Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Thursday, September 11, 2014


Maggie Mae Detective Extraordinaire

The Case of the Missing Cookies



What do whistles, crumbs, strands of hair and grandpa’s chair have to do with this detective story?  You’ll just have to open this book and ruffle the pages a bit to find out!  Maggie Mae is hard at work.  She’s got the tools and the know how to track down a thief. No one gets in her way.  She is relentless.

This is a delightful story about a little girl who puts her detective talents to work.  Her Grandma has a problem that needs immediate attention.  Maggie Mae is there on the job to help. Grandpa, well, not so much.

I think young children will love the story of Grandparents, cookies, a brother, and a dog, along with a story of mystery solving.  These pages illustrated by Jack Foster, who by the way never disappoints with his larger than life illustrations, is a fun and entertaining read for young boys and girls.  

Margo Dill, author of Finding My Place, has now written Maggie Mae Detective Extraordinaire, The Case of the Missing Cookies, a delightful detective story to engage children in the track down of a thief.  The story moves along. It’s fun, entertaining, and sure to hold a child’s attention. I give it five whole bag of yummy cookies.


Loved the story, and so will kids!

Purchase Book Here




About Margo L. Dill

Me with short hair!


Margo L. Dill is the author of the young adult novel Caught Between Two Curses (March 18, 2014 from Rocking Horse Publishing) and the middle-grade historical fiction novel, Finding My Place: One Girl’s Strength at Vicksburg (October 2012, White Mane Kids).  She also has a picture book accepted by High Hill Press.


If you are looking for information on Margo’s editing business, Editor 911, please go here: http://www.margodill.com/Editor911.html OR e-mail her at margo (at) margodill.com with Editor 911 in the subject line.
Besides writing books, she is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher, living in St. Louis, Missouri. Her work has appeared in publications such as Grit, Pockets, Missouri Life, By Line Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, True Love, On the Line, Fun for Kidz, and The News-Gazette. She is a columnist, instructor, and contributing editor for WOW! Women On Writing. She writes weekly book reviews for The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL).  She is also the memoir and children’s/YA novel editor for High Hill Press.
She is a former elementary classroom teacher, writing teacher, and TITLE I teacher, who believes in using books to teach children reading, writing, social studies, science, health, and math. She believes books can start conversations that children otherwise might not want to have.
She is happy to come speak to your writing group, do a workshop for teachers on writing or reading, work with children and teens to improve their writing skills and creativity, or do a program for your community group. She absolutely LOVES going to schools and visiting with children and teens. For more information on her workshops, please click on the tab on this blog that says, “Speaking and Teaching,” or contact her at margo(at)margodill.com.

This book was reviewed by Susan Hornbach, Author of children’s literature

Saturday, November 3, 2012

ChAr300 




CHANCES ARE

Academic Wingshttp://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/chances-are.htm
by Sue Bangert-Wood, artist Jack Foster
An entertaining alphabet book with unusual animals doing zany things, aardvarks, komodo dragons, and many more incredible creatures. The comical illustrations will capture the imagination while building reading skills at many levels. Also included are activities for parents/teachers to do with children.   




DG300 

 

DOODLE GIRL

by Jennifer Bond-Reed, artist Jack Foster
Rachel loves to doodle on walls, on her school books, and on her back pack. Anywhere Rachel can doodle she does, but it gets her into big trouble. She tries to draw and color in other places. She learns she can mix colors and make more colors. Suddenly, Rachel’s doodling becomes a lot more fun! 


Educational page, too.


 

MAGICAL MATTHEW hardcover & softcover                

Littlest Angelshttp://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/matthew.htm
by Penelope Cole, artist Kevin Collier
Matthew has a secret. He fixes things magically. Matthew secretly uses his magic to fix things for his family and friends.  Later, he expands his magical good deeds by fixing things in his neighborhood. Matthew’s friend, Lily, suspects something.  Matthew must decide whether to tell her the truth or not.




 

ONCE THERE WAS A MONSTER

Littlest Angelshttp://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/monster.htm
by Marilee Crow, artist Jack Foster
Every child at some point in their lives has a fear of monsters. Through charming, funny rhyme, see how one child conquers her fear of the monster in her room. Read what happens when the child finds out that monsters have fears too. 





 

THE SMILING BURRO  English 

 (Spanish Edition-coming soon)

by Mary Vela Esparza, artist Mike Motz
A tiny burro shows up at a little boy’s house and becomes a real asset to the family. The day he disappears, they never expect to see him again until he prances in one dark spooky night. 

Wednesday, July 25, 2012



                                                                                                     
            M E D I A   R E L E A S E           


 
CONTACT:    Mayra Calvani

Email:          mayra.calvani@gmail.com   

Website:       www.mayracalvani.com

For Immediate Release



Best Summer Book - Sunstruck by Mayra Calvani
A fun, quirky, beach summer read ~ Twilight Times Books!

(KINGSPORT, TN) – Just in time for your summer reading, Sunstruck hits the beaches! Daniella is an architecture student living with her narcissistic artist boyfriend in San Juan. Abandoned by her father at an early age, Daniella always falls for the ‘wrong’ type of man. Her most enduring male relationship so far has been with her cat.
   
Several strange mysteries are threaded through Daniella’s everyday life: her ex-husband, Ismael, has just opened an outlandish hotel for animal lovers that has her distraught; Ismael’s wife, a rich woman Daniella fondly refers to as ‘Lady Dracula’, has some gruesome ways to keep her skin looking young; Daniella’s mother is founding a revolutionary, feminist society called The Praying Mantises; the island’s national forest is being depleted of hallucinogenic mushrooms; meanwhile, young girls are disappearing and there’s a nut loose dressed as Zorro slashing the rear ends of women who wear miniskirts.  

Oppressed by all these eccentric characters, Daniella feels herself falling into an abyss. Then something terrible happens, making Daniella wake from her stupor and take charge of her life.

Gift with purchase offer…

Purchase Sunstruck http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LYYOWM and receive FREE download e-Book of Dark Lullaby. Email her publicist, Donna McDine donna@donnamcdine.com with your receipt of Sunstruck purchase and receive link to FREE Dark Lullaby e-Book through July 27, 2012. Of course, if you purchase Sunstruck elsewhere please email receipt to Ms. McDine.

What reviewers are saying…
“Dark and quirky humor coupled with quixotic characters adds to the surprising mix found in Sunstruck… I've never read a book remotely like it. Everything from the humorously weird to the acutely macabre can be found between these covers, and then some.” –Laurel Johnson, Midwest Book Review

"Sunstruck is like a nutty Whodunit with a little twist. Who really is in the Zorro costume? With all the crazy characters I caught myself pointing fingers again and again. A great read that will make you forget where you are, while you giggle yourself to complete oblivion from all the silliness." –Autumn Blues Reviews

About the author: Award-winning author Mayra Calvani has penned over ten books for children and adults in genres ranging from picture books to satire to paranormal fantasy novels. She’s had over 300 articles, short stories, interviews and reviews published in magazines such as The Writer, Writer’s Journal and Bloomsbury Review, among others. She has lived in America, Asia, the Middle East, and now lives in Brussels, Belgium.

Purchase info:

Title: Sunstruck
Author: Mayra Calvani
Author web site: http://www.mayracalvani.com/

Publisher: Twilight Times Books
url: http://twilighttimesbooks.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60619-024-2

Genre: Parody/Satire
Format: ebook in pdf, ePub, Kindle, Mobi, PRC, etc.

Distributors: Amazon Kindle; Apple iBookstore; BN.com Nook; eReader; Fictionwise; Kobo Books; OmniLit; Sony eBookstore, etc.
Release date: July 15, 2012

Price: $5.95

Pages: 160
Chapter excerpt: http://twilighttimesbooks.com/Sunstruck_ch1.html

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Monday, July 2, 2012


M E D I A  R E L E A S E


CONTACT:    Donna McDine, Editor-in-Chief, Guardian Angel Kids E-zine
Email:              submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com
Website:          http://guardian-angel-kids.com

For Immediate Release

Children’s E-zine Guardian Angel Kids: Adoption – July 2012 Issue

Welcome to the July 2012 issue of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine (GAK). This month, GAK is all about a different family experience – adoption, where through a legal process, a person becomes a member of a family different from their birth family. Please enjoy all the fun and informative features in this month’s issue and please feel free to share the GAK link www.guardian-angel-kids.com with your friends – and family, too, of course!  

Letter from the POETRY EDITOR:  Donna J. Shepherd    
Featured BookS:
One Nutty Family by James Byers and illustrated by Kevin Collier
Curley the Crooked Christmas Tree by Rodger Pritchett and Mike Webb and illustrated by Jamie Holmes 

Children’S poetry, ACTIVITIES, SHORT STORIES, and articleS: 
 

“The Same Difference,” poetry by Shari L. Klase – Our differences unites us.  
 

“The Chain of Hearts,” by Susan Harris Sanders and illustrated by Nancy Miller – Adoption is a new beginning.  

“The Duck Family Reunion,” by Suzanne Purvis and illustrated by Jack Foster – A young bullfrog discovers he is right where he belongs.
 
“A Basketful of Eggs,” by Shari L. Klase – How birds play a role in adoption of a different sort. 
“Teaching Children about Adoption,” by Kathy Stemke – how teaching children about adoption and altering certain activities includes all types of families.

 Visit Guardian Angel Kid today and www.guardian-angel-kids.com and enjoy a child safe and ad free E-zine.

We also invite you to stay connected with Guardian Angel Kids through our Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guardian-Angel-Kids-Ezine/163785080346247.  


Please feel free to drop Editor-in-Chief, Donna McDine an email at submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com and let them know what you think of Guardian Angel Kids and what you'd like to see in the future. They aim to please. 

The Guardian Angel Kids E-zine staff and contributors look forward to your visit. Thank you for your time and interest.

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Sunday, July 1, 2012


Welcome 

Today I have posted a review written for Linda Derkez, and David Fielding’s new book:

    One Large Peanut Butter Sandwich to Go

A new Release from Guardian Angel Publishing


This is an ever moving story about a boy named Scotty who likes to eat his food while walking around the house.  His Mother is easy going and would rather not say no to Scotty, but also is concerned about the crumbs he drops as he travels around with his food. 

Scotty’s Mom uses her imagination, to peak Scotty’s imagination. The two of them come to a solution based solely on Scotty’s decision through his imaginary experiences. In the end, Scotty finds the perfect place to eat his food.

Scotty imagines himself outside with his very large peanut butter sandwich.  He meets a mailman, a neighbor, a hairy dog, a grandma, a gentle man in a hat, and many other people who all have the same thing in common; they are hungry!

The pictures in this book are vividly enticing. They jump off the page and grab attention. I think any child would be thrilled to read these pages written by Linda Derkez, and gaze upon the artwork of David Fielding; over and over again. This book could very well become a favorite in a child’s library.

I give this book ***** for color, and ***** for story content.  The mother in this story found a way to heighten her child’s reasoning without being cross or negative; a lesson to be learned for sure.

This book was reviewed by Susan Hornbach, author of children’s literature. http://Bagfullofbooks4kids.blogspot.com  www.susanhornbach.com 

I hope you will leave a comment for Linda and David. 

To purchase this book you may click the link below:

ONE LARGE PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH TO GO
www.guardianangelpublishing.com/peanut-butter.htm



About the Author
Linda Derkez has always enjoyed writing, especially journaling. The mother of three, she began writing children's stories that would reinforce lessons or values she wanted her children to learn. Linda is the author of two previously published children’s books, including: Caleb's Missing Whisper & Other Stories and Chip's Sharing Day. Linda also co-authored Cody Knows with award-winning author (and sister) Karen Wiesner. Linda also enjoys writing children's stories with her husband and her brother-in-law, David Fielding, who illustrated One Large Peanut Butter Sandwich to Go.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

M E D I A  R E L E A S E

CONTACT:    Donna McDine, Editor-in-Chief, Guardian Angel Kids Ezine

Email:              submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com

Website:          http://guardian-angel-kids.com

For Immediate Release

 

Children’s Ezine Guardian Angel Kids: Growing Up – June 2012 Issue

 

The Guardian Angel Kids creative crew is pleased to announce the new Ezine format. The inviting visual will take the reader on a turn page style adventure with the click of the mouse accompanied with the sound of turning a page in your hand. Without further ado, we present the Guardian Angel Kids Growing Up June 2012 issue…

 

The carefree days of childhood invokes memories of lazy days of summer vacation filled with days of swimming at the town pool. It was the central social point of the neighborhood and the excitement of the day would then flow onto our cul-de-sac (after the children of the neighborhood ate their respective suppers) where there was always a stick ball game going on until the single street light flickered on. Quickly we would change gears and switch to playing flashlight tag. My mother, always an avid reader, made sure her children read each and every day and to this day we all have instilled the same love of reading with our own children. Without lapsing in our reading skills throughout the summer we were always well prepared with our studies. The days appeared endless and before you knew it, it was time for back to school shopping.

The love of reading has led me to the path of writing for children and Editor-in-Chief of Guardian Angel Publishing, for which I’m joyful for and proud to present the Guardian Angel Kids June 2012 issue of Growing Up www.guardian-angel-kids.com.

We hope you enjoy our issue of Growing Up as much the Guardian Angel Kid staff did reminiscing about our childhoods and selecting the wonderful poetry, stories, articles, and activities.

Letter from the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:  Donna M. McDine  

Featured BookS:

Growing Up Dreams by Susan Berger and illustrated by Samantha Bell

The Odd Chick by Mary Esparza-Vela and illustrated by Kevin Collier

Children’S poetry, ACTIVITIES, SHORT STORIES, and articleS:

“I’m Growing Up,” poetry by Guy Belleranti – how quickly the time passes by.

“Is It Friday Yet?” poetry by Alicia Z. Klepeis – The excitement of the approaching end of the week.

“Activities to Make Reading Fun,” by Kathy Stemke – having fun with language is the key to unlocking the world of reading to your child.

“Too Much Trouble,” by Juliana M. Jones and illustrated by Nancy Miller – the growing responsibility of getting older.

“Maid for Make Believe,” by Caroline Yu and illustrated by Clara Batton Smith – the magic of pretend brings to friends closer together.

“Read Aloud Tips for Preschoolers: Put Some Pizzazz in Reading Aloud,” by Dorit Sasson – how to connect to the story by acting it out.

“Encouraging Your Reader,” by Vanessa Fortenberry – tips on how to encourage and instill the love of reading.

Visit Guardian Angel Kid today and www.guardian-angel-kids.com and enjoy a child safe and ad free Ezine.

We also invite you to stay connected with Guardian Angel Kids through our Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guardian-Angel-Kids-Ezine/163785080346247.

Please feel free to drop Editor-in-Chief, Donna McDine an email at submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com and let them know what you think of Guardian Angel Kids and what you'd like to see in the future. They aim to please.

The Guardian Angel Kids Ezine staff and contributors look forward to your visit. Thank you for your time and interest.

 

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Best wishes,

Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm ~ Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient & Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
Donna’s Website: http://www.donnamcdine.com

Write What Inspires You Blog: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com
Author PR Services: http://www.authorprservices.com