Interview and Review for Nimpentoad

Come and join me as I talk with authors Henry, Josh and Harrison Herz on Stories From Unknown Authors about her book Nimpentoad on http://blogtalkradio.com/storiesfromunknownauthors @ 6pm EST today.

Paperback: 34 pages

Publisher: Birch Tree Publishing (Feb. 10, 2012)

ISBN-10: 0615602746

ISBN-13: 978-0615602745

Website:  www.nimpentoad.com

Review:
Nimpentoad is similar to Lord of the Rings, yet with no gruesome details. The characters must find alternative ways to defeat their enemies. This story has a great leader, a Nibling named Nimpentoad who is smart enough to figure out that being small has its disadvantages. Goofus is a giant who has a hard time doing everyday chores. He can't even read a book without tearing it's pages with his big awkward hands. But to get to Goofus, the Niblings must travel through Grunwald Forest where threats and dangers abound. Encounters with Goblins, Orcs, Neebels, Rhinotaurs and Giant Scorpions are sure to happen. Will the Niblings make it through unscathed to find protection with Goofus?

This story is filled with tons of fantastical elements that will delight children of varying age groups. The emphasis of the story is put upon teamwork, creativity, and leadership. The authors have done a wonderful job creating an adventurous story that not only invites readers to think of the possibilities, but to believe in themselves. Though the Niblings are small, each creature of the forest has a greater purpose, sometimes they just don't see it.

A truly interesting and inspiring 24 page book that will assuredly delight any fantasy lover. 

Bio:
Josh and Harrison Herz are elementary school students who enjoy fantasy stories. Josh’s hobbies include parkour, building with LEGOs, and painting Warhammer miniatures. Harrison plays basketball, and collects Yu-gi-oh cards and KidRobot vinyl figures. Both are big fans of The Lord of the Rings, the annual Comic-Con convention, and have an entrepreneurial bent. With design help from their dad, they started three web-based businesses selling LEGO party favors, custom cast bases for Warhammer, and painted concrete yard sculptures. Henry Herz’s love of the fantasy genre began in elementary school with “Where the Wild Things Are” and “The Lord of the Rings,” and continued by playing Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer. Struck by inspiration one day, Henry began a fun project with his two bright young sons, who share his joy of entering the magical realms of fantasy. Together, they wrote this tale. By day, Henry is a management consultant who also teaches after school enrichment for elementary school children.
Summary:

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A charming tale of the courageous and resourceful little Nimpentoad, who leads his tribe of Niblings through the perilous Grunwald Forest, overcoming obstacles and encountering strange creatures along the way. Kids enjoy the adventure and stunning illustrations. Parents appreciate a positive story that emphasizes teamwork, creativity, and leadership.

Interview with Nicole Borgenicht for The Kids of Dandelion Township

Come and join me as I talk with author Nicole Borgenicht on Stories From Unknown Authors about her book The Kids of Dandelion Township on http://blogtalkradio.com/storiesfromunknownauthors @ 1pm EST today.

Author: Nicole Borgenicht
Illustrator: Lisa M. Giffen
Book: The Kids of Dandelion Township - chapter book for kids
Publisher: Create Space 
ISBN-13:978-1466466401
ISBN-10:1466466405
Author Website: www.nicoleborgenicht.com 
Illustrator Website: www.lisamgriffin.com 
Blog Address: http://lisamgriffin.blogspot.com 
Twitter URL: LisaMGriffinArt 
Facebook URL:http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1175304813 
Facebook Fan Page URL: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-M-Griffin-Illustration/126529427398885


Author Bio:

Nicole Borgenicht is a children's fiction writer. Her most recent picture book is The Bridge published by Publish America. Some of Nicole's other kid's stories have appeared in The Los Angeles Times Kid'sReading Room section, Stories for Children Magazine and LadyBug FlightsMagazine. Additional works comprise poetry and essays, short stories, one actplays or articles  in magazines such as Arts and Entertainment Skyline andAmerican Fitness.

Summary:

The Kids of DandelionTownship is a story about new friends who in the process of discovering magic together, learn about their similar emotions and different cultures. All in the context of a child's day, the kids unravel mysteries of A students, and invent ways to be creative while completing their homework assignments. Preparing the way for children to receive magic, the kids of Dandelion Township wish all children will experience it one day.

Review:

The Kids of Dandelion Township is a chapter book of 5 different events where children of various cultures and backgrounds are free to roam the mystical forests, the meadows, the zoos, and primarily the town, without much interference from adults allowing the children to experience life to its fullest and to come up with their own resolutions.

They use their imaginations to create special moments of understanding for the reader concerning various topics like friendship, bravery, love and getting good grades. The author wants the reader to enjoy unstructered free play and for adults to be able to do the same. Life has become so structured that children are not able to run around and play the way they would like to. This story reminds parents that children need that play time.

One quibble is that some parents might have an issue with the children having no unnecessary parental supervision, allowing the children to do whatever and to go where ever they want, because as all parents know that if you give too much freedom to a child, they will get into trouble because of it. Children of all ages need supervision. This topic was emphasized by the author and sometimes justified, so it somewhat set the stage for a parents approval or dissaproval of it, instead of just allowing the reader to flow with the fact that the story's fiction. Realistically, there needs to be a balance between structure, responsibility and free play in a child's life.

Children of all ages are going to enjoy the magical worlds the children of Dandelion Township create in this 53 page chapter book, and their bonds of friendship which extends beyond the boundaries of  religion and culture.  

The Socialpunk Trilogy by Monica Leonelle Giveaway

Bio:

Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).

Description:

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

***** EXCERPT ******

After playing God for six years with the world he created, he couldn’t control any of his subjects, none at all. Over the years, he had watched them evolve and become the sum of their own choices rather than the sum of his; and for that, he regretted ever giving them life.

A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn’t be published reputably, now or in the future.

Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake—and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder—crushed pills—but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.

He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn’t deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he’d thought. He’d meant for her to have it all—to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.

But he had only given her sadness so far. Instead of creating a strict father, he had given her an abusive one. Instead of creating a loving boyfriend, he had given her a friend who could never love her. And instead of creating a strong, proud mother, he had given her a meek one, who watched the whole thing unfold and did nothing about it.

He looked at his last and final creation sitting in the chair across from him—his own son, not awakened yet. The law forbade him to have any children of his own, so this boy would substitute.

But he had done the unthinkable with this creation—he had bestowed on it his own thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes. He’d given the boy his own mind, his own physical characteristics, his own wants and desires.

He had never done so with any of the others because of the dangers of investing too heavily in any one of his subjects. But who could he kid? He had not stayed objective thus far, watching some of his subjects more closely than others, wishing for the happiness of some at the expense of others. He had become an abomination, a monster of his own doing, who had created subjects only to watch them suffer.

He couldn’t forgive himself; not now, not ever. His eyes lingered on the vial that sat next to his breakfast smoothie, that he’d stowed away for the day when they destroyed all his work, his entire world. He would save it, tuck it away for now, for as long as he could protect them. When things spun out of his control, he would drink it and end himself the way he had ended them.

In the ancient stories, gods frequently gave their sons as gifts. Now, he would give his son as a gift to her, number 3281. So she could be happy in her last months on earth, before they destroyed her with the rest of them.

The author is also having a raffle. Please join in during her book tour to win.
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Review for A Boy Called Duct Tape by Christopher Cloud

A Boy Called Duct Tape by Christopher Cloud

Paperback: 188 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace (April 6, 2012)

ISBN-10: 1470006332

ISBN-13: 978-1470006334

Bio:

Christopher Cloud admits he came to literature late in life. “I was in my 60s before I developed a real interest in writing fiction,” he said. A Boy Called Duct Tape is Cloud’s debut middle-grade novel. It is a first-person account of three Latino children searching for the “lost treasure” of Jesse James.

Cloud began writing children’s fiction after a long career in journalism and public relations. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1967 with a degree in journalism. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist for newspapers in Texas, California, and Missouri. His work has appeared in many national publications, including Time Magazine.

He was employed by Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, as a public relations executive, and later operated his own PR agency. He created the board game Sixth Sense in 2002. The game sold at independent bookstores nationwide.

Cloud said his next project is a young-adult novel. “I have written the first draft of a story I’m calling 16 And In Love,” Cloud said. “This story—like A Boy Called Duct Tape—is multicultural.”

Cloud lives in Joplin, Missouri.


Summary:

Pablo Perez is a 12-year-old poor kid without much going for him. His classmates have dubbed him “Duct Tape” because his tattered discount-store sneakers are held together with…you guessed it, duct tape. He can’t escape the bullying.

Pablo’s luck, however, changes after he finds a $20 gold coin while swimming in a river near his home. Pablo later buys a $1 treasure map at the county fair. The map shows the route to the “lost treasure” of Jesse James. Pablo can’t help but wonder: Is there a link between the map and the gold coin? He is determined to find out, and he, his 9-year-old sister and 13-year-old cousin hire an ill-natured cave guide, and begin a treacherous underground adventure in search of treasure.

Review:

A Boy Called Duct Tape is a fun and suspenseful 203 page story that children in middle school are going to enjoy and look forward to reading over and over again. Christopher Cloud does an excellent job creating a sense of suspense and adventure in the story. Though this reviewer feels the title for this book is wrongly given, it doesn't express what the story is truly about and is not as enticing to the reader as what it could be, the content of the story will certainly satisfy the readers thirst for treasure hunting. The characters of Pia and Pablo are relateable to many children out there, which makes them realistic to the reader. The historical value it provides about Jesse James and his gang, who had lived in the Missouri area, will definetly stimulate a curiosity about some legends of the wild west and how they came to be, having them wonder if there are bits of truth in this fictional tale.

Overall, this story is a wonderful read children are going to enjoy and pass on to their friends.  

   

Radio Interview for Mineral Mischief

Hello Everyone,
I am going to be on The Children's Author Show today to talk about my Joe-Joe Nut Series and the book Mineral Mischief. It will be running all day today. Thanks!

http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShowChildren.html

Interview with Kasey Kellem for Believe

Come and join me as I talk with author Kasey Kellem on Stories From Unknown Authors about their book Believe on http://blogtalkradio.com/storiesfromunknownauthors @ 1pm EST today.

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Description:

Mind Over Matter (M.O.M.) Books are geared towards preschoolers to help them learn how to be resilient. Life comes at us fast and children have to be prepared with the right tools to face the challenges, adversity and obstacles that may become a part of their life. BELIEVE is the first of five books emphasizing the important factors for resiliency. In this book children will learn to BELIEVE in their possibilities!

 

Hardcover: 44 pages

Publisher: Halo Publishing International; 1st edition (2011)

ISBN-10: 1612440398

ISBN-13: 978-1612440392

Review:


Believe is a simply wonderful story that encourages children to believe in themselves and what they can do. No matter what a child's goal is, it is important to know they can accomplish it. The delightful illustrations send the message home to the reader as they turn the 44 pages of this uniquely designed hardcover picture book.

Interview and Book Review For Turtle Without A Home by Sharon Gaston

 

Come and join me as I talk with author Dr. Sharon Gaston and Richard Halttunen on Stories From Unknown Authors about their book Turtle Without A Home on http://blogtalkradio.com/storiesfromunknownauthors @ 6pm EST today.

Summary:

Ted the Turtle searches for the perfect home after his habitat has been polluted. He explores where ants, squirrels, and other animals live in nature. This children's book exposes children to environmental issues, such as turtle conservation, ecosystems, and litter prevention.     

For purchasing info, please check out the following site:  http://www.turtlewithoutahome.com/ 

Review:

Turtle Without a Home is a simply told story about how polluted habitats affect various types of animals. Ted the turtle wandered everywhere to find a new home after his pond was polluted, and he found it at an elementary school who had created a habitat to observe and take care of. Children will enjoy the new friends Ted makes along his journey as well as how schools can help create various animals habitats.

There are some powerful messages in this book that children will be able to learn from. Though a quibble would be that I think it would've also have been beneficial for the reader to see how the characters could've helped clean up the old habitat and return it to it's natural state, instead of just creating a new one to replace it. Though creating a new one certainly helps the animals survive and flourish, and gives the students a place to learn so they could help the animals in the future. Otherwise, this story did get it's message across on the importance of protecting the environment. Children will enjoy reading this 34 page hardcover picture book. Parents will enjoy the extended questions in the back as well as the word study.