Book Review/Giveaway: Adventures with Buster. Ends April 29th

Adventures with Buster: The Adventures Begin with a Guide Dog Named Buster by London Lake Pickett and illustrated by Lynda F Wilson

About the Book: Adventures with Buster” is a children’s book that will entertain and educate readers about guide dogs and blindness. This is the first book in which London Lake Pickett shares experiences she has had with her guide dog named Buster.

My Review: Meet Buster a Guide Dog who is trained to guide, protect and follow commands in public and at home.

The author London L. Pickett is blind in her left eye and has about ten percent of her vision in her right eye, she shares her story about Buster.  Buster is a black Goldador born at the Southeastern Guide Dogs and professionally trained. When London met Buster it was love at first sight. The time she spent with Buster showed her that he was a strong, smart and gentle dog. She also found out that Buster likes to chew acorns, grass, sticks, rock and even feathers, and even likes to chase bunnies and eat frogs.

Buster wears a harness only when he is working with a sign on the harness that says, “Please don’t pet me I’m working”. It is important to ignore a guide dog when he/she has a sign like that on. There is a list of commands that a guide dog and its owner need to know, this is to ensure their owner gets around safely.

This is a great educational story not only for children but for adults as well. The Illustrations by Lynda Farrington Wilson helps tell the story.

Paperback: 35 pages

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

Buster lives in North Carolina with London, her husband and children, their three dogs, a cat named Bear and four fish.” Adventures with Buster” is the first in a series, “The Buster Series”. “Vacations with Buster” “The Adventures Continue with a Guide Dog Named Buster” is coming soon!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adventures-with-Buster/416021111791301

Giveaway Rules

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

There will be 1 winner

This Giveaway is Open to the USA Only!

Winner will be selected by Random.org

Also win a Size small “Adventures with Buster” t-shirt

Giveaway Ends April 29th , 2013

Comments like these would be deleted – Great contest, Please enter me, Love to win this! This is so cute!

Leaving a helpful comment relating to this book would be appreciated and valid to the giveaway.

This Giveaway Has Closed

The Winner is #1 – Lisa

Giveaway Winners!

 

Congratulations to the following winners. The Winners were selected using Random.org

#7 – Rhonda P. is the Winner of One Direction
 
#2 – domestic diva is the Winner of The Leaf
 
#1 – Dorothy Teel  is the Winner of It’s a Catastrophe

Thanks to all those who took part in this giveaways. Winners have been notified.

http://mymcbooks.wordpress.com/category/giveaway-winners/

Check back for giveaways going on now or coming soon!
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Book Review/Giveaway: I know Tuff Luck! Ends April 29th

I Know Tuff Luck written Danny W Rhodes.

About the Book: Come along on the journey with Lester Dooley, an overly curious 9 year old, whose curiosity will get him into some of the funniest situations imaginable. However, through all the situations Lester encounters, he will find the true meaning of friendship. That is, friendship is based on the association of people you enjoy being around. I know Tuff Luck, do you? Come on in and read. For when you finish, you will say: I KNOW TUFF LUCK TOO!

We all have known a Tuff Luck or have been a Tuff Luck ourselves. Growing up as kids, our curiosity has gotten us in some strange and even humorous situations at times. No matter what situations we have encountered as kids or even encounter as adults, one satisfying and redeeming value is the value of friendship. We have all heard at one time or another, the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” The value of friendship is within this proverb; the friendship that we received from our parents, our siblings, our neighborhood friends and their parents. Remembering good friends is the reason why this short story was written. Reading this short story will make you stop, if just for a moment, and remember those friends that you have cherished in life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmKNmps5QK0

My Review: This book not only takes you back to the best part of your childhood living in the 50s or 60s but it also makes you remember that one kid that was a Tuff Luck like Lester Dooley.

I remember growing up in a neighborhood that was like one big family where children are allowed to place from sunup to sundown, sitting around the fire listening to stories told by the elders. Neighbors watching out for other neighbors kids making sure they don’t get into trouble, and children having fun playing in the streets and showing off their best dress during Easter and Christmas.

This book is set in the late 50s, about a kid name Lester Dooley also known as Tuff Luck, his character makes him stand out from the other kids. He has had so many unfortunate incidents happen to him that his friends in the neighborhood are left laughing.

It was summer again, and the Rhodes family prepares to take another trip to the country to spend time with their Uncle Mike and Aunt Phoebe for one month. After convincing Tuff Luck’s parent and Danny’s, Tuff Luck was able to go on this trip with Danny and his brothers. But on this trip to Uncle Mike’s farm, Tuff Luck of bad choices resulted into a bad encounter with Pecos the bull, the bantam rooster and the skunks was enough for him to start making good choices. This turns out to be a big surprise to his friends and the neighborhood.

Interesting Kid’s Prayer at the start and end of the book.

Pages: 56

http://www.amazon.com/Know-Tuff-Luck-Danny-Rhodes/dp/1432797395/ref=la_B00AUYWZ90_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365636747&sr=1-1

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

About this author: I currently reside in Kansas City, Mo. I have been a federal employee for over 40 years, with service as an Air Traffic Controller with the Federal Aviation Administration and now with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. As a first time author, I self-published my humorous juvenile novella based on my memories of the fun times growing up in Atlanta, Ga. during the 1950′s and 60′s. Growing up in a neighborhood that was like one big family. Recently I heard the African proverb that has been spoken many times “it takes a village to raise a child.” This was what truly happened to me and the many kids that grew up with me. We were raised by a village. I thank all of those parents from that neighborhood. A special thank you goes I currently reside in Kansas City, Mo. I have been a federal employee for over 40 years, with service as an Air Traffic Controller with the Federal Aviation Administration and now with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. As a first time author, I self-published my humorous juvenile novella based on my memories of the fun times growing up in Atlanta, Ga. during the 1950′s and 60′s. Growing up in a neighborhood that was like one big family. Recently I heard the African proverb that has been spoken many times “it takes a village to raise a child.” This was what truly happened to me and the many kids that grew up with me. We were raised by a village. I thank all of those parents from that neighborhood. A special thank you goes to my mother and my three older brothers, who made life fun for me. http://www.outskirtspress.com/iknowtuffluck/

Giveaway Rules 

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

There will be 1 winner

This Giveaway is Open to the USA Only!

Winner will be selected by Random.org

Giveaway Ends April 29th, 2013

Comments like these would be deleted – Great contest, please enter me, Love to win this! This is so cute!

Mandatory: Leave a comment about the review below. Leaving a helpful comment relating to this book would be appreciated and valid to the giveaway.

This Giveaway Has Ended

Winner is #3 – Dorothy Teel

 

Book Spotlight/Giveaway: WOI Tour for Scott R.Caseley Author of Isosceles! Ends April 25th.

WOI March/April 2013 Tour: Scott R.Caseley Author of Isosceles

About the Book:When he finds his best friend Trey Goodsby dead and almost completely submerged in a bathtub filled with bloody water, Sean McIntyre is determined to find out if it was an accident or suicide. Did his death accidental or intentional have anything to do with Madeline Edwards, the woman who came between them constantly through their thirteen-year friendship? The tale begins with the death of Trey Goodsby, and explores his relationships with family, friends, his romances, and which of the circumstances he found himself in that led to the tragic event, and the repercussions for those he left behind.

If you have that feeling that you’re coming up short…what will it take to feel equal?

Excerpt from book:

“Go over to the play area. I’ll deal with you once I’m done with…ah…whatever his name is.” Carter nodded to where the rest of the kids kneeled, stood, or sat on a blue carpet, watching a boy building with wooden toy blocks. Right away, I could sense he intended on crafting something difficult, a scale model of the courthouse down the road from Footbridge. While the boy’s physical appearance seemed rather ordinary, his skills could not be beat. He hadn’t misused a single block. Without any hesitation or second-guessing himself, he knew what to do to put everything in the right place.

“That’s so cool, Trey,” I heard a soft voice like the melodious whisper of birdsong, my intuition revealing the identity before my eyes did. Madeline swayed from side to side, beaming with her pearly-whites.

Trey paid her no mind though, allowing himself to be distracted only by his overgrown dirty-blonde hair, which kept going in his face. Sometimes, he didn’t even push it away. His focus so intense, a few times, he almost knocked into other kids. He never apologized for it, nor did most get upset. They seemed to understand he was in a zone, one with his creation. He circled the perimeter to detect if it needed something. Whenever he snapped his fingers, he’d call out “cylinder,” “triangle,” or “rectangle.” Madeline would select it out of a decaying cardboard box, to present it to him like an obedient puppy bringing a tennis ball to its owner.

Mr. Carter, with Sheldon behind him, returned from their business in the hallway. They joined the rest of us, studying Trey’s handiwork. Before long, Mr. Carter became entranced, too. It felt frustrating. Being an only child, I was used to being the center of my parents’ universe. Here, someone else stole the attention so rightfully mine. Worst of all, watching Madeline fawn over him drove me crazy. His hair was messy, his shirt dirty, and he was just average. Why did he hold her interest? Shouldn’t she see me instead? Mom knitted me this nice sweater and combed my hair before I went to the bus stop. My head started pounding from over-thinking the situation when Madeline moved toward him, letting her pigtail accidentally brush against his head. He didn’t seem to notice, but I sure did. I needed to take action.

Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing eBook

ISBN: 978-1-77127-239-1

Publication Date: January 2013

Genre of Book: Young Adult- Coming Of Age,

Mystery/Romance

Places where available for sale: MuseItUpPublishing.com, Amazon.com, Bookstrand, Omnilit, Kobo, Smashwords and B&N

About the Author: While this is his first novel, he wrote and directed a dramatic feature, co-wrote and directed a documentary and wrote for an online magazine. He’s also a trained voice, stage, and screen actor. In addition to his creative pursuits, he is passionate about healthy living. He follows a mostly self-directed fitness quest consisting of weight training, walking, swimming, yoga, and hula hooping. When not working out, he also enjoys cooking healthy gourmet meals as well as playing board games with family and friends with plenty of coffee brewing to keep the fun going until the wee hours of the morning.

You can find out more about Scott R. Caseley, his novel and World of Ink

Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/c85xoz4

Follow Scott R. Caseley at Blog Address: www.scottrcaseleyauthor.com

Twitter URL: twitter.com/scottrcaseley

Facebook Fan Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/ScottRCaseleyWriter

Publisher Website: http://museituppublishing.com

Giveaway

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This Giveaway is Open to the US ONLY.

1 Winner selected by Random.org to win a copy

Giveaway Ends April 25th, 2013

Mandatory: Please leave your comment about the author, book and your email address in the comment field below.

Comments without email address will be deleted.

April 9th The Bumpy Road—Guest Post: Plotting a Mystery http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com

April 10th Stories a la Mode—Book Review http://barbarabockman.wordpress.com

April 11th Inspiring Books & Products—Book Review http://rothsinspiringbooksandproducts.wordpress.com

April 12th Strands of Thought—Character Interview http://kaistrand.blogspot.com/

April 15th Blogcritics—Book Review http://blogcritics.org/books/

April 16th American Chronicle—Spotlight Interview http://www.americanchronicle.com/

April 17th The Writing Mama—Guest Post: Author Pick http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com

April 18th American Chronicle—Book Review http://www.americanchronicle.com/

April 22nd Book Reviews by Lynn—Book Spotlight/Giveaway http://www.angelpages.biz/page.php?e=4BOOKREVIEWSBYLYNN

April 23rd Families Matter—Interview http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com

April 25th Deal Sharing Aunt—Book Review http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com

This Giveaway Has Ended!

Winner is #1 – Andrew T. Kuligowski

Book Review: Look What I Can Do! By Nancy Viau

 

Look What I Can Do! By Nancy Viau and illustrated by Anna Vojtech

About the book: Things get easier every day. Just watch what I can do today! This affirming story celebrates how baby animals in the forest accomplish goals, whether it’s a baby bear finding food, a young spider spinning a web, or a small bird flying from the nest for the first time. The tender, rhyming text compares these achievements to those of a child who is learning to ride his bike or catch a ball.

The perfect story to encourage young readers to try new things or keep the faith when faced with challenges, Look What I Can Do! Honors the important milestones that children achieve each day.

 

http://www.abramsbooks.com/Books/Look_What_I_Can_Do!-9781419705298.html

Age Range: 3 – 6 years

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (March 12, 2013)

 

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

 

My Review:  This is a well written rhyme book about baby animals who accomplish their goals no matter what. The book starts with a young deer learning how to stand up strong, “It’s not easy to stand up strong. I shake and sway, but move along”, or a little bird trying its best to fly. “It’s not easy to leave the nest. I flap my wings. I try my best.” A boy trying to hit a baseball, “It’s not easy to hit a ball. But I can catch it as it falls.”

Then the encouraging written words by the author “Friends of forest, field, and stream, keep trying on your own. Be proud today. Have fun and play. In time you will be grown”.

This is a great book that would encourage young children to believe that they can do anything. Like the book said, things get easier everyday.

This book I would recommend for every home and school.

 

About the author: Nancy Viau is the author of Look What I Can Do! (Picture Book, March 2013), Storm Song (Picture Book, April 2013), and Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head (Middle-Grade Novel, 2008). Her stories, poems, and activities appear in Highlights, Ladybug, and many other magazines. She is a member of The Authors Guild, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and The KidLit Authors Club, a marketing group she started that consists of authors who bring interactive book parties to bookstores, libraries, festivals, and conferences. Please visit http://www.NancyViau.com to find out about her assembly programs and writing workshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Improve Reading Comprehension! Win a Book.

Improve Reading Comprehension

Help your child improve reading comprehension: a crucial reading skill, especially as he gets older & needs to glean information from books.

Here are six tips to improve reading comprehension in your early reader:
1.Have him read aloud. This forces him to go slower, which gives him more time to process what he reads, which improves reading comprehension. Plus, he’s not only seeing the words, he’s hearing them, too. You can also take turns reading aloud.
2.Provide the right kinds of books. Make sure your child gets lots of practice reading books that aren’t too hard. She should recognize at least 90 percent of the words without any help. Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it tough for her to focus on the overall meaning of the story.
3.Reread to build fluency. To gain meaning from text and encourage reading comprehension, your child needs to read quickly and smoothly – a skill known as fluency. By the beginning of 3rd grade, for example, your child should be able to read 90 words a minute. Rereading familiar, simple books gives your child practice at decoding words quickly, so she’ll become more fluent in her reading comprehension.

To read more click: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/developing-reading-skills/improve-reading-comprehension

Reluctant Readers Allowed

Learn 5 ways to gently build your child’s reading confidence. By Allison McDonald

When children are learning to read independently, some will attempt it happily, accepting correction with ease and without fear of making mistakes. Some, though, will not. Many children will shy away from reading out loud because of a lack of confidence. This lack of confidence is not an indicator of their ability. Many children who are reluctant to read out loud are great readers; however, they have a desire to be perfect and don’t want to mess up.

It can be heartbreaking for parents to watch their children struggle with reading confidence, but the more you push them to read to you, the more they clam up and refuse. Even though my son was an early reader, he was not always eager to read out loud around my husband or me. He is a born perfectionist, and while so many things come naturally, his desire to do them perfectly from the start can hamper his efforts. Here are five things we did to encourage my son to read aloud, and I would suggest them to any parent facing a similar situation at home.

1. Don’t push your child. When reading with your child, don’t force him to read. Instead make sure that you are next to each other and he is following along with you as you read. Trace your finger along the text as you read.

2. Give him privacy. Give him time alone to read without an audience. Respect his privacy to read alone.

3. Read to a different audience. Suggest that he read to a puppy, younger sibling, or stuffed animal. None of these judge or know if a word was read correctly or not. This helps your child build his confidence. My son built so much confidence by reading to his baby sister. Now even though his confidence is no longer an issue, he still reads to her often. Everyone wins!

To read more click http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/reluctant-readers-allowed

Giveaway (US ONLY)

The first 5 readers to answer these Questions below will win a Free Book.

Leave your answer below with the age and gender of your child. (No age/gender listed another will be selected)

Q1. How many books are in your child’s library?

Q2. What percentage of chapter books or non chapter books is in your child’s library?

Q3. How many classics should be included in my child’s library?

Q4. How many bedtime books do you have to help your baby go to sleep at night?

Q5. When my child gets home from school, the first thing she likes to do is:

A) Read a book

B) Draw a picture or watch TV

C) Do a puzzle

D) Swing on the swings, jump on the trampoline, or dance to music

E) None of the above

Thanks for sharing.

 

This giveaway has ended!

 

Book Review/Giveaway: Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight. Ends April 19th.

Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight by David Anderson

About the Book: Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight is an illustrated chapter book for kids ages 6-9 about a young bird’s quest to discover who he truly is. Charlie doesn’t know he has wings. How could he? The adults of Tree City have taught him all wrong. They’ve never even heard of birds flying. They clip their feathers short to keep them out of the way and build big winding staircases up to their nests. Charlie is sure there’s a magical secret behind his feathers that his parents, his friends, his doctors, the geese police, the Safety Inspector and every other bird in Tree City is missing. Can he figure it out before Doctor Nightingale straps him in the plucking chair and plucks his beautiful feathers?

My Review: Charlie went with his dad to the top of the tree to help repair the long staircase that coiled around the tree. Mr Sparrow set Charlie down and started to hammer along the wood of the steps. When he looked up Charlie was no longer with him for he has climbed to the top of the stairs.  Then there was a snap and Charlie came falling off the banister. Mr Sparrow leapt up the stairs to catch Charlie but it was too late as Charlie started to fall. You will think they will both fly to each other being a bird but neither sparrow knew how to fly. Then to Charlie surprise, he found he was floating and landed below the tree.

His parents became worried and called the doctor, who diagnoses him with having Leaping Syndrome and the only cure was to cut off his feathers. Will Charlie allow the doctor to remove his feathers?

An interesting chapter book for children ages 6 and up with 98 pages.

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

Giveaway Rules

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

There will be 1 winner

This Giveaway is Open to the USA Only!

Winner will be selected by Random.org

Giveaway Ends April 19th , 2013

Comments like these would be deleted – Great contest, Please enter me, Love to win this! This is so cute!

Mandatory: Leave a comment about the review below.

Mandatory: Click on the link below and leave a comment also on the author’s page

 http://mymcbooks.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/mymcbooks-interview-author-david-anderson/#comments

Leaving a helpful comment relating to this book would be appreciated and valid to the giveaway.

This Giveaway Has Ended!

Winner is #1 – Dorothy Teel

Book Giveaway: One Direction. Ends April 12th

About the Books: One Direction: Behind the Scenes

Packed with never-before-seen photos, exclusive interviews, and fascinating facts, you’ll find everything you ever needed to know about Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis, and Zayn inside!

A must-have for every One Direction fan!

About the Books

One Direction: A Year with One Direction

One Direction are the biggest band on the planet. Celebrate their story with this official guide crammed full of exclusive interviews and never-seen-before photos.

Books provided by HarperCollins Publishers

Giveaway Rules

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

There will be 1 winner

This Giveaway is Open to the USA Only!

Winner will be selected by Random.org

Giveaway Ends April 12th , 2013

Comments like these would be deleted – Great contest, Please enter me, Love to win this! This is so cute!

Leaving a helpful comment relating to this book would be appreciated and valid to the giveaway.

This Giveaway Has Ended!

Winner is #7 – Rhonda P.

Mymcbooks Interview Author David Anderson

About the Author: David Anderson is a kids’ chapter book author who also doodles pictures. He enjoys reading and collecting vinyl records. http://www.charliesparrowandthesecretofflight.wordpress.com

 

David Anderson is the author of Charlie Sparrpw and the Secret of Flight.

 

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

 

What is the last book you read? The Umbrella Man, a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl. Dahl is famous for his children’s books, but his stories for adults have the same genius, only with darker subject matter.

 

What was your favorite children’s book? I’m embarrassed to say that as a child I did not read many books. Yes, I grew up to be a writer, but only started loving books when I was in my teens. That said, I’m still allowed to have a favorite children’s book, even if I came across it late. It’s a toss-up between The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and Matilda by Roald Dahl.

What were your earliest memories of writing? My earliest memory of writing is being about five and filling blank foolscap pages with chains of deliberate scribbles. I felt I was writing, even though it was illegible nonsense. My next earliest memory is of writing a one-page fiction piece for a Seventh or Eighth Grade class. It was called “Nightmare” and I still have it. Writing that piece was the first time I ever felt a rush of enjoyment from writing a story.

Were you encouraged to write or was it something that came natural? I had the idea to take up writing on my own, with little influence from outside, including from books, since I didn’t read much. I just decided I wanted to write, and began working on a novel for a year without telling anyone. I was sixteen and really should have been doing so many other things besides trying to write a novel. I was secretive, and I was determined, and I was a very bad writer.

Do you generally get a story idea first or does the main character develop first? I get the story idea, then develop the characters as I go. I don’t usually know much about my characters until they’re written down.

 

What inspired you to write Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight?  In 2007, I took a children’s book publishing class from Michael Katz, the publisher of Tradewind Books, in Vancouver, Canada. He tasked us with writing a children’s picture book that could fit into a standard 32 page spread. I had the idea to do my book about a city of birds that don’t know they can fly. Mike liked the idea, and he encouraged me to develop it into a longer work – a chapter book. That took a few years and many drafts to do.

 

Are you working on a new book? I’m working on a middle-grade sci-fi/fantasy thriller called The Maker. It’s kind of a Jim Henson’s Labyrinth meets Star Wars (the original Star Wars) type of thing. I’m also working on a second Charlie Sparrow book, because I keep getting the comment from readers that they want to see more of Tree City.

 

What is the most difficult part of writing? Have you ever felt that the only thing keeping you from feeling joy all the time is the fear of feeling joy all the time? Well, for me the most difficult thing about writing is something similar. I love writing so much that the hardest part about it is getting up the courage to go to that wonderful place, probably because the freedom and the thrill of it is frightening.

 

Do you write full time or do you still have a day job? I have a full-time job, so I write in the gaps between all the other stuff going on in my life. I did recently quit a PhD in English Literature so the gaps between other stuff wouldn’t be filled with academic work and I could fill them with writing instead.

 

How do you react to a bad review and have you ever suffered from writer’s block? Reviews are one kind of feedback that it’s useful for a writer to have, whether they’re bad or good. It’s an ongoing struggle to keep from taking reviews, or any feedback, too much to heart. The trick is knowing which parts to listen to and make use of to improve one’s writing, and which parts to ignore. Writers are kind of forced to learn this skill, and it’s a tough one.

I haven’t had writer’s block.

 

What do you hope that readers will take away from your book? I hope readers will be entertained by the story and connect with the characters. Charlie, Fanny, and Doctor Percy are my very good friends, and I hope they will be friends to other people too. Particularly to children.

 

Who are some of your favorite authors you would love to dine with? In February, I attended the annual Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference in New York City, where Mo Willems, author of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, gave an electrifying speech filled with hilarious tidbits of advice for writers. Now that I’ve seen him speak, I think Willems would make excellent company at a meal. He’s just so full of energy and humor, and he’s got an infectious kind of genius that is fun to be around.

 

What author inspires you the most and why? Without a doubt Roald Dahl. Dahl’s brand of storytelling is something I crave. I’ve tried to put my finger on what it is that he does so well but can’t. All I know is it’s genius and it makes me want to be better at writing stories.

 

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? I tend to create short-term goals for myself, and meet them if I can. I wish I had a writing schedule and stuck to it. Say, one hour every day. But I don’t, and have never been able to keep one for an extended period of time.

 

What advice would you give parents on selecting the right books for their children to read? I’m not a parent, so I don’t know. If I did have kids, I would probably start by giving them stories I loved, and then seeing what they liked and getting them more of that stuff.

 

What advice would you give to new writers? I’ve been writing for almost twenty years now, but I still consider myself a new writer. Charlie Sparrow is the first book I’ve ever finished to the point where I felt I could share it with others. I guess my advice would be: if the urge to write won’t go away, then go on, write. Also, stay open and attentive to the feedback of others and to your own instincts about your work. I’ve found that writing is learning about two things: what my reader wants, and what my voice is.

 

Thank you for this interview. Thank you.

Book Review/Giveaway: The Little Leaf. Ends April 12th

The Little Leaf by Adam B. Shaeffer and illustrated by Turbo Qualls

About the Book: A little leaf wants to grow larger but needs help along the way. This children’s picture book contains an important lesson told in a manner that children will love and understand–growing up isn’t easy but you don’t have to do it on your own.

My Review: A small leaf attached to a branch of an ancient and mighty tree wanted so much to be like his brothers and sisters; he just wanted to grow big. One day he decided to ask the spider why he wasn’t growing, the Spider said, you just need to try harder. So he tried by stretching and expanding but nothing happened. He even drank sap from the branches and waited but still no change. Then he heard a gentle voice saying, “Have you tried leaning into the sunlight? No, the little left said to the sun.

So the little leaf leaned into the sun as far as he could go. After a few months the little leaf notices he was getting bigger. All the leaf had to do was lean and let the sun help him to grow. Like the book said, “growing up isn’t easy but you don’t have to do it on your own.” I highly recommend this book for every household that has a little one growing up.

About the Author: Adam loves reading books, writing books, even smelling books (though digital ones tend to smell of plastic). He and his wife love kids and hope to have a house full of them for years to come.

http://xistpublishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=190:the-little-leaf&catid=87&Itemid=539

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

Giveaway Rules

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

There will be 1 winner

This Giveaway is Open to the USA Only!

Winner will be selected by Random.org

Giveaway Ends April 12th , 2013

Comments like these would be deleted – Great contest, Please enter me, Love to win this! This is so cute!

Leaving a helpful comment relating to this book would be appreciated and valid to the giveaway.

This Giveaway Has Ended

Winner is #2 – domestic diva