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HERE IS MY REVIEW OF BOOK 3 IN THE SWEET T SERIES:

BLOG TOUR

SWEET T AND THE TURTLE TEAM

Written by Cat Michaels

Illustrated by Irene A. Jahns

Nine year old Tara is spending the summer on Gull Island at her Great Aunt Mae’s house with her mom and younger sister Jenna. Tara misses her friends. Billy, who lives next door, tries to befriend her. Tara is upset when she sees him being bullied and doesn’t understand why. Turns out Billy has a secret that he is unwilling to share.

Things are slow and pretty boring until one of the staffers at the Aquarium breaks her ankle. Tara’s mother is short staffed and needs volunteers to help supervise the hatching of turtle eggs on the island.

Tara, Jenna, and Billy study hard and dedicate themselves to protecting the turtle nests. But when a tropical storm named Parker threatens to destroy their charges, everyone rushes to save their mission.

I enjoyed the alliteration and onomatopoeia that the author uses so effectively. At the end of each day Tara texts her older sister Kristen. This is an effective way to keep the story fresh in reader’s minds, making it a good choice for beginning or reluctant readers. Michaels also includes a glossary to explain the texting code. In addition, there are “Mind Ticklers,” questions for readers to answer about the story, as well as a few questions soliciting the reader’s opinions.

This beginning chapter book targeted for children ages seven through eleven is well-written and engaging. The soft watercolor illustrations are pleasant and soothing. I recommend this book as the perfect summertime read.

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http://Littlemisshistory.com

So excited to announce that my newest book, The Adventures of Little Miss HISTORY, Volume 1 is now available on amazon and independent bookstores. This book contains three of Miss HISTORY’S New York City adventures to The STATUE OF LIBERTY, ELLIS ISLAND, and INTREPID Sea, Air & Space Museum. Now readers have the opportunity to travel along with their favorite wannabe park ranger to three destinations in one book! Witness in beautiful illustrations and easy to read text the origin, design, construction and significance of the Statue of Liberty. Walk along the path of the immigrants as they land on the shores of America for the first time at Ellis Island and take part in their experience. Step on the aircraft carrier that participated in World War II, the Vietnam War, the space age and the war on terror. Get immersed in hands-on history. I invite you to come aboard and experience a journey back in time.

BeachBoundbooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the middle grade fantasy, Initiation: Sky Raiders Academy Book One by Kirstin Pulioff from April 3 – April 24, 2016.

About the Book

Title: Initiation: Sky Raiders Book One | Author: Kirstin Pulioff | Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy Number of Pages: 150 | Publication Date: March 27, 2017

Summary: Tommy feels lost after his father’s death. To make matters worse, his mom moves him to a new town where he doesn’t have any friends, and he quickly becomes a punching bag for the school bully. He can’t win. So, when a mysterious visitor approaches him with the promise of adventure, Tommy jumps at the opportunity. Whisked away to a school in the sky where magic rules and storms are forged by an elite group of Sky Raiders, Tommy learns that the world’s problems are much larger than his own. When the weather spirals out of control and a rogue Raider’s diabolical plans surface, Tommy must decide how much he is willing to risk to save the world.

About the Author

Kirstin Pulioff dreams big, wishes on stars, searches for rainbows, finds treasure in everyday blessings, and lives life to its fullest… Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in the foothills of Colorado. When she’s not writing an adventure, she’s busy living one.
She loves to hear from fans.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour Giveaway

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AND NOW FOR MY REVIEW OF THE BOOK

Initiation: Sky Academy Book 1

Written by Kirstin Pulioff

First book in a new fantasy middle grade series. Tommy has recently undergone a double trauma, the death of his father and a move from California back to his mother’s home town in Colorado. As he faces the first day of school as a shy fifth grader in the middle of the school year, he begins by falling as he steps out of his Uncle’s truck. Of course Devan, the school bully, would witness this event and taunt him for the remainder of the school year.

One night a surprise visitor appears in Tommy’s bedroom. Mr. Bellarmie gifts him with a hologram ankle bracelet that transports Tommy to Sky Academy. Tommy is surprised to learn that his father was an honored member of this elite group, but he is astonished to learn that the invention of his father got him killed. At the Academy, Tommy meets fellow newcomers Rachel and Will, who will become his best friends. Every night the members of this elite weather group come together to learn about how to control weather catastrophes down on the earth. Tommy is thrilled to be involved nightly until the increasing number of weather disruptions on earth make it too dangerous for the students; Mr. Bellarmie temporarily shuts the school down. Tommy’s world comes crashing down on him once more.

Tommy’ s frustration and disappointment escalates until he discovers his father’s holographic bracelet in his mother’s jewelry box. Then Tommy is successful in traveling back to the Sky Academy. He is able to call back his friends to enlist their help to end the weather mishaps and unravel the mystery of how his father died and who is manipulating the weather mayhem. Will, Rachel and Tommy go on a wild adventure invoking all sorts of magic, lightning bolts, green slime, poison gas, and gargoyles to name a few. Will Sky Academy be able to survive and restore weather on earth to normal? Who killed Tommy’s father? Can Tommy succeed in preventing Devan from bullying him?

Middle grade students who like fantasy, adventure, mystery and magic will enjoy this first book in a new series. Well suited to the issues facing this age bracket, the book will inform, entertain and inspire the reader. Can’t wait to see what adventures emerge in Book 2.

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HONEY GIRL: THE HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Illustrated by Shennen Bersani

Publisher’s Synopsis: Hawaiian locals and visitors always enjoy spotting endangered Hawaiian monk seals, but Honey Girl is an extra special case. She has raised seven pups, and scientists call her Super Mom. After Honey Girl is injured by a fishhook, she gets very sick. Scientists and veterinarians work to save Honey Girl until she can be released back to her beach. This true story will have readers captivated to learn more about this endangered species.

Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Arbordale Publishing | February 10, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1628559224

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Walker Harvey is the author of several award-winning books, including Astro: The Steller Sea Lion and My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey. She’s been a language arts teacher and currently gives school tours at a local museum. Jeanne lives near the Golden Gate Bridge in California and walks by the bay every day looking for sea lions. She writes with her gray tabby cat sitting on the desk next to her.

OFFICIAL LINKS

JeanneHarvey.com: http://www.jeanneharvey.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneWHarvey

BOOK TRAILER

https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2017/02/honey-girl-the-hawaiian-monk-seal-by-jeanne-walker-harvey-book-trailer.html

To Celebrate The Release Of Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal, Enter To Win A 2 Book Autographed Prize Pack From Award-Winning Author Jeanne Walker Harvey, Plus 2 Plush Animals.

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• A copy of Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal, autographed by Jeanne Walker Harvey

• A copy of Astro: The Steller Sea Lion, autographed by Jeanne Walker Harvey

• Two (2) plush toy animals

Age Range: 5-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Giveaway begins February 22, 2017, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends March 22, 2017, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2017/02/win-a-2-book-autographed-prize-pack-with-plush-animals-from-award-winning-author-jeanne-walker-harvey.html

My Review for The Children’s Book Review 2017 Blog Tour of Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Heartwarming, true tale of a monk seal named Honey Girl whose courage and tenacity inspired all those who came to know and love her. Honey Girl was often seen swimming along the northern shores of the island of Oahu. Unlike most monk seals, she did not shy away from the beaches. One day Honey Girl was spotted offshore covered in green algae. She was injured by a fishhook. Scientists and veterinarians discovered that her tongue was cut in half and that she had not eaten in several weeks. Vets at the Honolulu Zoo operated and managed to save half her tongue. At first she was fed through a tube. Scientists knew that if she could not eat live fish, her return to the wild would be impossible. After thirteen days, she managed to catch and eat a live tilapia. She was placed in a crate and taken back to Turtle Bay to be released.

A tracking device revealed that she was hunting for food. After a few weeks scientists caught her again to test her weight and strength. Not only had Honey Girl improved, but she was pregnant. Volunteers guarded “Super Mom” day and night while she nursed her pup named Meli. The following year Honey Girl gave birth again; one of her daughters becomes a mother for the first time. “Super Mom” is now a grandmother.

This beautiful picture book with charming double page spreads is pleasing to the eye of young readers. The poignant story teaches children about the environment as well as the work of scientists and veterinarians. Children in the primary grades who love nature and animals will want to read this book over and over again. Perfect for a bedtime story or family read aloud.

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Today, I have a special treat for my readers, an interview with Carole P. Roman, award winning children’s book author featuring her new release If You Were Me and Lived On…Mars as part of The Children’s Book Review Blog Tour.

1. Why do you choose to write children’s books? I think they chose me. My son’s dared me to write a book. When I couldn’t think of anything but a game I played with my oldest grandson, Captain No Beard was created and the books started taking off. I also wanted to explain about the concept of cultures and customs around the world and so began the If You Were Me series… . It was a natural to start doing the histories. I have a nursery series that I wrote for my grandchildren. Actually, all the books were written for each of my own diverse group. We are big stargazers and this summer spent a lot of time watching Mars make its way across the sky—so I wrote about what it might be like to live there.

2. What do you like best about being a children’s book author? Hearing how much the kids enjoyed the books. Knowing they are reading with their parents, bringing them closer. Hearing that I made something easy for them to understand or how to deal with a problem.

3. What is the most difficult part for you personally in the writing process? Editing. I never see the errors and have had some costly do overs.

4. What is your personal favorite from all the books you have written and why? No favorites! I love them each like they are my babies.

5. You have written books about countries around the world and some of the great past civilization periods. Why did you decide to change course and write about a planet in outer space to which no human has ventured? It seemed sensible. We love learning about space in our household. We have telescopes and we look for meteor showers, comets, and planets. When we travel, we compare the night sky. It’s only a matter of time before one of the young readers in my family makes my book a reality.

6. Will you be writing more books about places that have not yet been explored? Every book for me is exploration. I haven’t been to half the countries I write about and certainly I’ve never time traveled. It’s all about exploration, discovery, and learning to me.

7. What exciting plan for the future are you willing to share with us? I’ve just published a book about Ancient Mali. It was fascinating. The Ancient Mayan Empire is next. Finished Germany and Cuba in the cultural series, and I’d like to do a chapter book. Maybe I’ll explore a desert island…

Thank you so much Carole for stopping by to chat today.

Enter To Win An Autographed Copy Of If You Were Me And Lived On … Mars, By Award-Winning Author Carole P. Roman, And A Stomp Rocket: Ultra LED To Light Up The Night Sky.

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

A copy of If You Were Me and Lived On … Mars, autographed by Carole P. Roman
A Stomp Rocket: Ultra LED set

A bonus autographed picture book selected from one of the 35+ books written by Carole P. Roman

Four (4) winners receive:

A copy of If You Were Me and Lived On … Mars, autographed by Carole P. Roman

A bonus autographed picture book selected from one of the 35+ books written by Carole P. Roman

Age Range: 4-8

Giveaway begins February 7, 2017, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends March 7, 2017, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Giveaway open to US and Canadian addresses only.
Prizes and samples provided by Carole P. Roman and The Children’s Book Review.
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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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