Rosco the Rascal Visits the Pumpkin Patch

Written by Shana Gorian

Illustrated by Ros Webb

James and Mandy McKendrick live on a farm. They look forward to their annual adventure in late September to the pumpkin patch where they will walk the corn maze, go for a hayride, visit the petting zoo, ride a pony, and of course, find the perfect pumpkin. This year they are bringing their German shepherd pup named Rosco Their mischievous pup promptly finds himself in trouble by stealing another family’s pumpkin. In quick sequence Rosco  gets into more mischief by opening the door and releasing baby sheep. He finds trouble on the hayride, but manages to redeem himself as a hero when James and Mandy get lost in the corn maze. Dad has a reputation to maintain; will he manage to find the children and still have the time to find the perfect pumpkin to carve? After all, every year James has managed to carve the best jack-o-lantern in the neighborhood. When all is said and done, the McKendrick family have an exciting day at the pumpkin patch, while learning valuable lessons in the process.

This chapter book is targeted for children in the six to eight age range. Illustrations add charm to the story, but they are quite small in the kindle version The tale could be broken up into a classroom read aloud or independent reader for second or third graders. Nice change of pace from the more common Halloween spooky story for kids.

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Title: Kool Kid Kruncha And The High Trapeze

Written by Emma Calin

Interesting early chapter book features protagonist ten year old Charlie. The author calls it an interactive bedtime story adventure. This book touches on many of the issues facing today’s children like bullying, moving, and living in a divorced family. Charlie has carrot red hair; children love to pick on him. To make matters worse, his mom tells him that she has been offered a better job in London. He will have to leave his friends and home in Suffolk and move to the city.

On the first day in his new school, the “popular kids” make fun of Charlie’s physical appearance and athletic abilities. His Aunt Kate suggests that things will be better after he makes a friend. Charlie is puzzled when she takes him to the circus. What does Charlie discover? How can this possibly be a solution to his problem?

This book contains seven short chapters whose length is perfect for children who are learning to read content independently. I would recommend it particularly for seven to ten year old readers. The simple black and white drawings enhance interest. Free downloads, video clips, and competitions included in the book will sustain interest and extend reading.

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Title: Magelica’s Voyage: Book  One

Author: Louise Courey Nadeau

At the beginning of the story we meet Magelica who has supposedly been hatched from a sapphire egg. She wants to know where she really came from. Tris, her pet dragon, and she go on a journey through the woods when darkness falls. Magelica calls on her guardian angel to guide them home. A strange creature named Odin retrieves her feather necklace and takes her on a journey in a flying bathtub to an island inhabited by a wizard. Odin teaches her to fly to the Isle of Dreams where she will meet Queen Raya and learn about the lost prince. Magelica realizes that wonderful things happen when you open your heart, use your imagination and trust in love. She no longer worries about where she came from, but now understands that it is more important to know where you are going. Young children will enjoy this book as a read aloud. Older children will find it a challenging independent reader.

Magelica’s Rescue

The Second Book is the series written by Louise Courey Nadeau

In her second adventure, Magelica has a dream shortly after being tucked into bed by her guardian, Gri. Magelica dreams that Prince Will is in trouble; she sees him washed ashore on The Island of Darkness. Together with her pet dragon, Tris, she embarks in her magical bathtub on a voyage back to the island where she met Queen Raya and discovered her power to make effective changes once she believed in herself. Magelica does indeed find that the prince is stranded. The people of the kingdom learn how to stay positive and use the power of laughter to achieve their goals. Magelica teaches the prince a song of inspiration. By the time Prince Will is returned home and Magelica is tucked back into her bed, they discover a very special connection that not only will help them to protect each other, but one that might help Magelica discover her true origin and birth family. Future books hold the promise of many new adventures and the seeds of inspiration for Magelica’s readers to achieve great things.

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Interview with Award-Winning Author Carole P. Roman

Captain No beard is a labor of love. I wrote the first story, Captain No Beard The Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life, on a whim, never expecting the crew to become as dear and as close to me as family. I am speaking about the inanimate crewmembers, not my grandchildren from which many of the characters are based, of course

Each character was created from the folks that people my life—my playmates, partners, and cohorts. The journeys and adventures are events that affected us—from my nephew being bullied (The Crew Goes Coconuts), to my grandson’s desire to steal the aurora borealis (Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis).

While Captain No Beard is loosely based on my grandson Alexander and the adventures we share, when he became bossy and difficult in Stuck in the Doldrums, his personality more resembled his grandfather, the captain of our own ship. Fortunately for me, my husband never read the book. He told me he’d wait for the movie to come out.

Polly’s inability to tell her right from left in Pepper Parrot’s Problem with Patience is a birds-eye view of my own issues. I cannot tell my right from left. She is a peacemaker who loves to read (The Treasure of Snake Island) and until I wrote this article, I didn’t realize that she has, in fact, a startling resemblance to me. 

Linus the Lion could only be my youngest brother, who is a big, sleepy, rough-tough kind of guy with a gentle side he likes to hide. Sometimes, he is seen as a scaredy cat in the books. In true life, he is not afraid of anything, except perhaps me.  Don’t tell him he is Linus! Do you think he’ll guess it when the movie to comes out?

Mongo the Monkey is an instigator, a combination of troublemakers that I work with. Lovable, cranky, co-workers that peek in my office wanting to know where the next installment is taking our ship. I’m making them wait for the movie to come out.

Fribbet the Frog is a nervous wreck. He hops around full of doom and gloom worrying about what will happen, even when nothing special is going on. He is my middle brother and can sometimes predict the direst things. He deals with a surplus of siblings (Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles) much as my brother has had to do. I have the pleasure of working with him daily. He is the CFO of our company and is the doomiest and gloomiest of anybody on our ship, err…I mean staff. As far as he’s concerned, the movie will never come out.

Bonnie Lemaire created my beautiful crew, giving Linus his devilish pirate braid, and Fribbet his excited expressions. Mongo is delightfully spastic, and Polly wears an attractive bandana. 

She had no idea the crewmembers were my own and while Alexander was two when we started, Hallie was a mere three months old. Together we captured my grandson’s bravery, his charm, and winning personality without even realizing it. Our perception of Hallie’s calm voice of reason and quiet dignity soon became reality as well. Cayla arrived three days after Hurricane Sandy, sweeping into our series with the same force as her effervescent nature, and lastly, my baby boy Zachary is ready for anything, anywhere, anytime—just as we predicted. The great set of pipes is not imaginary either.

This is my crew and I adore them. Like playing a great game of imagination, I made it up as I went along, stealing and plundering tidbits of life like the pirate I am. I smile at their antics and laugh as they figure out what to do with whatever life throws their way. I don’t need to wait for the movie to come out—I’m living it everyday.

About Carole P. Roman

Named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012 for her first book, award-winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born. She lives on Long Island with her husband and very near her children and grandchildren—the inspiration for her books.

CarolePRoman.com | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

About the Captain No Beard Series

Captain No Beard sets sail on 9 separate voyages of the imagination with his fearless crew aboard his pirate ship The Flying Dragon

When a young boy named Alexander, his cousin Hallie, and some stuffed animals, board his bed their world is transformed into a magical vessel, sailing the seven seas on a dangerous and exciting adventure! Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life was named to Kirkus Review’ BEST OF 2012 for children’s Indie Books, and garnered the Kirkus Star of Exceptional Merit, as was Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis. In addition to many other merits awarded the series, The Foreword review gave “Five Star” reviews to Pepper Parrot’s Problem with Patience: A Captain No Beard Story and A Flag for the Flying Dragon: A Captain No Beard Story.

Captain No Beard Series Giveaway

Enter to win a complete autographed set of the Captain No Beard series, by award-winning author Carole P. Roman; plus the PLAYMOBIL Red Serpent Pirate Ship. Enter to win here »

Giveaway begins September 1, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 30, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.

This is the last day of the blog tour.  PLEASE ENTER NOW!

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Four Fantastic Surprise Endings for Children 3-6

Written and illustrated by Scott Gordon

Four stories centering on familiar themes and characters with surprise endings. Each story features one protagonist speaking to the reader in first person. The first story showcases a frog who was once a king now trying to woo his sweetheart. In the second book, a little chickadee discovers there is a certain someone that he cannot get off his mind. How can he tell her that he loves her? The third book features a rather self-centered Easter bunny who is attempting to train the “new guy.” He gives a lot of history about the Easter bunny and what it takes to fill the job. Finally in the fourth book, a robot from the planet Infinim, which is a replica of earth, is interviewing candidates who want to be robots for his planet. Readers will be surprised at the current candidate who is interviewing for the position. Who is he and will he make the cut?

The photos and illustrations are delightful. While the stories feature somewhat familiar characters, the clever surprise endings will delight both the child and adult reader. Each story is about the average length of a picture book. These tales are targeted for the three to six age audience, but older children will appreciate the subtleties and clever twists. The collection is a nice set of bedtime stories or family read aloud. Highly recommended.

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Fing

Written by G. Papa

Illustrated by Gary McCluskey

An unusual and well-written chapter book featuring six year old Ulrich Von Strudel as the protagonist. Ulrich has a major disability; he was born without knees. When the story opens, Ulrich is about to be picked up from boarding school for Christmas vacation. He learns that his parents have been captured by a pygmy tribe in Africa and are presumed dead. To make matters worse, his mean great aunt, Mrs. Lipstick is taking charge of him.

Poor Ulrich learns he will have to sleep in the attic and eat one meal a day. After a difficult struggle to get upstairs, he discovers a furry one-eyed monster named Fing in the closet. Fing will turn out to be an ally, when Mrs. Lipstick conspires with the family lawyer to eliminate Ulrich.

This modern fairy tale has a definite dark side, but the author intersperses humor throughout. Ulrich faces his disability with strength of character. How will he survive his parents’ death and the machinations of his nefarious guardian? There are a few surprise twists in this one hundred page chapter book.

I enjoyed this story immensely. The book is an interesting book for early readers who are not disturbed by a bit of the dark side and are not overly sensitive. In general I would recommend the book for readers age eight and older. The short chapters lend themselves to a class read aloud for discussion. Black and white pencil drawings really bring the characters to life. As a bedtime story, parents need to use their own discretion, though I think adults may enjoy the book as much as a child. Very entertaining read.

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5 Minute Bedtime Stories for Children (1)

Retold by Beatrice Wood

The author is not trying to reinvent the wheel, but to collate and abridge a nice assortment of stories from around the world in five to seven minute segments. Just the right size for a busy mom or dad for a bedtime story read. They are suitable for school age children ages six through twelve and are not meant for toddlers or preschoolers. While all of them have familiar themes to many cultures; ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes” will probably be recognized by all readers.

I think my favorite of these ten is the one titled, “The Story Without an End.” It tells the legend of a king who lived in a time before there were printed storybooks. This king had an insatiable appetite for stories. After a while, his subjects ran out of stories to tell. The king promised that whoever would tell a story that did not end could marry the princess. Unfortunately, if the story ended, that storyteller would be thrown in jail.

One day a poor farmer showed up with the promise of a story without end. But first the king had to promise to listen to the end. After receiving that promise from the king, the farmer began his tale, which was so cleverly crafted that it went on for months. When the king could take it no longer, he begged the farmer to stop telling his story. So the farmer married the princess and eventually ruled the kingdom.

Each story is accompanied by a black and white pencil drawing to complement the tale. This is a nice touch and provides encouragement of more discussion on the topic of each story. Creative and novel way for parent and child or teacher and child to share a short read aloud. Look forward to reading Book 2 in the collection.

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The Adventures of Zelda

Written by Kristen Otte

Thirteen adventures told in first person by an adorable little pug named Zelda. Poor Zelda begins her life in a kennel and stays there for two years until Hannah and Nate adopt her. Once at home with her two owners and their children, Ben and Lucy, life becomes so much more interesting.

Zelda makes the reader laugh and cry. She relates her struggles and triumphs. Readers learn how she manipulates her owners into rewarding her with treats, how she rescues her family from the mean vacuum cleaner, and tackling the skateboard ramps at the park. As one reads on, Zelda takes us to obedience school, and her lonely experience in pet boarding when her family takes a vacation. I laughed at Zelda’s attempt to make friends with Squeaky, the squirrel, and how she discovered what snowmen and leaf piles really contain. Anyone who has a pet knows what an adventure Christmas decorations and trees can be for pets and their owners. Zelda, like most pets, does not relish a trip to the vet, but she learns an important lesson about herself and her owners from her visit.

This book is a perfect choice for animal lovers. Thirteen tales present a first person fictional mix of humor, adventure, family fun, and seasonal cheer. They can be broken up into short chapters for a bedtime story, class read aloud or used as a beginning reader. Recommended for ages seven and up; great choice for a family read aloud share on a weekend afternoon.

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Bedtime Stories For Kids! Funny Monsters Go Camping

Written by Alice Cussler

The author’s aim is to teach children to respect animals and nature. In the second book of this series about Furry Monsters, Melton and his friends go on a camping trip. Cussler involves them in situations that teach children about planning ahead, fire safety, becoming too confident, overcoming unreasonable fears, eating the right kinds of foods, and working cooperatively.

The print edition of this book is sixty-two pages. It is marketed for ages four through eight, but it really is a chapter book more appropriate for independent reading by a beginning reader or as a classroom read aloud for discussion. I would suggest the book for readers aged six through nine. The lessons in the book are worthwhile for discussion among families planning a camping trip. Colorful drawings of these adorable fuzzy monsters encourage young readers to follow along with the text. Look forward to following these fuzzy friends in many more educational adventures.

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What’s Missing: Faces A Toddler Learning Activity

Written and Illustrated by Bonnie Ferrante

What a delightful way for a parent or caretaker to share playing a game and learning all at once! In this fun book for toddlers, simple multicultural faces are presented with one part missing. The child then guesses what feature is missing. The author explains in simple fashion how that part of the body is used. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth and hair are explained. Ms. Ferrante goes on to include eyebrows and tongue. Near the end of the book, a few familiar animals like ducks, cats, and elephants are presented. They possess additional facial features such as whiskers, trunks and bills that are an important part of that animal’s face.

Children ages two to five can have lots of fun with this book while stretching their minds, using their senses, and moving their little bodies. Highly recommended for parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians as a must have for their kindle or bookshelf.

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