TRUCKER KID (Capstone, June 2023) From Amazon:"Although Athena misses her truck-driving daddy when he's on the road, she thinks he has the most amazing job in the world. She loves showing off her love of all things trucking. But her classmates don't quite get her or why she calls herself Trucker Kid. Can Athena change their… Continue reading TRUCKER KID: A Picture Book Review, Author Interview, and Giveaway!
I'm pleased to have Elliott Kurta return to my blog. He is now a busy sophomore so I appreciate him taking time from his studies and volunteer work to share his thoughts about Rosie Woods in Little Red Writing Hood.Audience: 1st – 5th graders; teachersIn 3 Words: imaginative, bite-sized, funnyOne Sentence Synopsis: Rosie Woods explores the five… Continue reading ROSIE WOODS IN LITTLE RED WRITING HOOD: Book Review and Author Interview by Guest Blogger Elliott Kurta
To follow up on Georgie Bartlett's review of THE MEMORY QUILT, (Monarch Educational Services, 2024) here are author and illustrator interviews, a teen review, PLUS more!INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LORI KEATINGCAROL: What were your hopes for this The Memory Quilt?LORI: I see The Memory Quilt as a catalyst that sparks deep conversations about death with children. My… Continue reading Q & A with the Author & the Illustrator of THE MEMORY QUILT + A Teen Review + A Giveaway
Today it is my pleasure to introduce a new teen blogger, Janelle Ekpo. The last time I saw Janelle she was about eight--but now she's in high school and a fantastic writer. I trust you'll enjoy her debut book review and her interview with the author, Gretchen Woelfle -- no stranger to my blog. REVIEWIf there were more… Continue reading HOW BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BECAME a REVOLUTIONARY in SEVEN (Not-So-Easy) STEPS : Review & Interview by Guest Blogger Janelle Ekpo
This must be the season for new picture books because my email box is full of books waiting to be reviewed. I'm happy to share one by author and self-proclaimed backyard explorer, Sue Heavenrich. The Pie That Molly Grew (Sleeping Bear Press: 2023) combines the rhythm of the nursery rhyme, This is the House that Jack Built with the… Continue reading THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW: A Picture Book Review and Mini-Author Interview
I always enjoy sharing my writing friend's new books and am happy to tell you about Jolene Gutiérrez's sensitive picture book, TOO MUCH! An Overwhelming Day (Abrams Books). The book which is beautifully illustrated by Angel Chang, is coming out on August 1 and can be preordered here. Remember! Preorders are one way you help authors get the… Continue reading TOO MUCH! A PICTURE BOOK REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND MORE!
As I mentioned in a previous post, the summer issue of Talking Story is on wordplay. Today and in my next blog I will share two books written by Charles Ghigna, our author-expert for that issue. (Spoiler alert: In the next blog I'm reviewing his newest anthology THE FATHER GOOSE TREASURY OF POETRY and in the… Continue reading A POEM IS A FIREFLY: A REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW, and A GIVEAWAY
From the moment the reader opens this book, she will know that Jeanette Rankin was a hard worker. As a teenager, Jeannette was someone who was as quick to help a hurt horse as she was to help her mother care for her six younger siblings. She was a "take-charge" girl.REVIEWJeannette grew up in Montana, but… Continue reading A TAKE-CHARGE GIRL Blazes Her Way To Congress: The Story of Jeannette Rankin. A REVIEW, 2 INTERVIEWS, and a GIVEAWAY
In April, Elliott Kurta reviewed Doreen Berger's science fiction middle-grade novel, The Captain's Daughters. In this post, he reviews the sequel and interviews the author.REVIEWIn Beyond the Stars by Doreen Berger, twin sisters, and troublemakers Robin and Diane are back, this time with a new friend. In this adventure, their father has asked them to welcome a… Continue reading BEYOND THE STARS: MG Book Review, Author Interview, and Giveaway with Guest Blogger, Elliott Kurta
Have you ever wondered what the difference was between toads and frogs? Or, maybe as a child you were curious about how frogs ate. Or, maybe your kid wants to know the different sounds that frogs make.Whatever your question is about frogs, Annette Whipple's new "Truth About" book from Reycraft Books will answer it. With… Continue reading RIBBIT! THE TRUTH ABOUT FROGS: A Nonfiction Picture Book Review and Mini- Author Interview