Friday, December 6, 2013

Books about St. Nicholas' Day

December 6 is St. Nicholas' Day. Check out the following children's books about this legendary man.

A Special St. Nicholas Day Paperback – December 6, 2011

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Holiday Picture Book Reading List

Check out this great collection of holiday picture books. Thanks, Kimberly!
http://kimberlykunkel.com/read-your-way-to-christmas-day/#comment-10


Monday, December 2, 2013

Cinnamon Baker by Jennifer S. Burrows

My latest e-picture book is for sale today at MeeGenius. Click the link below for a sample of the story.





Cinnamon Baker 
Cinnamon is the youngest Baker and she can't wait to find out what her specialty 
baked item will be. But when her bread is harder than rocks and her bagels are 
tougher than cardboard, will Cinnamon ever feel like a real Baker? 

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Rochester Children's Book Festival 2013

17th Annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival

Saturday, November 16, 2013

10am – 4pm

Click on link below for details.
http://www.rochesterchildrensbookfestival.com/


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Most Beautiful Available as a Digital Book

Most Beautiful is now available on iBooks as a digital book at http://www.rfwp.com/ or by searching "Royal Fireworks Publishing" into iBooks in iTunes. Yay!


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Publishing News...

I have a couple pieces of news to report about my writing career.

The Neon Tiki Tribe (recent winners of the Mom's Choice Award) asked me to join their team as a writer. I’m thrilled to be a part of what they’re doing! Their stories are action packed with a positive moral message. Check them out at http://neontikitribe.com/. They’re offering a free app right now. Get it while you can!


One of my picture book manuscripts has been accepted for e-publication by MeeGenius, http://www.meegenius.com/The book should be out by Christmas. I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

This month I read a mid-grade novel that was made into a movie. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is a fantastical story based on the Cinderella story. The book garnered a nomination for the Newbery Award in 1998. It didn’t win, but I bet it was a close second. The story is clever and witty and digs deep into the classic Cinderella story, answering the question: why did Cinderella obey her step-mother and step-sisters.



The day Ella was born, a fairy named Lucinda gave her the gift of obedience. Lucinda did not intend for the gift to be a curse, but it was. Ella had no choice but to obey any command given to her. “Stop crying.” “Go to bed.” “Hop on one foot.”

After Ella’s mother dies, her father sends her to finishing school, where Ella is tormented by her future step-sisters. Ella embarks on a quest to find Lucinda and break the curse. In the end, she finds out that she had the power to break the curse all along. She just needed love, a power greater than the curse.

I recommend this book to 4th graders and fairy tale lovers of all ages.

List of Recommended Books by Grade:
Picture books
Alphabet Puke—Monsters’ Medicine A-Z by Quinn Cole

2nd grade –
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Miss Holly Is Too Jolly, by Dan Gutman
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Time Warp Trio #1: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

3rd grade –
Who Is J.K. Rowling? By Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

4th grade –
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Book of Think (Or How to Solve a Problem Twice Your Size) by Marilyn Burns
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Louisiana's Song by Kerry Madden
The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The Golly Whopper Games by Jody Feldman

5th grade –
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Benjamin Pratt & The Keeper of the School by Andrew Clements
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

6th grade –
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Dewey, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

7th grade and up –
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byers
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Seventeen Second Miracle, by Jason F. Wright

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Book of Think by Marilyn Burns


This month I read a nonfiction book for mid-grade readers. The Book of Think (Or How to Solve a Problem Twice Your Size) written by Marilyn Burns and published by Little Brown and Company is a book about stimulating your brain and thinking outside the box.
 

Are your kids sitting on the couch playing video games or watching TV too much this summer? Do you need some activities to get them moving and thinking? Marilyn Burns’ book is just what you need. The book is full of activities about getting to know yourself and your brain that will inspire deep cognitive processes. The kids will have fun and you’ll know that their brains are getting some exercise over the summer.

I recommend this book to 4th and 5th graders and thinkers of all ages.

List of Recommended Books by Grade:

Picture books
Alphabet Puke—Monsters’ Medicine A-Z by Quinn Cole
 
2nd grade –
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Miss Holly Is Too Jolly, by Dan Gutman
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Time Warp Trio #1: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

3rd grade –
Who Is J.K. Rowling? By Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

4th grade –
The Book of Think (Or How to Solve a Problem Twice Your Size) by Marilyn Burns
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Louisiana's Song by Kerry Madden
The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The Golly Whopper Games by Jody Feldman

5th grade –
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Benjamin Pratt & The Keeper of the School by Andrew Clements
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

6th grade –
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Dewey, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

7th grade and up –
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byers
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Seventeen Second Miracle, by Jason F. Wright

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Who Is J.K. Rowling? By Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso

This month I read a nonfiction book for young readers. The Who Was…? series, published by Grosset & Dunlap, has a few Who Is…? books featuring people who are still alive. I read Who Is J.K. Rowling? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso.



The story tells about Ms. Rowlings’ childhood, personal life, writing life, and Harry Potter, of course. The book is nonfiction, but it’s a modern day Cinderella story. Ms. Rowling struggled to make ends meet and then a decade later she was richer than the Queen of England. Ms. Rowling is not only a gifted writer, she is also a benevolent woman. She gives to charity and lends her support to many organizations that help single mothers and underprivileged people. J. K. Rowling is a fascinating woman living a fascinating life.

I recommend this book to 3rd graders and Harry Potter fans of all ages.

List of Recommended Books by Grade:
Picture books
Alphabet Puke—Monsters’ Medicine A-Z by Quinn Cole

2nd grade –
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Miss Holly Is Too Jolly, by Dan Gutman
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Time Warp Trio #1: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

3rd grade –
Who Is J.K. Rowling? By Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

4th grade –
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Louisiana's Song by Kerry Madden
The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The Golly Whopper Games by Jody Feldman

5th grade –
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Benjamin Pratt & The Keeper of the School by Andrew Clements
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

6th grade –
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Dewey, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

7th grade and up –
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byers
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Seventeen Second Miracle, by Jason F. Wright



Friday, May 3, 2013

Albany Children's Book Festival 2013


I met many talented authors and illustrators at the Albany Children's Book Festival. These are my favorites.


This is Barbara Dee. She has published many mid-grade novels.



Her most recent and very intriguing novel is called Trauma Queen. I'd read this book based in the title alone!


This is Elizabeth Zunon. She is a talented illustrator that has worked on Patricia MacLachlan picture books. Wow!


This is a recent book illustrated by Ms. Zunon. It's called A President From Hawai'i and it's fantastic. I highly recommend this book to readers ages 7-10.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Albany Children's Book Festival 2013

I will be attending the 5th annual Albany Children's Book Festival on April 27, 2013. See the link below.

http://www.albanychildrensbookfestival.com/#!

Come see me there if you can!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Q&A with Quinn Cole

Quinn Cole, the author of Alphabet Puke, answered some questions for me. See below...


How did the name, Alphabet Puke come about?

The working title for the book was G is for Germs and when it was completed I wanted something more memorable. I thought G is for Germs was dull and didn’t portray the monsters’ silliness and their medical adventures. I texted my daughter with a couple of title alternates and asked for ideas. She sent back Alphabet Puke. She said it made her think of alphabet soup with a twist. The publisher loved it and we added the Monsters’ Medicine A-Z subtitle for added description. It was an instant hit with children.

 

What are your hopes for Alphabet Puke?

I imagined creating a story that lessened the stress of illness and medical treatment for children. At first, I pictured robots as the main characters. I love robots. Then I realized that monsters would serve the story better. Monsters are often seen as big and scary by children. I wondered what would scare a monster.

Would they be scared of shots or getting a nosebleed? What would a monster do if he got laryngitis and lost his voice? Did monsters get hiccups or diabetes?

 

Is there some reason why you went with an A-Z format for the book?

When I first started listing the various medical problems children have, I soon realized that I would either have to write a lot about one topic, say allergies, or write a little about a variety of topics. I tried to imagine what one of my four children might want to read if ill with a cold or during a hospital stay. Short and distinct rhyming text, as well as, a format that lent itself to being picked up and put down many times seemed like it would probably hold the attention of a sick child much better than an in-depth story. I know when I’m ill I want something fun and light. I chose the A-Z format to allow for the greatest number of medical descriptions in the text and allow for more illustration opportunities.

Alphabet Puke was created to entertain children during scary or confusing health problems and treatments. 

 
Thank you, Ms. Cole for sharing with us about your picture book!

Friday, March 1, 2013

Alphabet Puke--Monsters' Medicine A-Z by Quinn Cole

I usually recommend books for older readers, but I'm recommending a picture book this month. This is a link to the book trailer. It's a treat and it says it all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn041rgB4rw
 


A quote from the press release: "Even those who quake at the mention of 'medicine' will eagerly follow these friends' adventures as they discover how hiccups happen, fevers flare, warts grow, and more! Alphabet Puke is Monsters Inc meets Dougie Houser, M.D."
 
This book is unique, fun, and for sale Monday! I recommend it to all kids, both young and old.


List of Recommended Books:
 
Picture books
Alphabet Puke—Monsters’ Medicine A-Z by Quinn Cole
2nd grade –
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Miss Holly Is Too Jolly by Dan Gutman
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Time Warp Trio #1: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka
 
3rd grade –
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

4th grade –
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Louisiana's Song by Kerry Madden
The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The Golly Whopper Games by Jody Feldman
 
5th grade –
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Benjamin Pratt & The Keeper of the School by Andrew Clements
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

6th grade –
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Dewey, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
 
7th grade and up –
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byers
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Seventeen Second Miracle, by Jason F. Wright


Friday, February 1, 2013

The Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger


This month I read The Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka. It was published in 1991. I loved this book as much as the first one.

Joe, Fred, and Sam find themselves on a deserted island after Fred inserts the words “buried treasure” into Sam’s All Purpose Time Warper chant. They encounter non-other-than Blackbeard himself, who is a murderer and hilariously unstable. They have several near death experiences with Blackbeard, but convince him that they are valuable. After being taken aboard Blackbeard’s ship, they inadvertently save the day by turning a canon around. It blasts its cannonball into a ship in the Royal Navy, giving it the deathblow. Blackbeard is grateful and takes the boys to get a buried treasure of their own. Luckily, the treasure is the book they need to return home to their own time because Blackbeard, being terribly unstable, has decided they must die, again. They time-warp home just in time.

The Time Warp Trio is a series of books. I must read #3! I HIGHLY recommend this book to 2th or 3rd graders. 

List of Recommended Books by Grade:

2nd grade –
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Miss Holly Is Too Jolly, by Dan Gutman
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Time Warp Trio #1: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

3rd grade –
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

4th grade –
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Louisiana's Song by Kerry Madden
The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The Golly Whopper Games by Jody Feldman
 
5th grade –
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Benjamin Pratt & The Keeper of the School by Andrew Clements
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

6th grade –
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Dewey, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

7th grade and up –
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byers
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Seventeen Second Miracle, by Jason F. Wright