Gogolewski Reviews Piers Anthony

Tortoise Reform
By Piers Anthony
Fantasy Adventure for Middle Grade and Young Adult
Publisher: Mundania Press
Purchase Link: http://www.mundania.com/books-tortoisereform.html

Reviewed by Kathe Gogolewski

About two years ago, Piers Anthony sent me the manuscript for Pandora Park, a fantasy adventure novel he had written for middle grade readers. I had offered to read the story to my 4th and 5th grade schoolchildren at Lake Elementary in Oceanside, California, where I worked as a school volunteer. Over the course of two weeks, I did just that. The children loved it, which didn’t surprise me as the premise was exciting, original and magical. The children gave it high marks in their evaluations, which I sent to Piers. As yet, the story has not been published, but if it is, I highly recommend it for both children and young adults.

Piers Anthony has written another children’s novel, Tortoise Reform, published by Mundania Press. I received a copy in December and read it with great interest. The story revolves around a ten-year-old girl, Rowan, who is displaced from her home for reasons beyond her control and made to stay with her kindly yet kid-clueless aunt and uncle. Feeling lost and lonely, Rowan discovers a tortoise who ventures into her world from another realm through a huge sink hole. This is no ordinary tortoise, however, bearing a sapient and telepathic mind. Rowan learns from Gopher, the tortoise, that most animals from his realm are similarly endowed. As if in a reversal of the natural order, Gopher is surprised at the power and complexity of Rowan’s mind, as humans are considered dull, unimaginative creatures in his world; indeed, they are used as beasts of burden. With delight, Gopher introduces Rowan to his burrow mates - an owl, a snake, an armadillo and a rabbit - all sapient creatures who teach Rowan to transmit thoughts telepathically. One by one, they bond with Rowan and she with them, in part as a result of her efforts to rescue the animals when they fall into mishap. All wish for the relationships to continue, but there’s a problem.

A construction project is slated for the area over the sink hole, which provides the only known exit and entry between their worlds. If the hole is cemented over, Rowan will not be able to visit her new friends and vice versa. Using their shared telepathy, they identify the man in charge of the construction project and set out to find him. The story also entails a visit by Rowan to the animals’ realm, where she feigns dullness to pass as an inhabitant. The animals are short one burrow mate in their world, which they must find before they can apply for official recognition as a burrow. Naturally, they consider Rowan for the role. Adventures abound for all in both realms.

I found the story delightful, but then, I’m a fan of Piers Anthony’s writing. In Tortosie Reform, he does not dull-down the vocabulary, yet most of the more difficult words are aptly presented in context, creating meaningful and digestible text for ten-year olds and up. This treatment is atypical of the majority of current children’s literature, which tends to incorporate large doses of popular kid-patois. Piers’ treatment is reminiscent of the literary works of C. S. Lewis or Lewis Carroll, who present language considered adultish, yet is much enjoyed by children.

I also love the characterization of Rowan. She remains charming, enthusiastic and relatable throughout the tale. Piers has a good grasp of the concerns and interests of children, in my opinion, and I’ll post an excerpt here of Rowan’s thoughts to show you what I mean:

She didn’t like deceiving Aunt and Uncle. She knew they were nice enough people. It wasn’t their fault that her folks were having problems and had to farm her out for a while. In fact they were being pretty decent about boarding her. But they did not understand children, having none of their own. Sometimes they acted as if she were a little adult, and sometimes as if she were two years old. They hadn’t found the range for age ten. So they expected her to do her chores, like laundry, which was adult, and to be in bed and asleep by nine PM, which was child. And they had no understanding at all of her need to interact with her friends.

The last was the worst. She had a slender slew of fine friends in fifth grade, and some vile villainous enemies, and had had every intention of keeping in touch with them all over the summer. The bad things could be almost as much fun as the good ones. She was good at being bad, when she tried. It was maybe her last real chance to be a tomboy before she had to start orienting on (ugh!) young lady hood.

Aside from equating badness with tomboy tendencies, I enjoyed this. His characterization creates a well-rounded and believable little girl.

I didn’t feel, however, that the animals differed significantly from each other in their characterizations. They felt homogenous; I could easily trade the dialogue of one with another. I felt Piers missed an excellent opportunity to create anthropomorphic differentiation in their characterizations, such as the treatment given to animal characters in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe or the Harry Potter series.

My other objection concerns the temporary nudity assigned to the girl in the animals’ realm. Whereas it is alluded to only once as she washes her clothes and hangs them up to dry, it is left to the reader to consider that she is thereafter left without a stitch of clothing. Culturally in our westernized society, nudity is not a topic found in children’s literature. It may be argued that it is realistic to assume that in this story the girl must wash her clothes after crawling through a muddy tunnel, but it is also realistic for people to perch upon a toilet at least once a day, yet one rarely reads about it unless the plot demands it. I think it’s best to keep such illuminations out of children’s stories entirely.

All in all, it is a tale well-told, and I hope it gains enough readership to prompt Piers to write the sequel (it does beg for one). I felt compelled to return to the story each evening until I had finished the book. Piers Anthony is, after all, a master storyteller.



Kathe Gogolewski
http://www.TRI-Studio.com
NEW! The Mother Daughter Club radio show
www.byforandaboutwomen.com
The Fiction Flyer: www.tri-studio.com/ezine.html
From Amazon: short stories for 49 cents:
The Gold Coin: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gold-Coin/dp/B000IB0JHK/ref=pd_ts_b_13/102-3993851-2836959?ie=UTF8&s=books

Carlton Scott Helps Kids with His Books

Title – Glamour Girl From the Stars
Author – Carlton Scott
Genre or category – children’s book, children’s picture book
ISBN –0-9636652-4-3



About Glamour Girl

“After traveling to and fro across outer space’s unknown, PleeDee discovers her world is similar to our own. When little girls live up to their potential wherever they are, they’ll shine brightly with confidence no matter how near or far.”

Glamour Girl From the Stars is an out of this world rhyming story about a 3 foot tall alien girl named Plee-Dee who borrows her father's flying saucer to visit Earth hoping to enter the Miss Universe Pageant in LA. She visits different cultures around the world realizing she feels good about herself without having to enter pageants. The book intends to teach little girls self esteem. Illustrations in colored pencil and photos from the author.

About Carlton Scott

Carlton Scott has over fifteen years’ clinical experience as a traveling nurse (RN) with a specialty in critical care nursing and a focus on children’s health. He has worked with over 1000 children and teens in both mental health counseling and critical care nursing. Inspired by his desire to cheer up sick children, Scott has authored and illustrated three children’s books that teach kids the lessons of friendship, self-acceptance and adventure. As part of his commitment to supporting children’s health, he donates 50 percent of all profits from his books to children’s hospitals across the country.

Carlton is also the author of Grin’s Message, “On my days off as a lifeguard, I began swimming with dolphins and had found a secluded place where they gathered. I always thought they had a grin on their face,” says Scott.

He is also the author of Little Big Wolf, based on drawings taken from his hiking photos. He published both Grin’s Message and Little Big Wolf in hardcover. He created his newest book, Glamour Girl from the Stars, to foster self acceptance in young girls.

For more information about this virtual book tour, please visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/05/13/blog-tour-carlton-scotts-glamour-girl-from-the-stars/ Learn more about this author and purchase his books at http://www.carltonsbooks.com/index.html.



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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Veteran Reviewer Likes Book on Parenting

Title: The Power of Your Child’s Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success
Author: Charlotte Reznick, PhD
Category: Parenting
ISBN: 978-0399535079
Reviewer: Stephanie Ward http://laughingstars.net
Publisher: Perigee Trade

Review by Stephanie Ward originally for Barnes and Nobel,Amazon and her Laughing Stars blog.


Adults often forget that children experience tremendous anxiety. They are beginning to absorb everything going on around them and starting to understand that loss and death are part of life. They’re also developing expectations for themselves, personally or academically, and worrying that they don’t measure up. The Power of Your Child’s Imagination offers strategies for helping kids use their own inner strength to cope with stress. I think other parents, especially those who – like me – have sensitive, intense kids, will find this book to be a gem.

Dr. Reznick points out that each of us, including young children, has an internal compass that seems to know more than we do. She offers imagination techniques we can teach our children to help them tap into that internal wisdom.

In the first section, she starts by suggesting simple ways we can encourage our children to use their imagination to “see” things in their minds and envision their lives changing for the better. She offers tips for setting goals with our kids. Sometimes they don’t share our goals for them, so it’s important to find common ground. Then she describes nine guided imagery tools to use with children. Some of these strategies draw on the power of archetypes, like a wise wizard, that have deep roots in our psyche. For each tool, she provides a script, possible variations, a real-life example of the technique in action, and troubleshooting tips. She corroborates these techniques with evidence from neurological and physiological research. She also explores ways to incorporate art and music, and she encourages parents to mix and match these methods to fit our children’s individual needs.

In the second section, she discusses how to apply the nine tools in more depth, using brief case studies. She offers guidance on molding these tools to address specific issues, such helping a child with low self esteem, building an appropriate sense of responsibility, and coping with fear of abandonment or death. She delves into sleep problems and bed wetting. She addresses aggressive behavior, sibling rivalry, and peer issues. She also looks at helping kids with academic problems, whether they stem from learning disabilities or an environment that does fit a child’s developmental needs and learning style.

As an educator-type, I appreciated her thoughts on learning issues. Some of you know that I’m a bit of an evangelist for delayed academics and honoring children’s developmental needs and learning styles. This is one of the reasons we homeschool. Dr. Reznick touches on the fact that many children are academically pushed much too early and that traditional classroom methods don’t fit some students.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book was Dr. Reznick’s warm, empathetic attitude toward parents and her acknowledgment that no “expert” can offer a “perfect” way to parent. “Caring parents … want to get it “right” But there is no such animal. Not here.” She also acknowledges that we have regrets as parents, and urges us to have compassion for ourselves.

This fits well with her articulate, approachable writing style. While there is some scholarly information woven into this book, it flows smoothly and is easy to read. It’s like sitting down with a compassionate friend — the type of person who has a lot of positive energy and intuitive wisdom — and having a chat over coffee.

I recommend this book to parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers and to any adults who want to incorporate stress management techniques into their own lives. The guidance Dr. Reznick offers is clear and supported with a wealth of specific examples, and readers will appreciate her nurturing, compassionate approach to guiding parents.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Dr. Bob Rich Reviews Laura Persons New Book of Juvenile Fiction

Title: Lost But Found

Subtitle: A Boy's Story of Grief and Recovery

Publisher:	Loving Healing Press
Author:	Laura Persons
Illustrator	Noah Hrbek
ISBN-13:	PB 978-1-61599-547-9 /
List Price:	PB $ 14.95
Trim:	8.5 x 11 (26 pp)
Audience:	4-6 years
Pub Date:	12/01/2020
Genres:	JUVENILE FICTION/Social Issues/Death & Dying
	JUVENILE FICTION/Concepts/Body*
	JUVENILE FICTION/Family/Parents

Synopsis

Lost But Found: A Boy's Story of Grief and Recoverydeals with one of the toughest issues a parent may ever have to face--explaining to a child that a loved one has died. Often, to protect them, children are left out of the grieving process. This book allows adults to travel with a young boy as he works to make sense of his loss--and, in turn, their own.

I wrote this book to allow children to ask questions, and talk about their fears and feelings. What I have found is that often children have better insights on these hard life questions than the adults in the room!

Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich

Review:

Lauren Persons is a grandmother who loves all children (one of my mob). One of her sources of distress is empathy for all the kids in the world who have lost loved ones to this devious virus, with little end in sight. So, she has written a book for them.

I have tears in my eyes as I am writing this review.

This is as much thanks to the beautiful illustrations by Noah Hrbek as to the beautiful, simple words of a loving mother and grandmother. This little book is perfect for small children who have suffered the loss of a parent. Sadly, in our world, riddled by COVID, insane gun violence, and the increase in terrible weather events due to climate change, deaths in the family are far more common than they should be.

However, Lost but Found will also be excellent for little children who are not grieving, because it teaches empathy and compassion.

And it is even excellent for old grandfathers like me.

Do yourself a favour and buy a copy for a small child in your life.

More About the Author

Indeed, William Shakespeare was right when he said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Lauren’s rich and varied roles as actor, director, playwright, teacher, poet, wife, mother, grandmother have all contributed to the role of writer and now author of Lost But Found, a children’s book to help parents and children come to grips with the death of a loved one.

About the Reviewer

Dr. Bob Rich wishes he was a psychopath. It would be SO wonderful to be unaffected by the sufferings of others! Alas, this is not to be, so he does the next best thing and uses his writing to reduce suffering. You can assess his effectiveness at his popular blog, Bobbing Around, which hides at https://bobrich18.wordpress.com

Oh his recent books, “Hit and Run” shows the power of unconditional acceptance in changing a mass murderer into a boy you wouldn’t mind dating your daughter; "From Depression to Contentment: A self-therapy guide” delivers what its title claims; “Sleeper, Awake” shows you our future in 1500 years’ time; “Lifting the Gloom” is a collection of short stories and essays that will make your world a better place; and coming in September is “Maraglindi: Guardian spirit,” which takes you to mid-19th Century Australia through the eyes of a little girl born to make all of us into better people.

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Mayra Calvani Fiddles Her Way to Another Hit

Frederico, the Mouse Violinist
Author: Mayra Calvani
Illustrator: K.C. Snider
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/
Hardcover: 978-1-61633-113-9
Paperback: 987-1-61633-11
EBook 13: 978-61633-125-2
Copyright 2010
Picture Book: 26 pages




Frederico, the Mouse Violinist is an absolutely wonderful children’s picture book. Through a delightful story, the author teaches about the world’s most famous violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, along with various parts of the violin.

But, what has a mouse to do with Stradivari and violins? Well, Calvani cleverly weaved a story that has Frederico living in the home where Stradivari creates his masterpieces.

Loving the violin, the mouse wished he could play. At night while the master slept, Frederico would play among the violins and move the bow across the strings, making sweet sounds. Hearing the music and seeing Frederico’s appreciation for the violin, Stradivari created a special tiny violin for the mouse.

Adding dimension to the story are full-page illustrations that are vibrant and fanciful, making Frederico, the Mouse Violinist an engaging, kids-will-love-it picture book. The book also provides information on Stradivari; a glossary for words related to the violin, such as bridge, peg, and scroll; and two activity pages. It is an enjoyable and fun tool that parents and teachers can use to introduce the violin to young children.
I happen to love the sound of the violin, cello, and other stringed instruments. My appreciation for music came from my musical family, as well as school music education programs. In 7th and 8th grades my school offered violin instruction which I happily accepted.
Research from the 1950s through to today, demonstrates the benefits music has for children and even societies. Here are some of the benefits children can reap from music education:

~Increases memorization capacity
~Improves reasoning capacity and comprehension
~Helps children learn and/or improve time management and organizational skills
~Helps develop team skills, as well as math skills
~Helps improve coordination and concentration
~Is a universal language and encourages self-expression

Aside from the above mentioned benefits, you never know what will spark a child’s appreciation and love for music, it could be hearing a song, seeing musicians play, or learning about various instruments and their creation.

About the reviewer:
Karen Cioffi is an author, ghostwriter, and freelance writer. For writing and marketing information visit KarenCioffi.com, and sign up for her free newsletter: A Writer’s World. You’ll get 2 free e-books on writing and marketing in the process, and two more free e-books just for stopping by


About the author:
Award-winning author Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. In addition, she is co-editor of Voice in the Dark ezine and a reviewer for The New York Journal of Books, Blogcritics Magazine's Kiddie Corner, and SimplyCharly.com. She's had over 300 reviews, interviews, stories, and articles published in print and online. Mayra is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Children's Writer's Coaching Club. Visit her website at http://www.mayrassecretbookcase.com/ .








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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Dog Lovers Alert: You Gotta Meet "Frankie The Walk 'N Roll Dog"

TITLE: Frankie The Walk 'N Roll Dog
AUTHOR: Barbara Gail Techel
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: http://www.joyfulpaws.com
GENRE/CATEGORY: Nonfiction - Children's
ISBN #: 978-0-9800052-0-2
NAME OF REVIEWER: Dr. Alicia DiFabio
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: Welcome to My Planet

Reviewed by Dr. Alicia DiFabio for WelcomeToMyPlanet4 blog
So Much More Than A Children's Book: One Small Dog Teaches One Big Lesson About Facing Disability

I read to my children every night. They usually get hooked on one particular book for months. Their newest obsession is a book that I enjoy reading just as much as they enjoy hearing it: Frankie The Walk 'N Roll Dog.

This true story is narrated by a heroine so lovable and relatable to children - a little "wiener dog" named Frankie. Her story is told in her own "voice" through her owner and book's author, Barbara Gail Techel. Frankie is a little dog who is loved dearly and enjoying a happy life until one day a spinal injury leaves her hind legs paralyzed. At this point, the story could become a tragedy; but it doesn't. It shines as a story of love, hope and over- coming challenges.

Frankie's spinal injury necessitates her learning how to use a special doggy wheelchair and her life moves forward just as full and rich as it ever was before. In fact, even richer, because now little Frankie and Barbara enjoy meeting, educating, spreading awareness, acceptance and encouragement to children and adults everywhere who are facing all types of difficult situations. Frankie and Barbara not only get through the challenges life gave them, but use their experience to reach out to the world and help others. The message is not one of "being dealt the cards you are given," but of the joy and empowerment that life gifts to you, even in the most challenging of times.

What I like about this book is that it captures children of all ages and can be used to convey positive messages about disabling conditions. The book's life lesson is so multifaceted that it can meet any child, at any age, where they are in their development. The story, for instance, can be summarized for younger children as they connect with the brightly colored pictures. For older children, you can read the length of the story verbatim, and it is even a perfect book for young readers to enjoy reading aloud on their own.

If you're interested in a visually appealing, inspirational, and educational book for your kids, nieces, nephews, religious group, daycare or school, I highly recommend the multi-award winning Frankie The Walk 'N Roll Dog as a great learning tool, conversation starter about disabilities, and just a plain, nice enjoyable read for anyone who loves animals.

To learn more about Frankie's amazing life and dedication to raising awareness in the community about disabilities, visit her blog, http://www.joyfulpaws.com.

Buy.

Reviewed by Alicia DiFabio,Welcome To My Planet and New Jersey Moms
http://welcometomyplanet4.blogspot.com


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

UK Father Tells of Struggle with Government Agency

Title: My Fight For My Family (The Mega Pig File)

Author: David Jordan

Length: 224 pages

Genre: Nonfiction/ Memoir / Misery Memoir

Audience Type: 16+

Format available: Paperback and Ebook

Website: http://www.themegapigfile.co.uk/

Amazon UK link

BLURB FROM AMAZON CUSTOMER'S REVIEW

"If Dave, the author, had not been so committed to keeping his family together whatever it took, not only his first child, but his other two children would have been lost to the "CARE" system. DAVID took on a GOLIATH family court.... not many win."

BOOK BLURB

"A man's struggle to keep his family together against all odds. 

What would you do if social workers came knocking on your door, with only 'smoke and mirrors' evidence they had come for your children? Would you fight for your family or simply let them steal your children? "

SYNOPSIS

Written in the first person “My fight for my family” is a detailed story starting in 1985, it chronicles a man’s struggle to keep his family together against all odds. His girlfriend Martha was pregnant with nowhere to live, she was allocated a council flat. The flat was on the ground floor and she soon discovered that the tenant above was a schizophrenic who paced the floor and had loud argument’s with himself. When she brought her baby daughter back home she became tired and run down, a relation, trying to help, suggested that she should ask social services to help her find more suitable accommodation.  The intervention of Social Services resulted in the baby being taken into care and placed with a foster mother, this was the start of the family’s problems, which were to continue for many years.

Martha’s mental health grew worse. In the course of taking the child into care she was taken from her pram, when her mother tried to prevent this, she was accused of injuring her, causing her further anguish. Lengthy battles then ensued between the father of the child, who wished for custody and access for the child’s mother under supervision, and social services.

Appropriate accommodation was needed before the baby, Sally, could be returned to her father.

At a custody hearing, after reports had been read, an ex lady barrister approached the father and offered to speak on his behalf, her opinion was that social services had all but destroyed the family unit.  Considering the fact that Martha was told by the foster mother that she was no good as a mother and should give her child up for adoption, the reason for her mental decline was clear.

She received care for her mental problems and in due course went home to resume family life.

Two more children were born into the family, Rachel in 1991 and John in 1992.  In 1995 the children were visited by a health visitor and declared to be developmentally delayed.

A Care Order was sought by social services.

By now David, the children’s father, knew he had yet another battle on his hands.

He did not shirk his responsibility, driven on by the love for his family and his determination to keep them together he addressed every point with which he was attacked.  When social services concerns were not divulged to him he replied that this was a violation of his human rights. He wrote letters of complaint to the local authority, and also to the local Government Ombudsman.

Conflicting opinions regarding the children’s welfare caused him to question the reports and he enlisted the help of a solicitor to obtain Legal Aid in support of his claim that the actions of social services had caused Martha’s mental illness. In the course of obtaining the information which he needed, he received correspondence about his case printed by case workers and noticed that   the computer data base reference and name Mega Pig were printed at the bottom of the document.

He could draw only one conclusion from this, that it was derogatory comment.

David went to extraordinary lengths to challenge the unnecessary actions taken against his family even employing a Barrister, to unsuccessfully, sue social services due to a precedence that had previously been set by the House of Lords.

It is impossible to convey the power and depth of this story in a synopsis. The bravery and tenacity of the father, a fragile mother and three vulnerable children, their lives disrupted by a team of social workers who were not fit for purpose. Starting with a heart-rending scene of a mother being robbed of her child, followed by endless meetings and court appearances, sub standard housing and police involvement, the story is lifted by Martha’s adventures in a mental hospital and David’s bravery in confronting the establishment.  It has the makings of a good film.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ). This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Dr. Bob Rich Reviews "What's Making Our Children Sick"

What’s making our children SICK? by Michelle Perro and Vincanne Adams

By Michelle Perry and Vincanne Adams

Genre: Nonfiction: Environment

2017, Chelsea Green Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1603587570

Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich

Dr. Perro is a pediatrician, so her book focuses on children. However, everything in this book applies to all humans, of any age. Probably it even applies to dogs, cats, goldfish, and animals free of human ownership.

Already, the preface is a powerful call to arms. Calmly, without hysteria, the authors summarize the theme of the book: “the systemic health failures among our children are a result of something even more troubling than the physical symptoms in their bodies; they are the cumulative outcome of being born into and living in an environment that has been made toxic by agrochemical industrialized food production... unless they are eating 100 percent organic food or homegrown vegetables from ecologically managed soil, they are eating toxic ingredients such as pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics... children carry toxic loads from the mattresses they sleep on, the soaps they use to wash their hands, their sunscreen, and their antibiotics. Add to that mix of toxic exposures the fact that much of their food is loaded with chemical toxicants, and you get very sick children--children who are being made sick from the inside out.”

Sections of the book explain in clear, plain language a wide variety of technical issues, and reading it is worthwhile for this reason alone. For example, I've only had a vague understanding of our gut bacteria until reading this book. You may not know much about genetic engineering; this is a good place to gain an understanding of the controversy surrounding this technology.

The authors focus in on the gut and its huge population of microscopic life. They show how mistreating this “microbiome,” or worse, poisoning it, relates to a wide variety of symptoms that are typically misdiagnosed. Instead of putting band aids on symptoms, the need is to treat the cause.

Perro & Adams advocate the use of “the five Rs for this: remove, replace, reinoculate, repair, and rebalance” to get gut health. The many case studies from Dr. Perro’s clinical practice show this to be spectacularly successful.

What damages the gut of so many children; so many people? “Our position is that GM foods are the key ingredient in the larger toxic pesticide problem, thus they cannot be separated” (p 120).

The book focuses on the USA. The occasional fact is country-specific, for example the horrendous lack of real regulation, but almost everything applies globally.

I do have a criticism. Two thirds of the book is organized along lines I find logical, but the opening one-third is... unusual. Time and again, the reader is told the overall conclusions, until they become utterly repetitive. This is interlaced with the evidence for these conclusions. The progression of evidence is fine, but the book would be far better to start with that, and gradually and inexorably lead to the conclusions. However, the content, the evidence presented, the scientific caution and rigor of the arguments, and above all, the many case studies, make this book essential reading, not only for medical personnel, not only for parents, but for all thinking people.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Children 8 to 10 Will Love Linda Wilson's Debut Novel Secret in the Stars

Title: Secret in the Stars

Author: Linda Wilson - https://www.lindawilsonauthor.com

ISBN: 978-1-7351310-0-9

ASIN: B08C51J8NK

Genre: Children's mystery chapter book (8 to 10-year-old)

Reviewed by: Karen Cioffi - http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com

Reviewed by Karen Cioffi, originally for Amazon

Linda Wilson's Secret in the Stars grabbed my attention immediately. If you like ghost stories and mysteries, you're going to love this spooky-great chapter book.

Abi Wunder is a budding artist who is looking forward to meeting her newborn baby brother and going to art camp. Not necessarily in that order.

On their way home from a week-long camping trip, her grandfather's car breaks down, leaving them stranded and having to spend the night at the haunted Hilltop Inn.

It's there that Abi meets Herbert the ghost and learns of the danger the owner of the inn is facing. With the demolition of the inn imminent and the owner facing possible murder charges, Abi works feverishly to figure out ghostly clues that will help her save the owner and the inn.

I highly recommend Secret in the Stars and am looking forward to more from Linda Wilson and the Abi Wunder Mystery series.

About the Author: Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and Institute of Children’s Literature graduate, has published over 150 articles for children and adults, several short stories for children, and now her first book, Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery is available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Stars-Abi-Wunder-Mystery/dp/1735131008/ref=sr_1_2

About the Reviewer: Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, successful children’s ghostwriter, and author/writer online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing. You can learn more about Karen at: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/ and tweet with her @KarenCV. 

MORE ABOUT BLOGGER AND WAYS TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

 Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Memoirist's Online Book Tour Introduces Self-Help Book

Unfinished
By Suzanne Gravelle

Category: Memoir, Self Help, Motivation

Publisher: TRUMEDIA

ISBN-10: 192700506X

ISBN-13:978-1927005064
Available at Amazon

The greatest lessons we learn are while trying to find ourselves

Author Suzanne Gravelle has announced the release of UnFinished on November 1^st, 2011. The paperback edition is the empowering first novel based on Gravelle’s discovery of life beyond the safe, comfortable, predictable world she had lived in.

“Unfinished" inspires readers to break free and create their own adventures, discover new ways to empower themselves, face their fears and find personal freedom in ways both big and small.

After enjoying a successful and rewarding life as mother and career woman for over 30 years, Suzanne Gravelle found herself at what appeared like,….suddenly turning 50, and at a crossroads: Single with grown children and unsure of her future, Suzanne did what many dream of but never do -- she simply left everything behind, went off the grid and on to an incredible journey into the great unknown.

She knew she had become exhausted, physically depressed but she refused to believe she was mentally depressed, but she finds herself mentally and physically detaching from friends, family and her daily life. So, she gave up her comfortable home and career for both outward and inner self-exploration, to just drive from the furthest point East in Canada, with no destination in mind, to wherever the winding roads would lead until she was ready to stop driving.

Suzanne’s desire for freedom motivated her: “I found myself wanting space… wide open space… and not just an afternoon drive out to the country. So, on May 29^th, 2010 I drove away from everything that was safe. After my youngest child came bounding down the stairs, suitcase in hand, rummaged through my fridge, proudly proclaiming he was moving out! That to me was a sign, it was my cue to take advantage of my adventurous gypsy mind, my warrior spirit and move out too! I always said I wanted a smaller home when my children moved out, but my truck….a little smaller than anticipated.”

“After 30 years of raising children, 98% of that as a single parent, I love my children but they are adults and are living their own lives and I was done! I was done with property tax, grass to cut, power bills, grocery shopping, etc., so I packed it all in, sold my beautiful home on five acres, resigned from a career I thought I would do for the rest of my life, kissed my children and friends good bye and not having a partner to consider, I just drove away.”

"There is death, birth, blissful moments, moments where I am almost killed, moments I did not want to wake up and cursed the light when I did, and fantastic people and places I have spent time and of course it has the pre-requisite heart break. It is emotional in many ways and hopefully inspiring. 16 months and 60,000 kilometers later, this is my story.”

About Unfinished

This is a true story of a woman who experienced such a profound awakening that she could no longer live the same way, the same life she was just one week before. She could no longer ignore the woman who was screaming to be set free from the ties that bind her to a life she no longer desired or recognized. The transformation to become the woman she really wanted to be has propelled her upon the most remarkable self-discovery journey of her life. She sold her home, gave up her career, kissed her children, grandchildren and friend’s good bye, got into her vehicle and just drove away…ALONE. Where was she going? 30,000km later she finds herself in the most unlikely place to try to piece her life together, trying to make sense of the constant feeling of being UNFINISHED. (To order your copy – http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Suzanne-Gravelle/dp/192700506X )

About Suzanne Gravelle

Suzanne Gravelle is 49 Years old and has 3 children, 2 grandchildren who live in Nova Scotia.  At the time this book goes to print she is single and homeless by choice, still travelling, seeking that place of comfort she will eventually call home.

She spent most of her life living in Nova Scotia but her formidable years aged 10-25, were spent living on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She resigned as a Real Estate Agent in Nova Scotia, to embark upon this most incredible journey, driving, exploring Canada and writing this book. To read Suzanne’s extended bio, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2011/11/10/suzanne-gravelle-bio/

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Holiday Gift Books for Kids in Your Life

Three Children's Books
Details Below

Synopses by Denise Cassino

 

I just found some fabulous books for children that are getting rave reviews everywhere! They're Homiedre's boxed set of 3 books: What is Love? What is Friendship? What is Imagination? Here's what one reviewer had to say:

"These excellent books - rich in content and in art - can now be obtained in this boxed set, a box full of love, friendship and imagination just waiting to be consumed by the children whose school exposure to these values is diminishing. .Adding these books to the child's library is not only an enriching experience for the lucky children who own them, but the purchase of this set aids the Channing-Kullijian Foundation and hence to the encouragement of everyone to restore the arts to our schools. Everyone wins - but especially the children who will doubtless place these books on the top of their favorites list!" ~Grady Harp http://bit.ly/oGtRne

The books feature "Children, dressed in soft 'critter outfits' accompany the couplets while cavorting on fluffy clouds set on a sky blue background. This is extremely effective, eye catching and makes a wonderful group read.:

WHAT IS LOVE? Here's a snippet:

'You can find Love in all kinds of places.

In smiles and laughs and all kinds of faces.

It's inside our hands so we can use them with care,

Love is even in the curliest of curly strands of hair.

It's in every single toe from big toe to small,

And then into our dance feet

when we're having a ball!'

WHAT IS FRIENDSHIP? - Various aspects of friendship are explored through the charming use of a little boy and his quiet life-like toy robot. Again, the rhyming text makes this book an ideal group read and the artwork is bold and concise; splendidly executed. Text and illustrations go perfectly together.

'Some friends were made to love,

as others were made to care,

But what all friends have in common,

is knowing how to share!'

WHAT IS IMAGINATION? - A little girl, Petunia and her pet stuffed dog, Patches go about a typical day in a child's life and due to the ability of the little girl and her "pet" the day is livened up in oh so very many ways via the use of their imagination. What a wonderful thing it is to be a child (or an adult, for that matter), with an active and creative imagination! Again, the art work in this book, as with the previous two is rather amazing and simply fun!"

'Well the school day is done, and it was a blast!

Thanks to my imagination, it went by so fast!

But now I must walk, all the way back home,

And see where my imagination, is willing to roam.

So I look at the trees, that are ever so tall.

And can't help to feel, ever so small!'

So don't miss these books - and when you buy them, you'll receive dozens of fabulous downloadable bonuses for you and the children in your life. Click here: http://bit.ly/oGtRne

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Tiny House Living Through the Eyes of a Child Picture Book, Sissy Goes Tiny

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Tiny House Living Through the Eyes of a Child Picture Book, Sissy Goes Tiny

Last summer, two graduates of Brainerd High School in Minnesota had a stroke of inspiration when catching up over coffee. B. A. Norrgard had been living the tiny life for six years when the idea struck that how would downsizing and going tiny might look through the eyes of a child.

B.A. Norrgard’s personal lifestyle and career within the tiny house community gave her insight about the nationwide movement. She teaches others and leads by example.

Becky Flansburg is an award-winning writer and wondered if “going tiny” might be scary for a child. Rebecca is the long-time project manager of Multicultural Children’s Book Day and Head Elf for Audrey Press. She is a member of Brainerd Writers Alliance and readers can also find her at BeckyFlansburg.com or on Instagram.

They both used their imaginations and talents as they discussed a possible story, and the idea for this innovative book began. They wanted children to know living life unconventionally is full of big possibilities.

You have probably seen some of the popular TV and Netflix shows about living in less space, downsizing, and repurposing. Norrgard says when preparing for such a lifestyle, keep only items that serve a purpose, meet a need or bring joy.

Norrgard’s Tiny House is named Sisu to help remember her mother. Sisu is a Finnish word and means having grit, determination, and perseverance. She needs plenty of that to live in her hand-built 78 square foot home. She has traveled over 14,000 miles with her house and writes about her minimalist, vegan life on her website, banorrgard.com.

Sisu sort of sounds like the name, Sissy. So, the main character of the book is Sissy. She is eight years old. During the story, she learns stuff is just stuff. Somehow illustrator Penny Weber knew just what she looked like, and was perfect for the project. Don’t you agree?

Often our lessons in elementary school (yes, I’m saying it again) for children end at recycling. Downsizing, repurposing, and tiny living are not usually mentioned. This book is unique. It was brilliant of Norrgard and Flansburg to come up with the idea and see it through to completion.

Would you be able to decided what to take with and what to leave?

·  Title: Sissy Goes Tiny by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard

·  Publisher: Audrey Press (CEO Valarie Budayr)

·  ISBN: 978-1-936426-22-5

·  This project was supported by Five Wings Arts Council with funds from the McKnight Foundation.

·  This diverse picture book can be purchased at AudreyPress.com  IndieBound, and Amazon

Thank you for reading, Carolyn from Wise Owl Factory