The Change Guidebook: How to Align Your Heart, Truths, and Energy to Find Success in All Areas of Your Life
Written by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino
Most people would agree we would like to become the best we can be, but how many of us, are willing to put in the effort to achieve that lofty goal?
Guarino has made it possible by providing a simple framework to make it possible for us to grow and change as we move through life. She provides ten points of change in three phrases to help the reader become happier.
These three phases align our heart, our truths, and finally our energy. As one discovers herself, she must act. Guarino provides assessments that help us to think, write, talk, and finally, act. The reader learns to create power phrases and then complete exercises to practice implementing those actions. Practical suggestions help us manage our time and energy. For those who enjoy a challenge, a discussion quiz allows a way to gain certification in completion of the course in recognition of the arduous work and progress made on the path to change and true happiness.
Take the first step to becoming a better you.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Meow is definitely not a cat. Cats lick their butts. Follow along as this wild child’s unique way of following instructions ends up going a little bananas.
Meow Is Not Cat is a completely goofy story, guaranteed to make kids laugh. With a cynical cat, wild monkeys, butt jokes, and a banana cannon, even pre-readers will love shouting out their favorite parts as you read aloud. Nestled among the laughs is a lesson about how embracing a person’s different way of interpreting the world can lead to surprisingly good results —and bananas, lots of bananas.
Kelly Tills is the creator of her own uniquely shaped family. Kindness, neurodiversity, and potty humor are her jam. She writes silly stories for kids and believes even the smallest hat-tip, in the simplest of books, can teach our kids how to approach the world. Kelly’s children’s stories are perfect to read aloud to your little humans or to have your older kids read to you (hey, let them flex those new reading skills!). Either way, you’ll enjoy the giggles.
Tills authors this book to celebrate neurodiverse children who think and respond to situations differently from most children.
The protagonist is a young boy called Meow by his teacher. Meow protests he is not a cat and does not act like one. The author adds a cat as a character who ad-libs as the story proceeds. This boy just cannot seem to fall in line. He goes off in the opposite direction. When the class participates in an outing to feed the monkeys, the situation gets out of control. Will Meow find a way to fit in with the group? More importantly, is it fair that he even tries to do so?
The book is full of hilarious illustrations and situations that will have primary-grade readers laughing. They will learn the value of empathy, kindness, and respecting the rights of others regardless of physical or mental differences.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a copy of Meow Is Not a Cat!
Publisher’s Synopsis: Freedom for lobsters! The second in the Eudora Space Kid series: a hilariously funny, early reader sci-fi chapter book perfect for elementary-aged kids. Can Eudora and her best friend, Arnold, rescue her favorite lobsters from becoming the next meal at the spaceship’s New Year’s buffet?
Eudora is a normal third-grader who just happens to live on a 36 deck AstroLiner. In SPACE! As a math and science whiz who’s been adopted by what you might call . . . aliens, she has normal ambitions—like being the chief engineer on an AstroLiner. But when her favorite lobsters on board appear on the menu at Chef Franklin’s dinner buffet, Eudora and her best friend, Arnold, hatch a plan to break them out. Will they save their crustacean friends? Or will they end up locked in the ship’s brig? Again . . .
Brilliant for engaging emergent and early chapter book readers.
David Horn lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters, and a funny dog named Trixie. He is a huge science fiction fan and loves reading science fiction books from both the old and new greats. His daughters inherited his love of science fiction and love watching sci-fi shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5, Stargate, and Star Wars. The Eudora Space Kid early reader chapter book series started as funny stories he told his daughters at dinner to get milk to come out of their noses. He hopes your children love Eudora’s silly antics in space too and milk comes out of their noses too!
Eudora Jenkins is a third-grader who lives on a spaceship in the future. She is a math, science, and engineering genius. Her home, The Athena, is a space vessel protecting the Planetary Republic. Its crew consists of humans and space aliens.
This book is the second in the series but can easily be a stand-alone story. Readers quickly learn that Athena and her best friend, Arnold have a penchant for getting into trouble for their pranks and landing in the brig. At the beginning of the tale, they inject dancing music while the crew is engaged in a battle drill on the bridge. More trouble looms when they decide to rescue the lobsters doomed to be on the menu for a special buffet dinner. Eudora never runs out of clever ideas that get her into trouble. Will Eudora succeed? How long will the adults tolerate her schemes?
This sci-fi series contains humor, imagination, pranks, and clever characters. Perfect choice for elementary grade students learning to read chapter books. The black and white illustrations assist with attention retention and are enticing for reluctant readers. A bonus word search activity at the end continues the fun.
Publisher: Page Street Kids | ISBN-13: 9781645674719
Publisher’s Synopsis: Lilly has waited for this day all year: It’s Pegasus Camp! And it’s finally here!
But this year, Lilly’s little sister, Filly, is tagging along. And wherever Lilly goes, Filly’s right underhoof, turning rainbow leaping, mane braiding, and cake baking into crashing, tangling, splattering messes! When Lilly’s temper finally snaps, Filly canters sadly away. Lilly wanted her Pega Sister to go―so why can she no longer have any fun without her?
Anyone with siblings will knowingly smile and roll their eyes, and all readers will laugh along with this rollicking, punny summer camp romp, which also serves as a sparkling reminder that sisters make the most marvelous magic together.
Publisher’s Synopsis: A rhyming picture book about how sometimes it’s not the biggest, strongest, or the fastest, but the littlest who can get the job done!
“Alaska Northwest Books wings into spring with… The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman, illus. by John Joseph, in which a storm necessitates calling a mighty little bush plane to rescue people stuck on a mountain in the snow.” —Publishers Weekly, Spring 2022 Children’s Sneak Previews
At a landing strip in the far north, a little bush plane watches quietly as bigger, stronger, faster planes take off for adventure. But when a storm hits and hikers are stranded on the mountain, who will come to the rescue?
Told in rhyming verse with bright illustrations, The Littlest Airplane soars high with heart and excitement.
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brooke Hartman is an Alaskan mom and national award-winning author of silly, sweet, and sometimes strange stories for children and Young Adults. Follow along on her Alaskan writing adventures at www.BrookeAHartman.com, or on social media at @BrookesBooksAK.
MY REVIEW OFPega Sisters Go to Camp
SISTER STRUGGLES
Pega Sisters Go to Camp
Written by Brooke Hartman
Illustrated by Mackenzie Haley
Lilly is excited about the upcoming summer camp. This year will be extra special because her little sister, Filly, will be going along with her. Unfortunately, things do not go smoothly. Filly adores her big sister and is constantly underfoot and undermining Lilly’s creations. When Lilly gets frustrated, she walks away from her sister. Will they be able to patch things up?
Children who adore unicorns and winged horses will fall in love with the beautiful illustrations of these beloved creatures. A fun bedtime story or read-aloud for preschoolers and primary grade readers.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a Pega Sisters Goes to Camp or The Littlest Airplaneprize pack!
One (1) winner receives:
The Pega Sisters Prize Pack!
Includes a signed copy of Pega Sisters Go to Camp by Brooke Hartman and MacKenzie Haley, your own pegasus plushy, Pega Sisters activities, stickers, and accessories to “glam up” just like Lilly and Filly!
One (1) winner receives:
The Littlest Airplane Prize Pack!
Includes a signed copy of The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman and John Joseph, a “build your own wings” craft activity, Littlest Airplane word search and maze, Littlest Airplane stickers, a set of markers, and your own fox plush to take with you on all your flights!
One (1) winner receives:
A copy of Pega Sisters Go to Camp and The Littlest Airplane
Publisher’s Synopsis: A child ponders … who is her best, most loyal friend? Is it her constant companion, Then, who regales her with extravagant stories of their shared past and imagined future? Or is it precious, patient Now, with whom she sensitively explores each new moment that unfolds?
My Old Friend, Then explores mindfulness the same way that kids approach life: with curiosity, humor, and unspoiled sincerity. Pairing accessible and relatable language with vivid, quirky illustrations, this book invites readers to share in a young girl’s journey as she grapples with the trappings—and delights in the boundless potential—of her own brilliant mind.
Katherine Davis-Gibbon is a yoga teacher, a longtime practitioner of Vipassana meditation, and most importantly a mother of two. She is also the founder of Riverlet Press, a children’s book company for conscious parents raising mindful kids.
Allie Daigle is an illustrator who strives to create immersive and expressive images that stimulate the imagination. Whether for a children’s book, a product label, or her original pieces, Daigle’s works implore the viewer to linger and explore the details within. Allie primarily works with traditional watercolor & ink as well as digital mediums.
This is a charming picture book written for preschoolers and primary grade children. A little girl reflects on her imaginary friend, Then. Then is a collection of her memories and her first imaginary friend. Now the little girl has also embraced a new friend, Now. This friend does not fear losing the girl or sharing her. She is confident and does not fear other friends.
The subtle pastel colors of the illustrations reflect the moods of the little girl. The faces of the imaginary friends are not filled in, allowing the reader to imagine what they look like. There are only a few lines of text with each illustration, but they are filled with emotion.
I would highly recommend this book as a bedtime story or read-aloud for children ages four through seven.
Publisher’s Synopsis: Set in Kenya, Oi is a naughty kitten who lives with his Mummy and siblings in an outdoor shed. Despite Mummy’s warnings, Oi has a tendency of wandering off and exploring. But one day, after nearly being attacked by a dog, Oi ends up in an unfamiliar neighborhood. And this time, he’s not sure he’ll be able to find his way back home…
Oi’s adventure is sure to delight children and cat-lovers alike.
‘A brave and vivid adventure’ —Ijeoma Isichei
‘A sheer delight for all kids, a gem of a story’ —Okenna Nzelu
Lorna Likiza is a Kenyan writer, tutor of French, and Founder of the Heroe Book Fair. Oi Gets Lost is her first published book. She considers Literature as one of her passions and lives in Mombasa.
MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK:
LOST AND FOUND
Oi Gets Lost
Written by Lorna Likiza
Illustrated by YevheniaMelnyk
An adorable chapter book with beautiful color illustrations. Oi, an adorable kitten, who lives in an outdoor shed near a shopping center in Kenya, narrates this story.
Oi possesses an insatiable curiosity that befuddles his mother and fellow siblings. He particularly enjoys wandering off to the shopping center where he encounters wondrous sights and smells. One day he gets too ambitious and finds himself in a shop where he causes damage and gets into trouble. A patron decides to bring Oi home to kill outdoor rats. Oi wonders if he will ever find his way home.
After befriending his new owner’s housecat, they become friends and allies. But these two cats have lived in different worlds. Can either of them be happy in different circumstances?
Elementary and middle-grade readers will learn a bit about Kenyan culture and customs as well as animals in this beautifully illustrated and well-written multicultural tale. Recommended for beginning readers, reluctant readers, and cat lovers everywhere.
Publisher’s Synopsis: Creative and artistic 2nd-grade teacher, Mr. Wilson, wants to teach his students about kindness. Mr. Wilson creates The Kindness Machine, a special machine that shows the students exactly what they can do to bring kindness to their classroom and into their hearts! Instead of telling his students to “be kind,” which is something children hear from a very early age, they learn exactly what they can do in their own lives by pressing the special buttons. In the end, Mr. Wilson teaches his students that they each have their own Kindness Machine within them to help make kind decisions for others and themselves.
This creative, innovative, and fun teaching method will direct kids to be kind to one another in their classroom and beyond. The book includes discussion questions to help the reader consider not only kindness towards others but also kindness towards themselves, a lesson that is not always taught.
The Kindness Machine is a practical and innovative tool for teaching emotional literacy, kindness, and acceptance of self and others.
Available in hardcover, paperback, and as an ebook.
Christina Dankert is a second-grade teacher. She has a passion for literacy and believes that we can change the world by reading to the children in our lives. This is her debut picture book. She lives in Sylvania, Ohio, with her husband, Chad, and their two children. She has dreamed of collaborating with her husband to merge their two professions of educator and artist into one meaningful product. The Kindness Machine allowed that dream to come true.
What a wonderful message for elementary school children! This multicultural book portrays a diverse second-grade class with a wonderful role model as a teacher.
Mr. Wilson is a popular teacher with a penchant for invention. One day he brings one of them to class. He hides the invention under a bedsheet. The children are excited and curious. What could it be?
Mr. Wilson asks the class to identify their superpowers. When they claim not to have any, Mr. Wilson shows them how his invention is the kindness machine that will reveal each student’s superpower.
Can this be true? One by one the students step up to the machine and learn how each possesses a unique superpower that can help them to spread kindness.
The author includes wonderful illustrations and discussion questions to use before, during, and after the reading, making this picture book a valuable teaching tool.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a classroom set of The Kindness Machine or one of five individual copies!
One (1) winner receives:
A classroom set (30 copies) of The Kindness Machine will be sent directly to the winners’ school of choice, along with autographed bookplates personalized for each student and the teacher.
Five (5) winners receive:
A copy of The Kindness Machine, with bookplates autographed by author Christina Dankert
Publisher’s Synopsis: Elijah is in Cleveland visiting his grandparents when he finds out that his favorite music band will be performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The tickets are free, but there is a catch: You have to do a scavenger hunt to find band members at various landmarks throughout Cleveland. With the help of his grandparents, will Elijah be able to secure tickets to see his favorite band perform? Pick up a copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland to find out.
Mark Darden is an author, sports travel blogger, and Chief Content Creator for Buckeye Muscle Media, LLC. Since 2017, Mark has documented his sports travel adventures on his blog, buckeyemuscle.com. Originally from Cleveland, Mark’s first book is IT’S GAME TIME FOLKS!: Quest for 30, a travelogue of his journey visiting all 30 MLB ballparks during the 2017 season. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).
Elijah is so excited to be visiting his grandparents in Cleveland, Ohio. After he arrives, he views a commercial for a concert at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Elijah notes his favorite band will be performing and there is a contest to win free tickets. He immediately asks his grandparents to help.
They will have to scour the city because to win the prize the contestant must follow the clues to a scavenger hunt. During their mission, the family visits the town square, a museum, the zoo, a theater, a park, and the Hall of Fame. Will Elijah win the prize? What does he learn about Cleveland?
I enjoyed the beautiful multicultural illustrations, the map, and the warm family relationships portrayed in the story. Recommended for young children as a picture book, a travel guide for Cleveland, and a beginning reader.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win one of ten autographed copies of Elijah Goes to Cleveland—5 books will have a gift card to one of the following places: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Karamu House!
Five (5) winners receive:
A signed copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland
A gift card to one of the following places: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, or Karamu House!
Publisher’s Synopsis: Celebrate the life-changing power of art in this inspiring and stunningly illustrated picture book biography of American artist Alma Thomas.
Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her whole life and is now known as one of the most preeminent painters of the 20th century. Told from the point of view of young Alma Thomas, readers can follow along as she grows into her discovery of the life-changing power of art.
As a child in Georgia, Alma Thomas loved to spend time outside, soaking up the colors around her. And her parents filled their home with color and creativity despite the racial injustices they faced. After the family moved to Washington DC, Alma shared her passion for art by teaching children. When she was almost seventy years old, she focused on her own artwork, inspired by nature and space travel.
In this celebration of art and the power of imagination, Jeanne Walker Harvey and Loveis Wise tell the incredible true story of Alma Thomas, the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York City and to have her work chosen for the White House collection. With her bold and vibrant abstract paintings, Alma set the world ablaze with color.
Ablaze with Color includes extensive backmatter with photos, an author’s and illustrator’s note, a timeline, and a list of sources and resources, which will be a great tool for parents, educators, and librarians. Perfect for Women’s History Month and Black History Month units alongside such favorites as Malala’s Magic Pencil, Hidden Figures, andMae Among the Stars.
Jeanne Walker Harvey has been a longtime docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Just like Alma Thomas, Jeanne believes that art brings us joy. Her other picture books include Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines and My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey. Jeanne studied literature and psychology at Stanford University. She lives in Northern California.
Loveis Wise is an illustrator and designer from Washington, DC. They are currently based in Los Angeles and their work often speaks to themes of joy and liberation. Their work can be found through the New Yorker, Google, Adobe, and the New York Times.
Harvey and Wise share the story of the first black woman to have her work exhibited in a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City. Michele Obama chose her Resurrection painting as the first Black woman’s art displayed in the White House.
Alma grew up in segregated Georgia where schools and institutions remained segregated at the time. Her parents countered that by opening their home to books of all sorts and teachers who gave lectures. Alma preferred to be outside absorbing the colors, sights, and sounds of nature.
Alma’s parents moved to Washington, DC as she turned fifteen. Schools and institutions remained closed to black students. As alma matured, she followed in her parents’ footsteps and brought art to students in her home. She organized field trips and encouraged them to display their work.
When Alma retired from teaching, she turned back to creating her own art projects, infusing them with the colors of nature. She grabbed inspiration from the space program of the late sixties. Galleries soon took notice of her brilliant abstract pieces, leading to her solo exhibit and notoriety. The Mayor of Washington, DC proclaimed “Alma Thomas Day,” on September 9, 1972.
The book features stunning illustrations, along with a timeline of Thomas’s life and historical events. Harvey provides references for young readers to satiate their curiosity and expand their knowledge. Highly recommended resource for students and teachers in elementary, middle school, and beyond.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a classroom set of the picture book Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas!
Three (3) winners receive:
A classroom set of Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, autographed and personalized for each student and the teacher by Jeanne Walker Harvey (no more than 30 books per set).
This book is Part One of a two-part series about a beloved grandpa. Grandpa wants to oblige and help, but he has his way of doing things. When his wife makes a simple errand request, he immediately offers to comply. There is one problem, he has a unique way of achieving that goal.
In this tale, Grandma asks her husband to perform four simple errands to purchase ice cream, pizza, soil, and oranges, but in each case, Grandpa causes great anxiety by disappearing. Grandma is frantic. She calls the family, neighbors, hospitals, and police. Ultimately, Grandpa calls from a different destination each time telling her he is unharmed.
This book has a unique message. Not all people follow the accepted way of achieving our goals. It is okay to be different. Mrs. D’s beginning chapter book contains beautiful, color illustrations, and an important life lesson. I would recommend the book for elementary school readers and would also be an excellent choice for families with members afflicted with early Alzheimer’s disease. Looking forward to Grandpa’s adventures in Book 2.
May 1, 2022
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