Award-Winning Author Renee Hand Joins Stories for Children Book Tour

Award-winning Author Renee Hand joins the

Stories for Children Publishing April ‘11 World of Ink Book Tour

Join my facebook party at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178142325566341 for the tour.

Stories for Children Publishing will be touring Renee Hand’s latest children’s book, “The Adventures of Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Case #2 Mineral Mischief” all month long in April 2011.

Renee Hand is an award-winning author, educator, tennis coach and various other things. Hand has been writing for over twenty-five years and has eight publications. She also writes for various chronicles and newsletters, as well as reviews for the New York Journal of Books, for various publishers and authors of children´s books on her blog, http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com/ . Check out more of the author's books on her website at http://www.reneeahand.com/

In Case #2 Mineral Mischief, Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill find themselves in a dark and dreary cave, and in front of them, sitting on an ornately carved stone pedestal, was Maple’s mineral. To reach out and take it would be so easy. It glistened like stars in a midnight sky, attracting their attention, luring them. However, there had to be a catch somewhere. Something didn’t feel right. Then he saw it.

You can find out more and Renee Hand’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/ReneeHand.aspx . There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions. Renee Hand will be checking in throughout the tour.

In addition, come listen to Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2011/04/18/stories-for-children-with-host-vs-grenier . The hosts (VS Grenier and Kris Quinn Chirstopherson) will chat with Renee Hand about her books, writing, the publishing industry and experiences with virtual tours. Renee will also be sharing writing tips and trials, and tribulations of the writer’s life.

The show will be live, April 18th, 2011 at 1pm EST (12pm Central, 11am MST, and 10am PST). You can tune in at the World of Ink Network site at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork . You can listen/call in at (714) 242-5259. (Note: if you can’t make the show, you can listen on demand at the same link.)


To learn more visit Stories for Children Publishing at: http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/

Find more info about Renee's Tour at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/ReneeHand.aspx

~World of Ink Schedule~

April 1st
The Product Review Place – Author Spotlight
http://productreviewplace.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0lnk96wyqr6ya

April 4th
Roth’s Inspiring Books & Products - Interview http://rothsinspiringbooksandproducts.wordpress.com/

The Authors Marketing Powerhouse – Author Spotlight
http://www.theauthorsmarketingpowerhouse.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0lnk96wyqr6ya

April 5th
Book Marketing Network – Guest Post on the back story of Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Adventure series
http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/profiles/blog/list?user=VSGrenier&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_url


April 6th

VBT-Writers On The Move – Author Spotlight and Guest Post on building scenes
http://vbt-writersonthemove.blogspot.com/



April 7th
Families Matter Blog - Interview
http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com/

April 8th
BiblioReads.com Review
http://biblioreads.blogspot.com/

April 11th
The Maggie Project – Guest Post on creating characters
http://www.themaggieproject.blogspot.com/

Roth’s Inspiring Books & Products - Review http://rothsinspiringbooksandproducts.wordpress.com/

April 12th
KidsRead Blog Review
http://kidsreads.wordpress.com/

April 13th
Home School Blogger-Book Review
http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview/

April 14th

Stories for Children Magazine FG Interview
http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/pastfeaturedguests.aspx

The Writing Mama – Author Spotlight
http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/

April 15th
Rambling of a Coffee Addicted Writer – Author Spotlight http://ramblingsofacoffeeaddictedwrter.blogspot.com/

April 18th

World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children with hosts: VS Grenier and Kris Quinn Christopherson.
Live Radio Interview at 11am MST (10am PST, Noon Central and 1pm EST)
at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork or call in to listen or ask questions (714) 242-5259. You can also listen on demand after the show airs!


Book Marketing Network – Author Spotlight

http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/profiles/blog/list?user=VSGrenier&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_url


April 19th

Rambling of a Coffee Addicted Writer Review

http://ramblingsofacoffeeaddictedwrter.blogspot.com/

April 20th

The Writing Mama – Interview

http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/

April 21st

Health, Beauty, Children and Family Review

http://healthbeautychildrenandfamily.com/  


April 22nd

Families Matter Blog – Review and Giveaway

http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com/ 


April 24th

Utah Writing Network – Guest Post on plotting a storyline

http://utahwriting.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0lnk96wyqr6ya


April 25th

One Zillion Books Review

http://www.onezillionbooks.com/ 


Putting Words Down on Paper - Interview

http://susannedrazic.blogspot.com/


April 26th

Writing to the Hearts of Children- Interview

http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com/


April 27th

Writing to the Hearts of Children Review and Giveaway

http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com/


April 28th

The Writing Mama – Guest Post on finding time to write

http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/

Recipe For My New Children's Book by The Kid Can Cook!

Hello Everyone,

Come and see a recipe that was created for my fun lower elementary coloring and activity book by The Kid Can Cook blog!
http://thekidcancook.blogspot.com/2011/03/cooking-up-story-do-you-have-ants-in.html
 
It's a great recipe with a fun twist!
 
Hope everyone will enjoy it.
 
Renee

Showcase #2-Middle School Writer

Rope Trap

By: Kailey Fontan

I’ll never forget the dismal, rainy morning when my principal called Lola, Sasha, and I down to his office. Since it had been top secret, it was meant only for the best spies at the best spy school; Turtle Creek High School; my school.

My principal had informed us that someone had committed what could’ve been one of the most dangerous crimes in at least a decade. It had taken pure skill, instincts, smarts, and bravery to steal money right from the government. Literally, this guy actually snuck into the building and stole it right from a machine. You’d think that this’d be impossible, from all the security they have there, but somehow they managed to turn off all the lasers and stun the security guards so they wouldn’t move.

My stomach was in knots when I found out we had to go there, to Washington D.C. We’d go with a supervisor and take a tour of the U.S. Mint, where we’d make a detailed map of all the security systems.

Our time in Washington D.C. wasn’t a complete failure, but it wasn’t very productive either. We did do some research on the suspects: Jillian Hoosher, Andrew Corz, and Mark McLang. They’re really the only people in the whole world that have the skill to pull this off. Mark is the principal of our school, and Jillian is a teacher, along with Andrew.

During our tour of the Mint, my group left to take a bathroom break, and I stayed behind. It wasn’t long before I spotted a note on the ground, and I bent down to pick it up. It was a list of targets-or so it looked like. There was also a list of steps to take, and the rest was thoroughly impressive. When I flipped it over, I saw a paragraph or two about his breakup with his girlfriend, signed with the name, “Red Iguana”.

Instantly, I recognized the name. We had learned about him, Red Iguana, at school. He used to go to Turtle Creek a few years ago. He graduated with a 5.0 GPA, and something like a one hundred ninety-eight IQ. He was better than the teachers in some ways, and always wanted to know more than they could teach. He was offered a job at Turtle Creek when he graduated college, but he turned it down because he had already been recruited for the military. Ironically, he disappeared off the face of the earth in the spring of 2005. Nobody knows where he went, and here was a note, written by him, in my hand.

I glanced down at the note again. It was then that all the puzzle pieces fell into place. The bits of information we had gathered about the suspects all made sense. I had figured it out, but for some reason, when my group came back, I didn’t tell them. I simply folded up the note and slipped it in my bag.

On the plane flight home, I still couldn’t gather up the courage to tell Lola and Sasha about what I knew. I don’t know what it was, but something inside myself was telling me that I could not tell anyone about it.

At school on Monday, I couldn’t keep this whole mystery thing out of my mind. I came close to telling Lola about it, knowing that she would keep it secret, but I backed down. After class ended, I walked into the Media Center to turn in my overdue library book. Nobody was there, so I silently slid my book into the return box and looked around. There, on the whiteboard in front of me, was a threat. It read:

“Millicent Boncard, I know more than you think. I know you know our secret. Don’t make me get out the guns, and don’t tell our secret.”

So I didn’t.

Not until I heard the jets flying over Turtle Creek Wednesday afternoon. They swooped down and landed on the school, scrapping the roof. The building was evacuated, and out of nowhere, more police men and women appeared on the roof of Turtle Creek. A few hours later, we were informed that we had a special visitor: Red Iguana.

It was then that I finally built up the courage to tell Lola and Sasha what I knew. They suggested that we go to Red Iguana himself and ask for help. So, later the next afternoon, we strolled into the hotel room that he was staying at. He agreed to help us with our mystery, and after taking finger prints, DNA tests, and lie-detecting quizzes, he’d figured it out.

For the first time ever, Red Iguana revealed his true identity; Andrew Corz, one of our suspects. He then explained that I was correct. My prediction had stated that Mark, our principal, had stolen the money to try to impress his girlfriend after their harsh breakup. He had used the fake codename, “Red Iguana”, to try and throw detectives off, then hired Jillian to keep it a secret.

I felt so accomplished knowing that I had solved a mystery. I couldn’t have been happier.

Friday night, Andrew, Lola, Sasha, and I marched right down to Mark’s principal office. We confronted him strongly, and when we were about to leave and tell the news reporters, Mark stopped us. We turned around just in time to see Mark pull a rope behind one of his fake walls. The next thing I knew, I was hanging upside down, helpless.

Mark said that he’d never let us go to keep us from telling his secret. We hung there for hours until Mark left the room for just enough time to let Andrew slip a knife out of his jean pocket. He cut the rope, and, well, we pretty much fell to the ground head first.

When we tried to escape, Mark was in the doorway, and that was when I was so glad I had chosen to go to a school for spies. We fought for a long time-thirty minutes to an hour.

He smashed things.

We pushed.

He shot bullets through the ceiling.

We snuck, kicked, and hid.

The fight went back and forth until Andrew finally pinned Mark down and he surrendered.

A week later, the newspapers and T.V.’s were full of the mystery I had help solve, and I couldn’t be more proud of my friends. Both Mark and Jillian went to jail, and were not to return for a long time. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this whole thing, it’s that sometimes, mysteries don’t solve themselves. You have to think for yourself, be on your guard at all times, and most importantly, notice everything.


Biography

Kailey Fontan is a twelve year old girl who lives in Flushing, Michigan. She attends Flushing Middle School where she is a straight A student. Kailey has an older sister, a younger brother, and a dog. She has enjoyed writing since she was in the fourth grade. In her spare time, she also enjoys ice skating, and playing the flute and violin. Kailey loves to create, whether it is in her writing, art work, cake decorating, or interior design. Kailey has written many short stories and a novel and is looking forward to the rest of her writing career.

Radio Interview With Award-Winning Author Renee Hand On A Book and a Chat

Hello Everyone,

I will be a guest on “A Book and a Chat ” on March 31st – 6:30pm EST talking about my new book in the Joe-Joe Nut Series, Mineral Mischief which will be coming out here in April. You can listen to it at
 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond and can even call in and ask me questions if you would like as well. I will also be on several blog book tours in April as well as in May offering some great giveaways. So please make sure you check it out. Thank you so much!

Renee


* Beware the time is EST, please make changes to fit in your own time zone

Qdoba Book Signing for Children in Grand Blanc

If anyone is in the area of Grand Blanc, Michigan, I will be at Qdoba's  restaurant on Saturday March 26th starting at noon to talk about and sign my new children's book, Do You Have Ants In Your Pants That Make You Dance? They are having lots of activities for kids from 11-2pm where kids will eat free, plus children can watch how guacamole is made and get involved in other activities. I look forward to seeing you there. Thanks everyone!

 Renee

Review for How the Gods Created the Finger People by Elizabeth Moore and Alice Couvillon

How the Gods Created the Finger People by Elizabeth Moore and Alice Couvillon

Pelican Publishing; Bilingual edition
March 3, 2011
1589808894
978-1589808898
32 Pages
Ages 4–8
Juvenile Fiction     Country and Ethnic       Fairy Tales/Folk Lore       Picture Book


Both Elizabeth Moore and Alice Couvillon graduated from Newcomb College. Couvillon later earned a master of arts in teaching from Tulane University and has been a teacher at Mandeville High School for more than two decades. They are also the coauthors of Pelican's Mimi's First Mardi Gras, Mimi and Jean-Paul's Cajun Mardi Gras, Louisiana Indian Tales, Evangeline for Children, and Ancient Mounds of Watson Brake: Oldest Earthworks in North America. Moore and Couvillon reside in Covington, Louisiana. Luz-Maria Lopez received her B.A. from Southeastern Louisiana University, where she was selected as the Outstanding Graduate by the visual arts department. She was commissioned by the university to create artwork depicting the native peoples of the Americas. Her work has appeared in galleries and museums across the country. Lopez lives in Covington, Louisiana.


Reviewer: Renee Hand


How the Gods Created the Finger People is a delightful tale about the creation of humankind.


This story begins with a girl named Luz-Maria who grew up in Honduras where she smelled the intoxicating orange blossoms from the grove every day. She grew up with her grandmother telling her stories about her Mayan ancestors. Some were fables to teach Luz-Maria about right from wrong, but they were stories she would always remember.

The fable begins with the Mayan Gods. One day they grew sad. They had created many beautiful things—trees, flowers of all colors, birds with beautiful song, as well as beasts of all kinds—but the Gods were lonely.

Wanting something to love, they decided to create the first human. They did this out of clay, but this new human would have to undergo some tests to see if it could live through water and fire. So they ran water over him. Of course, the clay figure melted away.

That wouldn’t do, so they tried something else and made man out of wood. Man passed the water test by floating, but when it came to making it through fire, POOF! Man turned into a pile of ashes.

It took the God of Gold to recommend that man be made out of gold which could withstand water and fire. Everyone agreed so they made man out of gold. The problem was that the man would not eat or relish in his surroundings.

The Good-Hearted God recommended that man should be made by them, of them, so that he could have feelings. So they used their own fingers to create man, and man began to flourish, but man didn’t want to be tested by water and fire. To catch them would be but impossible to do.

So the Gods decided to rest. But the humans decided to make friends with the man made out of gold and give him something that all humans need to be happy. Can you guess what that was?

This 32-page picture book is similar to many tales around the world about how humans were created. The illustrations are well done with their great detail and dancing colors. This book is written in English, as well as Spanish. Those who love fables specific to certain countries and cultures will find this one a delightful addition to their library.

Book Review for Lily Hates Goodbye by Jerilyn Marler to All My Military Friends

Lily Hates Goodbye by Jerilyn Marler

CreateSpace
March 8, 2011
146096070X
978-146960707
32 Pages
Ages 4–8
Children’s Military Picture Book

Reviewer: Renee Hand



Lily Hates Goodbyes is an ideal book in helping children deal with the feelings that exist when having a parent who deploys into the military for long periods of time.


Lily Hates Goodbyes is about a child named Lily who has a father in the military. It feels to her that he’s gone for a billion days, though in reality he’s really not. Her daddy says that when she looks at the moon, he’s looking at it too, thinking about her. Her mother says that daddy can hear everything Lily says to the moon, so she talks to the moon and blows it a kiss.

Sometimes, Lily gets angry about her daddy’s long absence, but mother says that it’s okay to feel angry, and sometimes she feels angry too. Lily draws many pictures of what is going on around her and places them into a box so her daddy can look at them when he returns home.

She puts stickers on a calendar to remind her of her daddy’s return, finding ways to cope. She receives a letter in the mail, which excites her, from her daddy. Her mother reads it to her and she puts it away to read for later.

Lily goes through a series of emotions. She also feels stubborn and mean when her daddy’s gone. But her mother says that it’s okay to feel that way and that sometimes she feels that way too. So, Lily will play with the things that make her happy because she knows that it will please her daddy. He wouldn’t want her to be mean or stubborn. He wants her to be happy.

Lily finds various ways to cope that will help her until her daddy returns and makes everything in her life seem right again. Will she be able to hold it together with the help of her wise mother?

This 32-page picture book allows children to express their feelings about a parent being absent from home. Sometimes an adult cannot see the impact they have on a child with the actions they do, until their child lashes out. Men and women in the military is something that we appreciate greatly for it protects our freedoms, but we sometimes don’t see the impacts it has on their own families.

Lily Hates Goodbyes, gives parents a tool to help their children cope with their absence, and reinstates that though they are away, their children are never far from their minds and that they will come home to them. They are never forgotten.

This book also includes suggestions on how to use the book to get the best out of it for each parent’s situation.

Superstitions and Old Wives' Tales-Happy St. Patrick's Day

I thought I would be different today. Curious about superstitions after watching an Irish movie I thought I would mention some. These are not necessarily Irish but they're interesting anyway.

Hair Superstitions:

The 'crowning glory' is one of the most indestructible parts of the body. As such, a sudden loss of hair is unlucky, forecasting a decline in health, loss of property or failure in business, or the death of a closely related child. Red hair is associated with fiery-tempered people (e.g. Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth I); black and dark brown hair indicate strength; fair hair implies timidity. On a man, if the hair grows low on the forehead and back above the temples he will have a long life; if a woman's hair grows in a low point on her forehead ('widow's peak') she will outlive her husband. If a woman suddenly develops curls on her forehead her man has not long to live.


Lank hair = a cunning nature; Curly hair = good natured, full of fun; Long hair = strength (e.g. Samson) and luck.

It is said to be unlucky to have your hair cut when the moon is in the wane as this will cause it to fall out and lose its lustre. Cutting your own hair will tempt fate. To determine your future: set fire to some strands of your hair - cut them off first!. If they burn brightly, you are in for a long life. If they splutter and smoulder, it is said to be a death omen. Never pull out grey hairs, for one will be replaced by ten. It has often been believed that a sudden fright can turn hair white.


Eyes superstitions:
Are the 'windows to the soul' and the colour leads to differing beliefs.


Dark blue eyes = delicate and refined souls; Light blue or grey eyes = strong and healthy ones; Green eyes = hardy souls; Hazel eyes = vigorous, deep-thinking folk.

Itching eyes: if the right eye tickles, it's lucky, and vice versa. Theocritus has it, 'My right eye itches now and I shall see my love.'

'Trust not the man whose eyebrows meet,

For in his heart you'll find deceit.'

SNEEZING


Or 'a little death' (in places where it is believed the soul momentarily leaves the body with the sneeze). We still use the expression 'Bless you' (short for 'God Bless You'). This stems from the times when a sneeze could mean the plague, viz. 'Coughs and sneezes spread diseases'.

Sneeze 'once for a wish, twice for a kiss, three for a letter, four for something better'. In Scotland, a newborn child is said to remain under 'the fairy spells' until it has sneezed for the first time. It was also believed that an idiot could not sneeze, so that a child's first sneeze was important. If you sneeze when talking you are telling the truth (America); three sneezes before breakfast means you will receive a present during the day (Germany); any sneeze is an indication that someone, somewhere, is saying nice things about you (Japan). It is very lucky to sneeze at exactly the same time as someone else you are with.


COUGHING meant the unexpected entry of a devil into a person who had been telling lies or carrying out misdemeanours of some kind.


HICCUPS are caused by someone who dislikes you complaining to someone else. The only way to stop them is to guess the name of the person maligning you.



YAWNING

Can lead to evil spirits entering the body unless you cover your mouth with your hand; it is a sign that Death is calling to you, and you must snap your second finger and thumb (American Indian).

A SHIVER means that someone is walking over your (eventual) grave.

LAUGH before breakfast and it will end in tears before supper; to laugh excessively shows that the person is possessed and that his days are numbered.

An English country superstition says that it is bad luck to throw any water out of the house after nightfall because it has long been regarded as a deterrent to the denizens of the night and by throwing it out you are weakening your protection during the hours of darkness.


'They that wash on Monday, have the whole week to dry.

They that wash on Tuesday, are not so much awry.

They that wash on Wednesday, will get their clothes so clean.

They that wash on Thursday, are not so much to mean.

They that wash on Friday, wash for their need.

But they that wash on Saturdays are dirty folks indeed.'

alternatively:

'They that wash on Monday,

Have all the week to dry.

They that wash on Tuesday,

Are not so much awry.

They that wash on Wednesday,

Are not so much to blame.

They that wash on Thursday,

Wash for shame.

They that wash on Friday,

Wash in need.

They that wash on Saturday,

Oh, they are slow indeed!'

DINING TABLE: when rising from the table take care not to upset your chair, for this is a sign that you have lied at some time during your conversation. Anyone who lies down on a table will die within a year; any engaged girl who sits on a table while talking to her fiancé risks losing him; it is unlucky to change your position at the table after a place has been allocated to you; to place your chair back against the wall or fold your napkin after a meal at a fiend's home will prevent you ever visiting there again (America).

FIREPLACE: a fire that roars up the chimney = an omen of an argument or a storm; sparks clinging to the back of the chimney are a sign of important news in the offing; a sudden fall of soot presages bad weather or a disaster of some kind. Coal (a symbol of fire) is lucky and small pieces were often carried in the pocket. Its use in the tradition of 'first footing' on New Year's Eve is well known.

MIRRORS AND LOOKING-GLASSES: to break one will result in seven years bad luck. Early man, on seeing his image reflected in water, believed it represented his soul and should anything disturb this image then his own life was in danger. Mirrors have always been closely associated with magic. Mirrors are covered over with cloth in the room where someone has died for fear that anyone who sees himself in the glass will similarly die.

STAIRCASE: it is unlucky to pass anyone on the stairs (cross your fingers if you do so). Stairways symbolized the means of ascending to the abode of the gods and it was dangerous to trespass; also, early stairways were very narrow and two people passing each other left themselves open to attack from behind. Stumbling on the staircase is said to be a good omen and may indicate a wedding in the household before long.

UPSTAIRS: do not sing in bath as this will lead to sorrow before evening; any young girl who persistently splashes herself or her clothes when washing will end up with a husband who is a drunk. Get out of bed the right side. The left-hand side is associated with the Devil; but, if you can't avoid it, put your right sock and shoe on first. You will always get the best night's sleep if your bed is positioned in a north-south direction with your head to the south - this will ensure a long life. To be rich, point your head to the east; to travel widely, the west. It is unlucky to put a hat on the bed (America).

HOUSEWORK: china ornaments of animals should never be placed so that they face a door for they will allow the luck to run out of the house. It is unlucky to sweep any dust or waste material directly out of the house, as this will carry the good luck with it. Sweep such waste into the centre of the room, collect it up in a pan and then carry the lot out of doors to avoid any repercussions. A new broom should always be used the first time to sweep something into the house, to symbolize luck. Never buy any new brush in May; as the Romans decreed May to be the month of death:

'If you buy a broom or brush in May

You'll sweep the head of the household away.' and it was said that to gather broom, which they believed was a magical plant of phallic significance, might well endanger the life of the man who performed the act. The phallic significance is also evident in an English country belief that a young girl who walks over a broomstick will become pregnant before she marries.


For more check out http://www.whimsy.org.uk/superstitions.html

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

New Bookstore in Town

Here is a new on-line bookstore that sells, not only children's books, but toys too. Her link is also on my sidebar. Anyone who buys books through it using my code will get free shipping. My books are available through her as well. Being an author, I always enjoy supporting the independent bookstores. I am so glad I ran across this one. It has some unique items.

SlimyBookworm.com is a new online children’s bookstore with the goal of being “The Destination for Books Kids Love!” This online bookstore stocks titles for children age zero to twelve on a wide range of genre. Also available are parenting books and toys based on popular children’s books characters.


SlimyBookworm.com aims to replicate the feel of walking into your neighborhood independent bookstore where you can browse titles, have your questions answered on what books would make a good gift for a child by filling out the Book/Gift Selection form on the homepage. You then get back a personalized hand-picked selection of the most appropriate children’s books.

Books are presented clutter-free with time-pressed parents and shoppers in mind “Our Gift Selection Service has been well received for it’s time saving benefits for busy parents and relatives not conversant with children literature looking to buy children’s books,” states Bola Ajumobi, founder of Slimy Bookworm.

Slimy Bookworm is committed to improving literacy in children and cultivating lifelong Readers and to this end will be donating up to 20% of profits to fund literacy efforts in the inner cities of the US and oversees.

The website offers free shipping to anywhere in the United States with orders over $45. Gift wrapping services are also available for just $1.99.

Slimy Bookworm and its website, SlimyBookworm.com, an online children’s bookstore founded in 2010 with a mission to cultivate lifelong readers. The bookstore serves children from age zero to twelve with a wide selection of books to suit every interest.

Slimy Bookworm is owned by Bola Ajumobi and she can be reached at (909) 499-3734 or at Bola@SlimyBookworm.com. You can also visit the website at http://www.slimybookworm.com/

Book Review For Energy Island by Allan Drummond

Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World by Allan Drummond

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
March 1, 2011
0374321841
978-0374321840
40 Pages
Ages 4–8
Children’s Science, History & Historical Fiction Picture Book

Allan Drummond studied illustration at the Royal College of Art in London. His many books include Tin Lizzie, a Green Earth Honor Book. He lives in Savannah, Georgia, where he is Chair of Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Reviewer: Renee Hand

Energy Island is an inspiring story that demonstrates how a normal everyday community can pull together to reach energy independence.

Samsø Island is an island in the middle of Denmark. It is an island similar to most in Denmark: It has fields and farms where farmers raise livestock and grow crops. It has a harbor with fishing boats. And the inhabitants use just as much electricity as other places. But what makes this island unique is the fact that it’s very windy there.

Then one day, a change occurs in this community. The Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy chooses Samsø as the ideal place in Denmark to become independent of nonrenewable energy resources. The man to head up the huge task is a teacher named Soren Hermansen. With the help and ideas of some children, they figure that wind will be the best source of energy for them to use because it is abundant (and free) in their little corner of the world.

So they begin there, but getting everyone in the community on board is an even harder task, until a few people take a chance on an idea of a wind turbine. There is one small idea, and one really big idea. Jorgen Tranberg has put in a huge turbine near his farm. People are still skeptical of what he is doing, until one stormy night when the power went out. Through the storm, Jorgen is the only one who has power and is officially energy independent.

People start to change their minds after that, especially because the island has frequent power outages because of the wind. Suddenly, Soren Hermansen is busier than ever. Many energy projects begin to pop up, including the use of other renewable resources. Eventually, Samsø changes its future, becoming a leader in energy independence.

This is a true story. The illustrations are well done throughout the book and include sections where more information and description is given about various topics, such as saving energy, energy in the world, nonrenewable energy, and renewable energy. These sections give the reader more of an understanding.

This 40-page picture book inspires other communities all over the world to look at their potential regarding energy independence.

Energy Island is the first in the series of picture books about innovative green projects initiated by communities around the world. The next book in the series is about Greensburg, Kansas, where everything is looking green.

I Am Guest Posting Tomorrow!!!!

Hello Everyone,
I am guest posting on the following blog where readers can learn a little more about me and the things I like as a person and writer. Thank you so much, Shah. I look forward to reading any comments anyone has. Have a great day!

http://wordsinsync.blogspot.com/2011/03/feature-thursday-wordsinsync-shone-its_10.html?showComment=1299710459239#c2317344424898804908

Talented Writer's Showcase-1

For the next several weeks I am going to be posting stories from some very talented children. Throughout the year I will run various kinds of writer's workshops and do school events. Through my 25 years of writing I have discovered some great tips and tricks that can help children become better writer's. I always give an opportunity for the children in my workshops to send me a story. Each story will have a bio attached to it of the writer. Many of these children are from elementary schools or middle schools. Please visit and leave comments. They will be checking them throughout the day and weeks to come. Hope everyone will enjoy the talents of these budding authors.

My name is Emily and I am 10 years old. I’m in the 5th grade and I love science, social studies, and reading time. My favorite color is green. I love Halloween and Christmas. I came up with the title Granny’s Missing Glasses because my Grandma wears glasses. So I mixed it up and I wanted her in my story too! I had a fun time writing it and reading it at my school’s Writer’s Spotlight.

The Case of Granny’s Missing Glasses

Ring,!Ring!
"Hello?" Granny said.
"Granny, where are you?”
"At home doing laundry, why?"
"I’ll tell you when you get here.”
"Where’s it at?"
"11 mile road on little Mack."
"Be right there." Vroom! Vroom! Errk!
"I’m here, what’s the problem, Diana?"
"I found a cryptogram, it says…'Dear Mrs. Rachel'"
"That’s me," Granny said. "Keep reading."
"Ok, well, you need to figure out this cryptogram cause there’s something important you need to know. Enjoy.” Granny solved it as she bolted down the street.
Jason read it out loud. it said, "Meet me on 16 tomorrow. Granny, you better go.”
"I know! Don’t worry, let's all go home and go to sleep." So Granny and all of the other kids jumped in bed and fell asleep.
Beep! Beep! Beep! The alarm went off. They got up, got dressed. Granny reached over for her glasses. They weren’t there. She looked up, down, around, under her bed, all around the house. She screamed, "Diana! Jason! Come here!"
Stomp, Stomp, Stomp! Diana and Jason bolted up stairs. "My glasses are gone.”
"What?"
"My glasses..."
"No, no, no! Don’t repeat it. I can’t believe this happened. Where gonna fix this and where gonna fix this now." Diana and Jason are detectives so they left right away. “Hop in the car guys, we're going where the guy said.” It took them an hour to get there. They arrived at 7:00pm. As soon as they got out of the car there were stains on the cement that were purple. They looked up and Jimmy was right in front of them.
“What do you want?”
"Wanna play basketball?"
 “NO! We're busy."
"Whatever!” Jimmy left. When they appeared at the glasses store they walked in the doors and stopped in their tracks. “Excuse me! Excuse me!” Everybody stopped working and stared at Granny. “Have you seen some purple glasses?”
"Ya... sure...yes! A person just walked out with some glasses. They went to the lake." Granny, Diana, and Jason all ran to the car. They drove to the lake. When they got out of the car they looked around.
“Hey Granny, look, a cryptogram."
"Well, open it up."
It said, “Look over by the bridge.' Good job, Granny.”

“Well, where’s the bridge at?”
Diana said, “Over there!”
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” It was just a few seconds to walk to the bridge.
“Umm….. Jason, come here.”
“What?”
“Is this fingerprint supposed to be here?”
“No, Granny! Look !”
“Oh my!” Granny said. “So, get a Ziploc bag and the cutups out.” Diana took the cutup and wiped it. Then put it in the bag.
“Nice” Jason said while staring right at the bag. “Well, what else could there be?”
“Look over there!”
“Over where?”
“Over there by the boats.They could of went on one of the boats. Let’s go!” While they where walking they kept seeing purple stains.
Again, Diana said, “Jason!” Sometimes Jason just wonders off like he’s in a magical land “JASON!”
“What?”
“Come here, now. Why are there purple stains? Wait, is that paint?
Diana said, “I got it! They might have been painting the glasses over again to make it look like nothing was scratched off.”
“Great job, Diana!”
“Thank you!” They followed the purple stains and it lead to the boats!
“Ok, we’re here.” Diana looked. What she saw was a shadow that looked completely vicious. She slowly walked to the shadow and turned on the lights. “Excuse me?” Diana said. The chair spun around. “Aunt Angie? Why are you wearing Granny’s glasses?”
“You know I always come to the boat launch and read.”
“Granny!”
“What?”
“Aunt Angie was wearing your glasses.”
“Oh, my word!” Granny said. “Let me see your thumb, Aunt Angie.” She matched it up with the finger print and … boom, it matched. They had a couple of laughs and it was completed. Everybody high- fived saying, “Nice job!” They went home and started getting ready for the next mystery.

BY: Emily

Book Review for Believe by Pattie Welek Hall

Believe by Pattie Welek Hall

Pattie is a spiritualist dedicated to the heart of healing. She resides in Charleston, SC and shares her life's journey with her son, Casey, her daughter, Annie, and her dog, Emme.

Believe is a great example of believing in something you cannot see, but knowing it exists in your heart.

Believe is a simple story about the loss of a loved one. Oma let's a bunch of balloons go. They begin to rise swiftly to the sky. Her grandchild wonders why her grandmother would do this, especially because she is crying. Oma explains that at an early age her son went to heaven, and that today was his birthday. The child begins to ask many question that are very hard to answer. Oma admits that some days she still cries over her son's death. It is hard to lose a loved one.  But, even though that our loved ones are no longer on Earth, they will never leave our hearts. What brings peace, is remembering the good times, their laughter, their uniqueness, the lessons they came to teach us, and the gifts they leave behind. The balloons were a gift to her son, to remind the angels to throw a party for him. And in Oma's heart--- he received them.

Believe is a powerful, comforting, 53-page, picture book that simply explains to a child about loss, and brings them hope that their loved ones are in a better place. The book is perfect for children who are 4-8 years of age and who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

The book is available in Spanish as well, Creer. A portion of the sales of the book will be donated to the Casa de Santa Maria, in San Luis, Colorado, whose mission is to heal broken hearts, offer clarity of purpose and bring comfort, peace, and joy to the soul. www.casadesantamaria.org

For more info about the author, check out her website at www.pattiwelekhall.com