling his father's phonograph in the living room and sinks within, as always, to the old cry of loss haunting their handful of rooms at an off-beat hour.  The message is familiar: His father is up yet and loaded, is emotional and sentimental, drunk and dangerous.  With no one else upon whom to visit his sad memory of Dale's runaway mother visiting his pickled brain, his father is waiting for him to appear.  In Dale's adolescent mind another lyric begins circling the breaking day: 'You get loaded...and I fall to pieces.'

He has no choice but to make his way into the kitchen that offers the only exit from their attic apartment...down the backside of the landlord's house to driveway, sidewalk, refreshing air.  He enters without making a sound.  His father stands there.  Head hanging, he’s leaning to the wall, his chin on his chest.  How long has he been on his feet?  His neck looks rubbery as his head lolls to one side, a grin comes on like a dim light as he says: "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

            Dale opens the refrigerator, explores possibilities, ignores his father as he does at times like these.  Life with an alcoholic.  Life with Patsy Cline's heartbreak lining the air they breathe: 'You want me to forget...pretend we've never met.'

            

NOTE from Mamaw: (#### in place of the curse words)

Promo by

The Three Lost Kids and The Death of the Sugar Fairy by Kimberly Kinrade

Click on image for Tour Schedule

Scheduled on My Blog October 29th

Three Lost Kids Blog Tour

Join award-winning author Kimberly Kinrade for the month of October to celebrate Halloween and All Hallow's Read with a big giveaway for her launch of The Three Lost Kids & The Death of the Sugar Fairy.

What's All Hallow's Read? Author Neil Gaiman started this tradition a few years ago as a way to encourage the act of giving a book for Halloween.

Beginning October 2 through October 31^st, Kimberly is looking for bloggers to review and/or host an interview, guest post or pre-written promo post for her children's chapter book series (for lower-grade readers 4-9 years old) and post the HTML code for a Rafflecopter giveaway.

The giveaway includes:

GRANDPRIZE:

A $25 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com and signed paperback copies of all 4 Lost Kids books (Lexie World, Bella World, Maddie World, and The Death of the Sugar Fairy) and a Three Lost Kids bookmark

RUNNERUP to two winners:

Signed copy of The Death of the Sugar Fairy and Three Lost Kids bookmarks

She is offering a free e-book in any version of all four of her children's books to blogs who host her for that month, as well as two blogger awards.

A $15 Amazon Gift Card, signed copy of The Death of the Sugar Fairy and bookmarks to the blog with the most comments, and the blog with the most creative post.

About The Three Lost Kids

The first three books in this series (Lexie World, Bella World and Maddie World) were inspired by Kimberly's three little girls of the same name, who discovered their own worlds where they had magical powers and wanted their mom to write about it!

This special edition trilogy includes full color illustrations and each book is told from the first person perspective of that little girl's world. The paperback editions of these books are 7x10 full color with a coloring book in the back of each. They also include discussion questions to get kids and parents talking about the important themes in each book, such as caring for the planet, emotional maturity and handling bullies.

In The Death of the Sugar Fairy, the Three Lost Kids start a whole new series of chapter books, told from all three kids' point of view. Moving forward, the series will not include illustrations, but will include the same fantastic stories that have made the special edition trilogy so popular.

About The Three Lost Kids & The Death of The Sugar Fairy

Halloween is here and Lexie, Bella and Maddie couldn't be happier. But why does everything feel so different? Fewer houses are decorated and fewer kids are out trick-or-treating. Still, that's not going to stop the three girls from eating as much candy as they can before their parents can stop them, even if that means fighting each other for it.

When they finally discover a haunted house worthy of their favorite holiday, they forget their parents' warnings and go in alone, only to discover that the house really is haunted, and not only that, but they've been transported to a whole different world!

A dying Sugar Fairy in one of the abandoned rooms send them on a quest to find her Sugar Baby and the magic Sugar Flower in order to save her and Halloween. If they fail, Halloween will be gone forever, and they'll never return to their family.

But with Sugar Bug attacks, the Cavity Caves where they must face their deepest fears, and giant gummy bears armed with candy cane swords, the girls aren't sure they'll make it.

Their only chance is to work together, using each of their strengths to help each other. Can they stop fighting over candy long enough? Or will they be trapped in the dying Sugar Land forever?

About The Three Lost Kids Special Edition Trilogy

Lexie World

On Amazon

(a finalist in the Global e-Books award!)

5-year-old Lexie is tired of getting in trouble for leaving her stuff and trash outside. She doesn’t mean to litter or ruin her shoes, but it’s just so hard to remember sometimes.

When she, her two big sisters and their dog TayTay find a portal to Lexie World, Lexie discovers the consequence littering has had on her special world. Garbage Goblins have taken over and are destroying the Earth!

To save Lexie World, the girls (and TayTay) must travel with their new Unicorn friend through the Waters of Waste and over the Mountain of Lost Clothes to retrieve a piece of the Mirror of Ice in order to remind the Garbage Goblins of their true form and break their curse.

On this journey, Lexie learns about courage, love and the importance of taking care of her world.

Bella World

On Amazon

Bella is tired of getting blamed every time her sisters lose something. It's not her fault they misplaced something important, so why does everyone assume she took it? It makes her blood boil that no one appreciates all the things she does to help and protect people. Sometimes her anger makes her do things she regrets later.

When she, her two sisters, and their dog TayTay find a watery portal to Bella World, they're surprised to discover a town ravaged by Dragon attacks. But not all is as it seems, a lesson Bella learns when they are sent to stop the Dragon.

Together, Bella and Emerald the Dragon learn to control their Dragon Fire, make amends to those they have wronged, and in the process find the appreciation and acceptance they'd sought all along.

Maddie World

on Amazon

Published July 2012

When a girl at school starts bullying Madelynne, she decides she doesn't want to go to school anymore. Too scared to stand up to the bully or tell the teacher, Madelynne confides in the only one who will understand, her best four-legged friend TayTay.

After an especially bad day, Madelynne hides in her room and refuses to play with anyone. In an effort to cheer her up, her sisters accidently discover the portal to Maddie World, sweeping them all into an epic adventure!

But Maddie World is suffering from some bullying of its own. The Lava Fairies and Bubble Fairies are at war, and now even once nice Fairies have been mean bullies, locking the Three Lost Kids up in the dungeon.

Madelynne and TayTay escape, but can't free the other two until the retrieve a precious necklace that once belonged to the Bubble Fairies.

To save her sisters and make peace between the two Fairy factions, Madelynne must first face her own fears and learn to stand up for herself even when she's scared, but without becoming a bully herself.

W.O.I Tours - THE WISHING WELL - Another Weaver Tale by KAI STRAND

About Book

Molly Minstrel is treated worse than Cinderella by her mom and sisters. When Molly meets the magical creature, Unwanted, she wishes her problems away. However, you must first understand what you need before knowing what to ask for. Molly will have to look within for the solution to her troubles.

Where to buy:
Guardian Angel Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
ISBN Number(s): Hardcover 978-1616333010
                          Softcover 978-1616333027
Publication Date:  July 24, 2012
Genre of Book: Juvenile Fantasy

click image for tour schedule

I am scheduled to review SAVE THE LEMMINGS on November 7, 2012.

About Kai

Kai Strand writes fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was a finalist in the 2012 EPIC eBook Awards. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, "Do your dishes!" She and her family hike, goecache and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.

To find out more about Kai’s books, download companion documents, find links to her published short stories and discover all the places to find Kai both virtually and in person, visit her website: www.kaistrand.com. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to send her an email or visit her facebook page, Kai Strand, Author. 

My Thoughts 

Eleven year old, Molly Minstrel is responsible for all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and ironing in her home. Even though she has two older sisters, Eva and Hannah, their mother, Greta does not want the two older girls to demean themselves by doing chores. Molly is verbally abused by Greta and Hannah. The abuse is name calling and snide remarks on a daily basis. If only she had a nice family she would be happy. 

Does this sound like a cinderella story? Well there is no Fairy God-Mother but there is the UNWANTED, he is blue and looks kinda like an elf/troll and he does grant wishes under special circumstances.

Do you think the UNWANTED could grant Molly a wish?  Would this solve her problems?  What would her wish be if she could find him?

The characters of Weaver Tale are known for the tales they weave. Will Molly weave a tale?

It was a nice turn that Molly's sister Eva took an interest in Molly and the way she was being treated by her mother and Hannah.  Hannah picked up on her mother's hateful attitude toward Molly and emulated her mother's cruel behavior. 

The author told a tale that many children may be experiencing themselves and it was a very good tale indeed!

I recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:

I received a free copy of this book from WOI Tours/Author for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here

When Grandparents Divorce by Katie Saint, MA, BCBA, illustrated by Michelle Lund

About Book

Grandparents Are Divorcing! 

How do we tell their grandkids, and what are the right words-depending on their age?

New London, WI - When Grandparents Divorce, is an important guide on how to tell grandchildren about their grandparents' divorce. This book is authored by Katie Saint, a professional counselor, who has first-hand experience when her parents announced they were getting divorced. Her four-year-old son was so confused, upset-and sad. He could not understand that people he loved didn't love each other anymore.

Then the questions started:

• If they don't love each other, do they still love me?
• How will we celebrate my birthday, Christmas without my grandparents?
• Am I the only one this is happening to? 

So, are a lot of grandparents getting divorced these days? These stats say YES, and a lot of parents are going to be explaining divorce to kids. Divorce rate for first marriage is 41% (and many stay married for 25-30+ years, then divorcing).

In one of the illustrations created beautifully by Michelle Lund, young Isaac is telling his best friends, his toy cars, his news: "Mom just told me that my grandparents are going to be moving to separate houses." The parents have many conversations with their two children, Isaac and Ari, answering their questions, and suggesting they do some drawings of how they feel. They all share how they are feeling, and reassure each other that no matter what, Mom and Dad will always be there and love them-and that each grandparent will continue to love them.

When Grandparents Divorce is written with a professional perspective through added Q&A for parents to aid them in understanding what are age-appropriate behaviors and reactions. This book will help parents have those difficult conversations with their kids (ongoing as things change), explaining the very confusing divorce of their beloved grandparents. It is meant to help kids see that the emotions they're feeling are normal-and to help them understand what changes are happening with their grandparents.  Most important aspect for the children is to understand that the divorce does not change either grandparent's love for their grandchild.  Children grieve in many different ways. Getting them to process that grief can be difficult.

ISBN: 9780982907238
Publisher: Coffee Table Press
Date of publish: August 2012
Pages: 35

Where to buy the book: Amazon,  Barnes&Noble, Author's website


SNEAK PEAK:

In this image (illustrated by Michelle Lund) Isaac is telling his toy cars/best friends that he was just told his grandparents are going to be moving to separate houses.When Grandparents Divorce is written with a professional perspective through added Q&A for parents to aid them in understanding what are age-appropriate behaviors and reactions. This book will help parents have those difficult conversations with their kids (ongoing as things change), explaining the very confusing divorce of their beloved grandparents. It is meant to help kids see that the emotions they're feeling are normal—and to help them understand what changes are happening with their grandparents.  Most important aspect for the children is to understand that the divorce does not change either grandparent’s love for their grandchild.  Children grieve in many different ways. Getting them to process that grief can be difficult.

When Grandparents Divorce will answer hard questions like: 

• What kinds of behaviors are normal when children are upset about a divorce in general, not just grandparent divorce?   
• What can I do if my children are displaying behaviors related to the divorce?
• How can I get my kids to talk about their struggles?
• When should I tell my children about the divorce?
• Is it okay to cry in front of my children about the divorce?
• What do I do if my children are mad at their grandparents because of the divorce?

About Katie

Katie Saint is a therapist, but this book came around because she is a mother of a two little boys whose grandparents (her parents) were getting divorced. She realized with all of their questions, other families must have the same concerns.

Professionally, she works with clients at many stages in life: relational problems; transitioning through divorce; working through ADHD, PTSD, anxiety and depression; grieving a loved one; and other life stressors. Katie focuses on helping clients recognize and build on their own strengths to meet their personal goals.

Katie Saint graduated from Lakeland College with a Master's Degree in Counseling, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She specializes in extreme behavioral problems. She provides individual, couple, pre-marital, and family counseling to children, adolescents and adults. Katie has over 4000 hours working with adults, children and adolescents on the Autism Spectrum. She also offers an emotional control program for adolescents and adults struggling with impulsive behavior or emotional regulation. Katie utilizes a variety of therapeutic techniques including the combination of behavioral, cognitive and psychoanalytic tools.

Visit Katie's website: http://www.revitalizecounselingservices.com/


My Thoughts

Ari and Isaac just found out that their grandparents are getting a divorce.  Things will be different, grandma will have her own place without grandpa and visa versa. This makes the kids very sad and confused.  It just won't be the same as when they lived together.

Does that mean that mom and dad will get a divorce?

How can we make this easier for children so they can still enjoy time with each grandparent?

This book will help your child understand a little better.  It explains what you should tell them. It will still be fun to visit grandma at her house and doing the fun things they did before it would just be without grandpa.  Then there are special things they like to do with grandpa and they will still be able to do those things even without grandma.

I had never really thought about the effect it would have on a child when their grandparents divorce.  Now I definitely see that it would confuse a child to the point of pulling away from the situation because they weren't sure how to react.

Katie tells the story in a way so that the child will be more comfortable around the grandparents.  They need the assurance that they are still loved by both grandparents. I liked that the author provides activities for the child to help them express their feelings about the divorce.  Then there is a question and answer guide in the back of the book that offers information and support to the parents.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure

I received a free book from Bostick Communications/Author for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.