First, They Were Children by David Butler Makes Important Points

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. 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.

5.0 out of 5 stars

First, They Were Children: Origin Stories of 7 People Who Changed the World

Book by David Butler
July 7, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
148 Pages
Paperback ISBN-10: 1720481385

• Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1720481386

eBook ASIN: B07F242MQ9

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Nikolas Tesla and Thomas Edison were all children once? Of course, we all know famous people used to be children, but until reading this new book, I had not read short childhood biographies of people who changed the world, much less understood their common characteristics. The author does a service by writing this book for adults as it is true that there are biographies for children about these people. First, They Were Children shares many important thinking and discussion points.

The stories about the childhood of these geniuses have some striking and surprising commonalities, as well as interesting facts. All seven people did not have the exact same characteristics, but often four of them shared some trait or experience. Would we read this to try to develop such gifted people? No, as it is partly the time period of history, world events, and family life which combined to help them. Each person’s story is told until they are about age 21, then stops, as we all know the rest. The author’s observations chapter summarizes his thoughts. He provides a diagram of the traits for all of the people while showing which belong to each of the seven people. It does give one pause to think.

As a teacher, in the fall we would get our new class lists, and when we had maybe 15 boys and 7 girls, we would say it was preparation for a coming war. Who knows, but it stopped our possible complaining about how active our classes would be. What I mean is people are born at certain times and that the future doesn’t just happen all at once someday in the far future. A life starts at the beginning.

Yes, the times were important to allow these people to excel in their chosen fields, as I read in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers. But there was something going on from birth for each person, and the way was paved with a combination of intelligence, environment, family, and access to the technologies of the time. It began with perhaps being born with a large head, educated parents, or the conditions to foster curiosity and interest in learning. None of these people were complainers, and they all showed continued persistence and had to deal with less than understanding teachers and principals. They all faced obstacles of some kind and, before reading this book, I had no idea how many things they each had to endure. Yes, luck was on their side, but they did not have completely easy lives. Reading this book shows how true it is when people say luck is how hard you work.

This book has implications for schools who may have gifted education courses to perhaps be more flexible about grade levels and have more willingness to try advanced curriculum with students who could possibly be mislabeled as having behavior issues. It was a near miss a few times for several of these people who obviously did make it through life, but not without having to change schools or be taught at home.

One interesting fact in the book is that some of the people were slow to speak, doing so at ages 3 or 4. I did teach several years of gifted education classes, and it was not unusual for a student to leave a challenging class to walk across the hall to the speech teacher. Of course, that doesn’t happen to all bright people, but it was interesting to me that it was one of the characteristics mentioned.

I recommend this book to bright secondary students struggling with the prescribed curriculum, parents dealing with gifted children and the related challenges, and schools looking to be more empathetic to very intellectual children. Often, it is a difficult road for children and families. This author understands.

Review reprinted with the permission of the review, Carolyn Wilhelm and the author of the book, David Butler.

Earth Day Reading for Kids

Title: Trouble on Earth Day

Author: Kathy Stemke

Illustrator: Kurt Wilchen

Published by Wild Plains Press

ISBN: 978-1-936021-36-9

Genre: Children's Lit

Reviewed by Karen Cioffi

As a proponent of conservation and the environment, I love children’s books that approach this topic in an engaging and entertaining format. Trouble on Earth Day by Kathy Stemke does just that.

 

The story begins with the main character, Shelby the squirrel, winning the Earth Day poster contest; the young reader is quickly brought into the focus of the story, our environment. Shelby’s poster has “Rethink, Reuse, and Recycle” boldly and colorfully written on it.

 

As the story progresses, Shelby and her parents discuss the different ways individuals and families can conserve, such as using old clothing for a quilt.

 

It also delves into the effects of deforestation. When Shelby hears the cries of a “little bird,” she searches until she finds it, then asks the bird what’s wrong. The bird explains, “The workman cut down my tree and my nest. I found a new tree, but I can only find twigs to make a new home.”

Using ingenuity and what she learned from her parents, Shelby helps the bird build a new nest using recyclable items from her home. Trouble on Earth Day will quickly heave children asking about the environment and looking around their homes for items that can be recycled.

Adding to the invitingness of this delightful story are amazing full page illustrations by Kurt Wilchen. Each page has vivid and bold illustrations that will surely grab and hold a young reader’s attention. Along with all this, Stemke includes pages and pages of activities, and additional information about conservation and the environment, all to help children better understand the story’s theme. It even includes a song titled “The Fuzzy Squirrel” that children can sing to with the music from “I’m a Little Teapot.”

Some of the activities and information include in Educator’s Edition:

• Reading comprehension activities
• Original topic related lyrics that children can sing to the melody of classic favorites
• Discussion topics, such as Why Trees are Important and What Things Can be Reused
• Games, including the Going Green Game
• Recycling activities, such as making napkin rings using recycled toilet paper rolls, recycling old CDs to make ornaments, and how to recycle old crayons
• Dolch Sight Word activity page

My favorite information page in Trouble on Earth Day briefly explains what went on before the first Earth Day in April 1970, what the focus of Earth day is, and why it’s so important.

 

Learning how each of us can take steps to protect our environment is important for children and adults alike. It will take all our efforts to help improve the environment for a healthier tomorrow. Trouble on Earth Day is a great start for children.

 

~Reviewer Karen Cioffi is a published author, ghostwriter, and editor for 4RV Publishing. For writing and marketing information, and to find out more about Karen and her books, visit: http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. While there, be sure to sign-up for her newsletter, A Writer’s World.

Learn more about the author, Kathy Stemke. She is an award-winning author, educator, and freelance writer. Her Trouble on Earth Day and Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep earned the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval.  Sign up for her free monthly newsletter, Movement and Rhythm: http://educationtipster.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 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 :

Author Linda Wilson Reviews New Children's Book on the Environment

Title: The Adventures of Planetman

Subtitle: The Case of the Plastic Rings

Author:  Karen Cioffi 

Illustrator: Thomas Deisboeck, 

Genre: Fiction, 6-8-years-old, picture book, 

ISBN-13: 978-1950074174.

Reviewed by Linda Wilson

The Adventures of Planetman: The Case of the Plastic Rings, by Karen Cioffi and illustrated by Thomas Deisboeck, is a compelling blend of adventure and factual information, suited for children 6-8, which sends an important message to children about ways they can help our planet.  

Thomas hears a noise coming from outside. He and his buds Nick and Luke come to the rescue and the three superheroes save the day. After the story, children will enjoy learning about the peregrine falcon, facts about solid waste materials, what readers can do to reduce waste, ways to help our planet, and more. The book is an excellent resource to teach childrenmethods of conservation for parents, teachers, and librarians. And good news, there are more Planetman books to come!

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, successful children’s ghostwriter, and author/writer online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move. You can learn more about Karen at: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com. 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

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. Find her fun for readers and tips for writers at https://www.lindawilsonauthor.com and learn more about her on Facebook at http://facebook.com.lindawilson.kidsmysterywriter.com37017794 and twitter under the moniker @LinWilsonauthor. 

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series of book for writers. How to Get Great Book Reviews is the third in the series. Learn more at her website, https://howtodoitfrgually.com .

You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Book Review

Title: You Are Your Child's First Teacher: Encouraging Your Child's Natural Development from Birth to Age Six

Author: Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Formats: Kindle, Paperback, and Audio Book

Pages: 336 Pages

• ISBN-10 : 1607743027
• ISBN-13 : 978-1607743026
• ASIN : B008WOUEMK

Publisher : Ten Speed Press; 3rd Edition

The first book in America to popularize the insights of Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Waldorf schools, regarding the developmental needs of young children.

You Are Your Child's First Teacher: Encouraging Your Child's Natural Development from Birth to Age Six was written by Rahima Baldwin Dancy. The book essentially presents the Waldorf philosophy of education and includes quotes from famous people in the Waldorf movement. However, much of the information is quite practical and helpful and can be applied in general to early childhood education.

"We have lost touch with natural processes in child development, convinced that we have to 'do something' rather than allowing the child’s own inner processes to unfold." 

She does not advocate for pacifiers, walkers, jumping toys, and other aids that supposedly help children achieve milestones before they are actually ready. She does advocate for an unrestrained, baby-proofed environment that the child can freely access and roam without problems. She feels the children will develop best this way. She also does not advocate for the early swim or gymnastics lessons as the learning cannot be sustained. She says toddlers do their own very appropriate gymnastics.

I spent much time reading the parts about babies and thinking about the book. As a grandmother, I got stuck on her ideas about the child becoming incarnate in the first year. She says the spirit at birth is larger than the body. Ponder that a minute and remember when this seemed true about newborns you have known. 

"Perhaps you have had the experience of walking into a room where a newborn is sleeping and wondering how the room can feel so filled by such a tiny creature sleeping over in the corner."

Growing Down

Dancy's description of how children "grow down" is so true. She described this as first the baby becomes able to move his or her eyes and head, then gain control of the torso to roll, later the hands begin to work, and finally the legs when the child can walk at about one year of age. Children grow up as they grow down. So interesting!

The author (and Waldorf education) is not for having children younger than age 7 sit still for long. "The tremendous growth of the first seven years is accompanied by the nearly constant movement as muscles and bones grow and coordination is gradually achieved." We know if we ask a child to sit for long, how they wiggle and fidget! Although children can learn certain things at young ages, she says if that is done it takes from the energy that is otherwise needed for growth and development.  Emphasis on intellectual growth too soon can have negative effects later, according to the book.

The book has a chapter on how to choose a preschool. Criteria are listed and can be consulted for parents who are trying to make such a decision. I notice that often in the Montessori on a Budget Facebook group these kinds of decisions are discussed. Parents want to know what to consider and this book can help with whatever type of preschool is being considered.

What about children watching television? What about video games? What does she think about immunizations? How should you care for a sick child? What about emphasizing religion in daily life? The author emphasizes that gratitude and reverence for life are essential to the whole development of the child. If you have questions in this area, the book offers pros and cons to consider, that I'm sure parents will find very helpful.

Conscious Parenting

"Conscious parenting requires keeping perspective and not letting ourselves become so bogged down in the day-to-day task of raising our children that we neglect to focus on the larger picture." 

Conscious parenting is: being present in the moment and attending to the present needs of the child. She says we should see the light in the child, as we parent.

The appendix has a discussion about Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf education. I did not realize that Waldorf has become the largest private school movement in the world. I didn't know that such schools were closed in World War II. Steiner is the founder of Waldorf Schools and is a pioneer in the area of developmentally based, age-appropriate learning. Early childhood educators are all in favor of such learning, and this book offers an understanding of such practice.

Thank you for reading! Carolyn

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 form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. 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. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. 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

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.