Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram and Mary Engelbreits’s’ cook book for the Celebrate Four Eyes Pride Week” with Airwear Lenses  Giveaway.

Great Expectations Winner #1 – Joannie Sparks

 The Secret of the Sacred Scarab Winner # – Carol L

Mary Engelbreits’s’ cook book Winner #5 – Larissa

 

Winners were selected from the Book Review comment field.

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Book Review and Giveaway: Carmen’s Sticky Scab. Ends Oct 14th

Carmen’s Sticky Scab by Ginger Churchill illustrated by Barry Gott.

When poor Carmen gets a scab on her arm, everyone warns her of the perilous consequences of picking it, from infection to pain to shark attacks! Children will giggle and gasp at this wacky look at a common trial of childhood.

My Review: Children are always fascinated about their scab and can not wait to scratch it. They don’t know that by picking the scab it could get infected. You would love the ending which will make you laugh out loud or not…lol! Carmen’s Sticky Scab is easy to read and enjoyed by children of all ages. I love love the illustrations by Barry Gott, it helped tell the story. I highly recommend this book.

Age: 4-8

Pages: 32

FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

Giveaway

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This Giveaway is Open to the US ONLY – Author is giving a copy to 1 winner. Giveaway Ends October 14th.

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Giveaway Rules

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Interview with Author Ginger Churchill

Biography

Ginger Churchill began writing fiction in 2004 when she had finally read so many picture books to her (then) three children that she decided to write a few of her own. Carmen’s Sticky Scab was published in 2007 and a new book, Wild Rose’s Weaving, is on the way this October. Ginger says, “My vast experience with scabs began after I learned to ride my sparkly blue Schwinn without training wheels. Although I have picked way more than my share, I never ate a single one–unlike Andy in the book. The grossest thing I ate as a child was an oyster from grandma’s plate. I swear it clawed its way up and out of my throat as I tried to swallow it and I’ve never made that mistake again. I also learned not to show a scab to grandma. She would scrub it mercilessly and coat it in iodine.” http://www.gingerchurchill.com

Interview with Ginger Churchill author of Carmen’s Sticky Scab.

I want to thank you for being my guest here on Mymcbooks Blog

My pleasure!

What is the last book you read? My Dog, My Cat—a picture book written and illustrated by Ashlee Fletcher. Absolutely adorable for the younger set. It’s due out from Tanglewood this fall. And I just now noticed the back cover. SO cute. Simple, creative and fun.

What were your earliest memories of writing? I believe my first creative work was a second grade assignment called How the Great Salt Lake Got Salty about a pirate and his magic salt grinder—he didn’t know the magic words to make it stop. Hey!? Did someone steal this idea for Jack Sparrow in that Pirates of theCaribbean partIII movie? I heard it was filmed at theGreat Salt Lake and all.

Were you encouraged to write or was it something that came natural? Both, I think. I seemed to be good at it, so that was encouraging. I wasn’t one of those that liked to work too terribly hard. I didn’t write fiction other than school assignments until I was over 30.

Are you working on a new book? Always J Another picture book called Wild Rose’s Weaving is coming out this October and I’m playing with a midgrade novel about a boy getting in all sorts of trouble as he discovers his psychic abilities.

What inspired you to write Carmen’s Sticky Scab? I actually wrote it for a picture book class I was taking. It started out as a story about a girl who couldn’t hold still. I wrote out a list of reasons why she might be wiggly and the class just went berserk when I said she had a scab. They talked and laughed about it for ten minutes; someone even mentioned they had a cousin who ate scabs. I then wrote the book focusing only on the scab solely to make them laugh, which they did. Loudly. My instructor, Caleb Warnock, said I had to start submitting it immediately! 

How did you come up with each character? Well, in the class it was very arbitrary. We chose a boy or a girl, then a name, then an age, without even having a story yet. I choose characters now depending on the need of the story and whoever’s trying to burst out of my subconscious.

What was your favorite children’s book? I was a big Narnia fan, then loved Laura Ingalls and eventually grew into Lord of the Rings. Although as far as picture books I adored Ole Risom’s I Am a Bunny. The illustrations by Richard Scarry are stunning. I stared at them for what seemed like hours.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? I’m one of those that doesn’t believe in writer’s block. If I’m stuck I feel it’s because I took a wrong turn in the story so I go back and plot and twist until I’m excited and confident enough to write on.

What is the most difficult part of writing? Part of me is wondering what part isn’t difficult. I think it’s one of those things where if it were easy, everyone would do it. So the hard part for me is loving an idea enough to flesh it out, finding the time, honing the craft, writing and rewriting a publishable manuscript, selling the manuscript and then, boy! Don’t get me started on the business after that. Nothing about it for me is easy. But fun—that’s another story.

What do you do when you’re not writing or promoting your books? I have five children so it’s all about cleaning, cooking, playing, refereeing, chauffeuring, shopping, applauding, loving…you know, life.

How do you react to a bad review? I usually give up writing forever but it manages to work itself back into my life after a second or two.

What do you hope that readers will take away from your book? A laugh, nothing more. Sometimes it’s good just to giggle. Although I’ve found it opens the door to curiosity on occasion, too. And curiosity rocks.

Who are some of your favorite authors you would love to dine with? Wow. Are any of them RAW foodies? I love RAW food (although I eat everything). Um, C. S. Lewis—how cool would that be? Brandon Mull, he gives fun presentations. Becca Fitzpatrick, since she got famous I never get to see her anymore. And Richard Castle, he has great taste in food.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? Since I published Carmen I had two more children which really put a crimp in all of that. So now I write 333 words every day on my WIP (and sometimes tangential WIPs). I hope the word count increases when school starts but for now it’s working for me. I have to do it all before anyone gets up or I feel like a lousy unfocused writer and a lousy unfocused mom.

What advice would you give parents on selecting the right books for their children to read? For me, if my kids are reading and it doesn’t offend my sense of childhood then I’m good with it. I’ve found Calvin and Hobbes is a huge vocabulary builder. Captain Underpants were the only books one of my boys would read…now he’s plowing through Lord of the Rings at age eleven. I thought we’d never get him hooked on anything but potty humor. One girl read Junie B. Jones books over and over for two years and now she’s read more books in her fourteen years than I have in all 40 of mine—she’s a HUGE reader. Seriously, find the books your kids like…comics, graphic novels, whatever and just get out of their way. They’ll know when they’re ready to advance. That’s what’s worked for me. Sometimes it’s non-fiction. Sometimes it’s science fiction for what you thought was a girly-girl princess type. Sometimes it’s magazines. Just keep trying, keep reading, keep it fun.

What advice you would give to new writers? New picture book writers? Hang in there because the market will pick up someday. New everything writers? Hang in there because every single one of my friends who hasn’t given up writing has been published. Every. One. But they work hard and never give up.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? Oh wow. Just thanks and I hope you enjoy Carmen’s Sticky Scab. She’s a hit with kids so remember to channel your inner child when you read it.

Thank you so much!
Ginger Churchill
Author of CARMEN’S STICKY SCAB (Tanglewood 2007)
WILD ROSE’S WEAVING coming October 2011

http://www.gingerchurchill.com/

http://fivecuriosities.blogspot.com/

Book Review and Giveaway: April Fool, Phyllis! Ends October 14th

My Review: Punxsutawney Phyllis knew everything about the weather and when she woke up on April First, the day of spring she knew winter wasn’t over yet and that a blizzard is brewing. She needed to let the others know so that the treasure hunt has to be canceled. But will they believe her since its April Fools’ Day and would Phyllis find a way to save April Fools’ Day from disaster?

Someone is always playing the April Fool game but the lesson in this book shows that even though it’s April Fools’ Day we should take time to pay attention to the issues or situation just in case it has nothing to do with April Fools’ Day. The author also gives a brief history of April Fools’ Day at the end of the story.

Illustrations by Jeffrey Ebbeler added more fun to the story. I recommend this book for the home and classroom reading.

Ages: 4-8

Pages: 28

FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

 

Giveaway

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Giveaway is Open to the US ONLY – Author is giving a copy to 1 winner. Giveaway Ends October 14th.

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Interview with Author Susanna Leonard Hill.

 

Biography

From the time I was born, I wanted three things: a dog, a horse, and to be a writer. I grew up in an apartment on the upper east side of Manhattanwith my parents, two brothers, one sister, and an assortment of cats. My dad felt (quite rightly) that it was no place for a large dog, and I didn’t want a small one (neither did the cats!) so, no dog. Given his stance on the dog issue, you can imagine how he felt about a horse in a New York Cityapartment, so no horse either. Is it any surprise that one of my favorite books growing up was The Horse On The Roof?

At age three, in all my worldly wisdom, I decided on a career driving a steam roller. Later, I considered careers in fire fighting, baby-sitting, horse training, and veterinary medicine. After college and graduate school I actually did have a career teaching children with learning disabilities. But through it all, I wanted to write.

As a child, I lay on the kitchen floor with paper and crayons and asked my mom how to spell things. She was very patient! I wrote my first book in 2nd Grade. It was called The Girl and The Witch (can you guess what it was about?). I still have it, and read it frequently on school visits. I wrote innumerable horse stories, and many additions to the Nancy Drew series which, fortunately for my writing career, were never published! I tried my hand at poetry in 6th grade with an epic poem called The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus which, much to my embarrassment, my dad sent to every known living relative. I’m not sure if I still have that one–I’m kind of hoping it’s lost!

At long last, in January of 2001, I got the phone call every aspiring writer dreams of. Little Simon wanted to publish one of my stories. The House That Mack Built (Little Simon 2002) was my first published book. It is a rhyming story with pop-up construction vehicles that I wrote for my son, whose interest in heavy equipment is clearly genetic.

Today I live inNew York’s beautifulMid-HudsonValleywith my husband, children, and TWO beloved family dogs. I mention, because it’s something I feel strongly about, that they are both rescue dogs of the Heinz-57 variety and in spite of (or perhaps because of) their indeterminate breeding, they are the best dogs ever!

Interview with Susanna Leonard Hill author of April Fool, Phyllis!

I want to thank you for being my guest here on Mymcbooks Blog

What is the last book you read?  The last book I finished was Ophelia in Pieces by Clare Jacob.  I am currently reading Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

What were your earliest memories of writing?  Lying on the kitchen floor with a piece of scrap paper and a crayon, asking my mom how to spell things while she made dinner.

Were you encouraged to write or was it something that came natural?  I’ve always loved to write, but my parents encouraged me as well.

Are you working on a new book?  Yes.  Actually, I’ve got several in the works

What inspired you to write April Fool, Phyllis! and how did you come up with each character?  April Fool, Phyllis came to me from several different places.  One of them was Phyllis.  She does not have the shy, retiring characteristics usually associated with her species and she informed me, loudly, that she wanted another story.  So, I wondered, what should her next story be about?  I grew up in a family that enjoyed treasure hunts.  We had them at Easter for jelly beans, hidden around the living room.  And we had them at birthdays.  My dad devised elaborate clues with riddles, ciphers, and codes of all kinds – a challenge to solve before school! – and the clues led us to our birthday presents.  So that’s where the treasure hunt part came from.  The maple syrup part came from my mom who, in a very Little House In The Big Woods way, took us out to tap trees, gather sap, and boil it down to syrup on our electric kitchen stove, even though we grew up in the ’70s and could just have gone to the supermarket.  We even tried making maple candy.  Both treasure hunts and syrup making were delightful, memorable parts of my childhood, so I wanted to share them with Phyllis and my young readers.  The characters were purely made up – not based on anyone I know.  

Did you ever play an ‘April Fool’ joke on anyone, and what was it?  Actually, it may surprise you to know that I’ve never been much of an April Fool jokester!

What was your favorite children’s book?  Oh, this question is practically impossible!  There are so many great ones!  But as a child I think my favorites were Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, The Camel Who Took A Walk by Jack Tworkov, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton, the Little House in the Big Woods series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene, any horse book of any kind but especially the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley and The Horse On The Roof (possibly by Robert Wells but I’m not sure)….  Can you tell I loved to read and was greatly encouraged to do so?

What is the most difficult part of writing?  Although I would write no matter what, the real hope of every writer is to be read.  So for me, the most difficult part of writing is when I’ve got nothing in the pipeline for publication, which makes me worry that I might never get another story out into the world.

What do you do when you’re not writing or promoting your books?  I have a husband, five children, a home, and 2 dogs, so you can probably guess the basics  I also do a lot of school and library visits to share my stories with kids.  I also love to walk and run and ride horses (when I get the chance) and read and knit (which I do spectacularly badly )

How do you react to a bad review and have you ever suffered from writer’s block?  No lie – bad reviews hurt.  Writing is hard work, and it’s very personal.  When someone attacks it (and they have) I feel bad that I failed to get my story across in the best possible way.  I strive to do better in the future, but it’s still painful.  I guess you can never please everyone, so the best you can do is the best you can do, but it’s hard when it falls short.  As far as writer’s block, I don’t know that I suffer from that exactly.  I certainly have moments when I’m not sure where my story is going or how to get there, and I certainly have plenty to learn about craft, especially for longer works (I’m trying to write a novel ) but a lot of writing is just showing up for work each day and getting something down on paper, and I can usually do that.

What do you hope that readers will take away from your book?  From April Fool, Phyllis, I hope readers will take something of the same message as from Punxsutawney Phyllis – that you should believe in yourself even if others don’t always believe in you, and take care of people who depend on you.  I also hope that readers will enjoy the riddles and treasure hunt, and learn a little something about traditions of April Fools Day and making maple syrup

Who are some of your favorite authors you would love to dine with?  Oh, gosh!  Another hard question!  How to narrow it down?  I would have loved to meet Laura Ingalls Wilder – she lived such a different kind of life than I do, and was really the beginning of children’s books as we know them.  I would like to dine with J.K. Rowling – I’m so impressed by her imagination and ability to spin a plot!  And I’d like to dine with Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth whose ability to tell an original, imaginative story and completely catch you up in their world is amazing.  Also, Libba Bray.  And Sarah Dessen, who tells such wonderful contemporary coming-of-age stories.  I’d also like to dine with Mo Willems and Jane Yolen and Jane O’Connor and Kevin Henkes who could all teach me a thing or two about writing fabulous picture books.  This is going to be quite a dinner party!  When is it happening?

What author inspires you the most and why?  I don’t think there is just one.  All of the authors I listed above would be among them, for the reasons I mentioned.  There is so much to learn about writing, and each author has things that they’re particularly good at, so you try to learn those things from them.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?  Sometimes I have deadlines.  An editor will say such-and-such has to be done by a certain time.  Other than that, the main discipline I impose on myself is to write something every day.  Some writers have word or page counts they try to reach each day.  I find my schedule is too unpredictable for that and I stress out if I’m not reaching the goal I set.  So I just try to write every day.  Some days it’s less, and some days it’s more.  Some days I can keep everything I write and other days I end up deleting it all.  But as long as I’m writing, I feel good.

What advice would you give parents on selecting the right books for their children to read?  Every child is different.  Some love picture books.  Some love non-fiction.  Some love fantasy or adventure or science fiction or stories about magic.  Some will read anything you give them, and some never want to sit still and read at all.  The most important thing is to let children see the magic in reading.  Let them choose what they love, even if it’s not necessarily what you would want to read.  Comic books, magazines, books about sports, graphic novels – if they’re interested they’re much more likely to enjoy reading.  And really, everyone enjoys a good story.  So I guess my advice would be to encourage children to try all kinds of books until they find what they like – there are so many great authors today, and so many wonderful books of every kind on every subject.  Also, and this is very important, read to them.  It’s amazing how much sitting in your lap, or snuggling beside you on the couch, listening to your beloved voice reading them a wonderful book where nothing is required of them but to get lost in the enjoyment of the story will enhance their love of reading.

What advice you would give to new writers?  Read A LOT.  Write every day.  And never give up

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?  Only thank you so much, Ella, for giving me the opportunity to talk with everyone, and thank you to all the readers for taking the time to read the interview!  If you’re interested, you can find me online at my website http://www.susannahill.com, my blog  http://susannahill.blogspot.com, and on Face Book http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susanna-Leonard-Hill/246146107330  and youtube  http://www.youtube.com/user/SLHill1

There are free downloadable coloring pages and activities on my website that go with many of my books

Thank You Author Barbara Kurtz

Author Barbara Kurtz has been thinking about all the children who has lost their books due to bad weather, tornadoes and hurricane and has decided to donate 10 copies of her book A Hummingbird’s Story: How I Came to Be to Mymcbooks Blog. And Mymcbooks will in turn donate these books. Please help me to thank her by leaving a comment below. http://www.photographedstorybooks.com/index.html

Book Review and Giveaway: The Sandcastle Kids: A Mayan Adventure. Ends Oct 14th

The Sandcastle Kids: A Mayan Adventure written by Sonya Kimble-Ellis and illustrated by Matthew Hebert.

The Sandcastle Kids: A Mayan Adventure tells the exciting journey of Rosa, Kamal Richard and Daisy. In this, the first book of the series, the Kids are whisked away to Central Peten. The year is 420 A.D.

My Review: Four friends Rosa, Kamal Richard and Daisy decided to go to the beach to make sandcastles and came across a hung sand dune. As they poured water onto the dune, the sand began to swirl and spun round the kids like a tornado taking them to another time and place in history. When they were brought down to earth they found out that they were no longer at the beach but in Central Peten and the year is 420 A.D.

They met Chamula, a friendly villager who took the four friends to his village and teaches them about life in Mayan village. They joined the villagers to help build their bridge. The author did a great job taking us on a journey to Central Peten learning about the Mayan culture in a unique and exciting way and learning about the hieroglyphic writing, their system of trading, the Mayan food and their kind of unique animals.

The message in this book is about teaching the children about history, other cultures and helping others. The last page of the book contains discussion questions.  Recommend for classroom teaching. Want to find out how the kids got back to the beach? Click http://www.thesandcastlekids.com/ to purchase your copy. 

Ages: 6 and up

FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

 

Giveaway

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Giveaway is Open to the US ONLY – Author is giving a copy to 1 winner. Giveaway Ends October 14th.

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Comments like these would be deleted – Great contest, Please enter me, Love to win this!, This is so cute! So please leave a helpful comment relating to this book.

PLEASE FOLLOW ALL MANDATORY RULES – Rules not followed will be deleted immediately.

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Interview with Author Sonya Kimble-Ellis

Biography

Sonya Kimble-Ellis is a freelance writer, author, and editor who writes about business, education, entertainment, human interest, beauty and interior design. Her work has appeared in Scholastic’s classroom magazines, Black Enterprise, The New York Daily News, Celebrity Hairstyles, Kitchen Solutions, Matters, Upscale and other publications and Web sites (www.Patch.com, www.Atlantapost.com, and CharlesandHudson.com). She has worked as an editor at NYFA, Scholastic, and Short Styles magazine. She is the author of the children’s activity books Math Puzzlers (Scholastic) and Traditional African American Arts & Activities (John Wiley & Sons). She also recently authored a biography for teens titled Bill Cosby: Entertainer & Activist (Chelsea House). http://www.thesandcastlekids.com/

Interview with Sonya Kimble-Ellis author of The Sandcastle Kids: A Mayan Adventure

I want to thank you for being my guest here on Mymcbooks Blog

What is the last book you read?
The last book I read was “This Year You Write Your Novel” by Walter Mosely. I have written a few chapters for a novel but haven’t finished it, so I’m hoping this book will help me get it done.

What were your earliest memories of writing?
I started writing poetry when I was about ten years old. We had a school journal that students could submit poems to and I got started that way.

Were you encouraged to write or was it something that came natural?
Writing has always come natural. But as I started to get into the journalism business, I had to work at learning how to write different styles and for different age groups and audiences. Writing a business article is different from writing a how-to piece for children.

Are you working on a new book?
I am working on an idea for another picture book, but because the concept belongs to someone else, I can’t say what it is right now. I do plan to write more Sandcastle Kids books as well.

What inspired you to write Sandcastle Kids: A Mayan Adventure and how did you come up with each character?
The Sandcastle Kids is an idea I came up with ten years ago. It was turned down by several publishers at that time. I re-worked the story a little and decided to self publish the book. I wanted to do something that was multi-cultural and educational, but I also wanted it to be fun and something that kids would want to read. Hopefully, I’ve succeeded in doing that.

What was your favorite children’s book?

I don’t know that I had a favorite but there were always the classic Cat in the Hat books andCharlotte’s Web. There weren’t many multi-cultural children’s books around when I was a child.

What do you do when you’re not writing or promoting your books?
It seems as if I’m always writing. I do have an interest in interior design and creating products for the home, so hopefully one day I can put more energy into that.

How do you react to a bad review and have you ever suffered from writer’s block?
Fortunately, I haven’t read any bad reviews but that’s something you always have to prepare yourself for. It’s part of the business. As far as writer’s block, every writer gets it. It’s frustrating but sometimes it’s good to step away from the work for a few days if possible and then go back to it. When writer’s block happens, it’s always good to use that time to read. Writers have to read.

What do you hope that readers will take away from your book?
The importance of learning about other cultures and of helping others.

What author inspires you the most and why?
James Baldwin because I just admire his work and the fact that it reflects the period of time that he lived in; his passion about the civil rights movement; and his willingness to create a living environment that allowed him to live and work with less stress and craziness. I am also inspired by Gordon Parks because he was multi-talented and did many things well (photography, writing, filmmaking). I was fortunate enough to meet both men before they passed away. I also love Maya Angelou, Ernest Hemingway, and lots of others. It’s hard to mention just one author.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?
I’m constantly working at getting better with that. Life always seems to get in the way. Writing to make a living also sometimes gets in the way. So finding time to write for your own creativity can be difficult. I write best in the evening or at the library, where there’s no distractions. I’m still working on that discipline thing.

What advice would you give parents on selecting the right books for their children to read?
Choose books with your child. If it’s a book that visually appealing to them and about a subject he or she is interested in, then they’ll want to read it. As a parent, you can make sure that their choice gels with what you want for your child.

What advice you would give to new writers?

Write, write write. Read, read, read.

Thank you for this interview.

 

Book Review and Giveaway: Priscilla and the Hollyhocks. Ends February 2012

Priscilla and the Hollyhocks written by Anne Broyles and illustrated by Anna Alter.

Priscilla is a slave in the Big House. The hollyhocks her mother planted by the cow pond are all Priscilla has left to remember her by. When Master dies, Priscilla is sold to a Cherokee family. Another plantation, same life. Based on a true story, Priscilla and the Hollyhocks follows Priscilla from her early years on a Southern plantation to her forced march along the Trail of Tears to the chance encounter that leads to her freedom. On her journey from slave to free woman, Priscilla carries something precious with her: hollyhock seeds… and hope.

Author’s Note

Different versions of this story have been told, but a young slave named Priscilla did live out the events detailed in Priscilla and the Hollyhocks. Priscilla was a house servant on a Georgiaplantation. She met an Illinoisinnkeeper named Barzilla (Basil or Bazil) Silkwood when he visited her master (name unknown) sometime in the mid-1830s. When her master died, the girl was purchased by a Cherokee man. Many Cherokees, in an effort to adapt to European American settlers’ ways, farmed large properties and owned slaves, although not all members of the tribe approved of slavery.

As the American population spread westward, many Native Americans found they were fighting a losing battle with the United States government. In 1830 Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, a law that made it easier for the government to move Native Americans from coveted land in the East to less desirable “Indian Territory” west of the Mississippi River. In 1838 the government rounded up more than sixteen thousand Cherokees and forced them to move. Over four thousand Cherokees died on this “Trail of Tears” due to illness, malnutrition, and exhaustion.

As a Cherokee family’s slave, Priscilla accompanied her owners, walking over five hundred miles in bitterly cold weather. Amazingly enough, as Priscilla was passing through Jonesboro, Illinois, she happened to see Basil Silkwood standing on the porch of the Willard Hotel. He listened to Priscilla’s story, followed to where she was camped, and paid one thousand dollars in gold for Priscilla’s freedom. He then took Priscilla home to Mulkeytown, Illinois. Basil and his wife, Mariah, adopted her into their family. A child of one of Priscilla’s adoptive brothers later wrote, “She was just one of the sixteen children that Uncle Bazil and his wife raised. They had no children of their own. Priscilla was treated just as good as the other children were.”

Priscilla outlived Basil and Mariah and inherited forty acres of land, as did each of the other adopted children. Priscilla died in 1892 and was buried beside the Silkwoods near the Silkwood Inn (the family home). Today the inn is a historic site and museum. The seeds from Priscilla’s flowers, now commonly known as Priscilla’s hollyhocks, have been shared by gardeners since 1839.

— Anne Broyles

My Review: This is a well written story based on facts. Anne Broyles takes us on a journey into Priscilla’s childhood as she is sold from one family to another until she found Massa Silkwood who set her free and adopted her into his family of fifteen. Priscilla was not only saved by Mr. Silkwood but also by hollyhocks. Old Sylvia told her how her mother will make hollyhock dolls and set it to sail on the cow pond. When she watches her flower dolls float on the cow pond she felt her mother’s smile. Is show how the flowers represented a strong memory of her mother who was sold when she was a very young child. Priscilla always had a hand full of seeds with her and planed them where ever she went. She was sold to a Cherokee family when her master died. Read about the brief history of the Cherokee as they were told to leave their homes and lands.  Priscilla found freedom and a happy life thereafter. Great illustrations by Anna Alter which capture the story. I highly recommend this book for every schools and libraries.

Ages: 4 -8

Pages: 32

FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

Giveaway

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This Giveaway is Open to the US ONLY – Author is giving a copy to 1 winner. Giveaway Ends February 2012.

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Interview with Author Anne Broyles

Author of Priscilla and the Hollyhocks.

Biography: As a child, I loved Saturday mornings because after a one-hour piano lesson, I walked across the street from my piano teacher’s home to a public library.Week after week, year after year, I returned the books checked out the previous week, and luxuriated in an hour to find the books I would read the next week. That repeated library adventure formed me. I continue to love learning about and engaging with many people, cultures, and worlds I first met in the pages of a book.

Although I actively wrote stories and poems throughout my school career, it wasn’t until I had finished seminary and was working as a United Methodist minister that I began to publish my writings. Over the years I wrote hundreds of magazine articles, many books of curriculum for middle and high school students, thirteen spiritual/devotional books for adults, and a few poems. I retired from the ministry in 1997 to write fulltime

My first children’s book, Shy Mama’s Halloween (Tilbury House, 2000) was named a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People for 2001 by the Children’s Book Council and National Council for Social Studies, was on the McNaughton List, and won the Teachers’ Choice Award from Learning magazine.

My most recent book, Priscilla and the Hollyhocks (Charlesbridge Books, 2008) is the true story of a slave girl who went on the Trail of Tears with her Cherokee master in 1838. Like the Priscilla story, many of my current book projects are based on historical events.

I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, have traveled all over the world and now live in Massachusetts. I love to visit schools to share with and learn from students about writing and reading. http://www.annebroyles.com/index.htm

Interview with Author

I want to thank you for being my guest here on Mymcbooks Blog

What is the last book you read?

Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER. I heard her speak the day the book came out, and just  got around to reading this wonderful novel.

What were your earliest memories of writing?

I have copies of my early elementary school writings and clearly remember my fifth-grade teacher’s assignments. I credit him with inspiring me through our Wednesday afternoon writing sessions.

Were you encouraged to write or was it something that came natural?

Teachers, parents and an older brother encouraged me after they saw how much I enjoyed writing as a first and second grader.

Are you working on a new book?

I work on multiple projects at one time, so am actively working on an historical chapter book (Depression eraWest Virginia), a contemporary young adult road trip novel, and several picture books. I am also actively sending our manuscripts I consider finished and ready for publication.

What inspired you to write Priscilla and the Hollyhocks and how did you come up with each character?

I found the real-life Priscilla’s story while researching a different book for older readers. I knew the bare bones of the story and from that, tried to flesh out the two main characters from their actions, plus added other minor characters.

What was your favorite children’s book?

Island of the Blue Dolphins , The Borrowers series, and Blue Willow were all favorites.

What is the most difficult part of writing?

I like writing more than revision, but the business and marketing end are the most frustrating for me.

What do you do when you’re not writing or promoting your books?

I work for a Habitat for Humanity affiliate, kayak, do yoga, Pilates and Zumba, travel, mentor six people (for instance, a “Little Sister” and Iraqi refugee family), read voraciously, and take on short-term editing projects.

How do you react to a bad review and have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

I’ve had good reviews so far. I don’t really have “writer’s block,” but if I feel stuck or tired of one project, I switch to another so I can keep momentum going and not waste my writing time.

What do you hope that readers will take away from your book?

I hope readers will be inspired by Priscilla’s resilient spirit. She stayed positive and was open to life’s goodness even when she was a slave and had no power over her life. Her fascination with hollyhocks showed how much we all need beauty in our lives.

Who are some of your favorite authors you would love to dine with?

Barbara Kingsolver (a kindred spirit), Libba Bray (a hilarious woman!), Leon Uris (he wrote great, sweeping historical sagas), and Toni Morrison (a brilliant woman).

What author inspires you the most and why?

Laurie Halse Anderson because she writes well, connects with her readers and is a disciplined professional who produces a book a year.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?

I write almost every day, often long hours, but I am motivated enough by the writing itself that specific word or page counts don’t help. Jane Yolen’s BIC (Butt in Chair) is the best advice.

What advice would you give parents on selecting the right books for their children to read?

Make visits to the library part of your child’s life from the time they are toddlers. Let them choose a wide variety of books, encourage them to try new genres, and when they are old enough, take them to bookstore events to meet “real live authors.”

What advice you would give to new writers?

Believe in yourself. Find mentor and peer writers. Join the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators. Take every opportunity to grow in your craft. Never give up.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Thank you for buying and appreciating children’s literature! And thank you, Ella, for this opportunity to visit Mymcbook’s!