August 24th, KKCO News 11, Today, Book Talk, Back to School

     
      As the new school year arrives, educators and parents often wonder about what books there are that help remind kids about building relationships or friendships, community, empathy and working together. Our complicated fast paced lives are easily filled with negative news and over reaction. Good people and their actions are easily forgotten unless we are in the middle of a crisis.  On KKCO, News11, Today with Terri Chappell, I shared two picture books that remind us that we and our children have choices on how we look at and interact with our world.

GOOD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE by Lynea Gillen

     Author, Lynea Gillen knows that young children are very impressionable. Lynea's thirty years as an educator and counselor are the spine of her first children's book, GOOD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.  Simply and perfectly stated, Lynea uses her masterful writing skills to touch the readers hearts reminding them "goodness" exists everywhere in our daily lives.  Kristina Swarner's soft and colorful illustrations sew the author's voice and text to them creating a satisfying child-friendly book that is sure to become a favorite read aloud at home or in a classroom. Written for children 3 and up, GOOD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE is a much needed and subtle reminder to be mindful on how to look at the world and sharing that message with our children.

I rate this book a four apple book, great read. Easy to read aloud, the wonderful text and illustrations will touch the child and adult, alike.

    GOOD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE is for children of both genders, ages three and up. 

    The themes in this book are goodness, working together to make the world a better place, and empowerment.

    You can learn more about Lynea,this children's book and her other award winning materials at: Lynea's Website.

     You can find GOOD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE through the publisher, THREE PEBBLE PRESS or your local book store can order this book for you.  On the West Slope of Colorado, our local independent seller is Grand Valley Books. In addition it can be found online. 

THE LUNCH THIEF by Anne C. Bromley

     Observing real life situations with children, author, Anne C. Bromley utilizes her teaching experience to successfully write THE LUNCH THIEF, a book with multiple themes. With first rate observation and delivery, Anne focuses on the tricky subjects of responding instead of reacting, and hunger.  Believable characters carry this story portraying how easy it can be misunderstand others and situations. Illustrator, ROBERT CASILLA delivers the message in his strong use of point of view, line, and color that create additional emotional impact. For late elementary and middle grade readers and teachers, THE LUNCH THIEF shares difficult themes without being preachy.

I rate this book a four apple book, good - great read. I like how the author and illustrator were able to handle difficult subjects and making the story feel real.


THE LUNCH THIEF is for children of both genders, ages eight through middle school.

The themes in this book are responding appropriately, doing what is right, judgement, hunger, and kindness.

    You can learn more about Anne and her book at: Anne's Website.

     You can find THE LUNCH THIEF through the publisher, TILBURY HOUSE PUBLISHERS or your local book store can order this book for you.  On the West Slope of Colorado, our local independent seller is Grand Valley Books. In addition it can be found online. 

TO ENTER MY BOOK GIVE AWAY, PLEASE CHECK THE BOX ON THE RIGHT SIDE FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO ENTER.  SEPTEMBER 11TH IS THE DATE FOR THE NEXT DRAWING.  GOOD LUCK!

August 9th, KKCO News 11, Today, Summer Reads, Mysteries

 TO ENTER MY BOOK GIVE AWAY, PLEASE CHECK THE BOX ON THE RIGHT WITH THE INFORMATION ON HOW TO ENTER AND GOOD LUCK.  BOTH BOOKS WILL BE GIVEN AWAY ON AUGUST 24TH.

If you have not seen this list of teen novels put out by NPR, check it out, after you read this blog.  There are some great book suggestions on it.  

 NPRs Best 100 Teen Novels/Listener Favorites

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     Welcome to my August 9th post.  Is it really August?   Some schools are back in session.  Most of the Grand Valley schools start in seven days.  Where did the summer go?  It's a mystery.  As cliche as it is, I want to know why summer flies by when other parts of the year just seem to drag on.  I am thinking of calling on Slate Stephens for some help.

  
Today on KKCO, News11 Today, I shared two, fun mysteries in a series for kids ages 8 - 12, the tweens.  Why are mysteries important for kids to read?  Why are there so many fans of mysteries?  What does it take to write a very good mystery for children?  I could write a whole blog on that but I won't do that here.  What I can say is that a good mystery is about solving a problem in a clever way that keeps the reader engaged.  It also engages the reader in thinking about how to solve the mystery. It brings what educators work hard when they teach kids to read, making inferences and deducing. What might happen next?  How is this going to be solved?  A well written mystery does this naturally without the reader even knowing it.

      Sneed B. Collard III has brought his award winning, writing experience and his sense of humor into his newest fiction work, The Slate Stephens Mysteries, THE GOVENOR'S DOG IS MISSING! and HANGMAN'S GOLD.   He also brings his knowledge of child development into his characters.  Sneeds characters are very believable.  The humor, innocence, natural exploration balanced with doing the right thing captures this age group that Slate and his companion Daphne belong to. It's a perfect match for tween readers.  What else makes this series stand out?  Sneed is very good at all aspects of writing, and he carries it off with his great storytelling.  If you think you need zombies, vampires, dragons, or pirates to entertain your children, you will be pleasantly surprised because Sneed's writing will provide more than that and includes some Western history, biology, and geology. This is fun stuff and never a dull moment writing.

I rate both of these books, a 5 apple book, outstanding, cream of the crop.  Sneed uses his writing skills, ability to create believable characters, fun plots, and researched historical history to make the reader want more.

    The Slate Stephens Mysteries, THE GOVENOR'S DOG IS MISSING! and HANGMAN'S GOLD are for tween children ages 8 -12, both genders who can read chapter books. 

    The themes in this book are mystery, history of the West, friendship, and solving problems.

    You can learn more about Sneed and his award winning books and where to buy them at: Sneed's Website.

     You can find this book through the publisher, Bucking Horse Books.  Your local book store can order this book for you.  On the West Slope of Colorado, our local independent seller is Grand Valley Books. In addition it can be found online at Mountain Press and Amazon.