Posts from the ‘Book Reviews’ Category

A QUICK OVERVIEW OF ONLINE TEACHING

Teaching in the Years of the Corona Virus

Written by Kostas Pan

This book is a brief overview of the history and implementation of online teaching. While college students have been using it in one form or another for a while, the concept has been thrust into the limelight as education on all levels has been shut down during the pandemic.

For traditional teachers, especially those in elementary and middle-grade classrooms, using the computer as a teaching tool has been a supplement up to this point. Now teachers are suddenly faced with the task of taking all their lesson plans and finding a way to deliver them virtually. Notwithstanding the problems of students and schools who do not have adequate bandwidth or hardware, there is the issue of appropriate software.

Pan points out some advantages of online learning. It is flexible, and today’s software programs allow for interactive student discussions, quizzes, and teacher-student direct interaction. It can be accessed at home or by mobile device. If teachers plan their lessons well ahead, they can input measures of accountability. Teachers must prepare parents in advance. They need to ask parents to participate, encourage and supervise the younger students.

There will be a period of transition when the method seems difficult, but with time and practice students and teachers become responsible and practiced with the techniques. There is no doubt in person instruction is a crucial and necessary component of education, but online teaching has emerged due to necessity and will not disappear from the educational landscape.

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CARIBBEAN CAPER

The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle

Written by Paul Moxley

Amy, Sarah, and Joe, along with their friend Joe are with their guide Uti. Because their parents suddenly had to cancel, Uti is taking them to Oxley, a remote island on the outskirts of the Bermuda Triangle to see the exotic native animals.

Shortly, after their arrival, a sudden storm sweeps them out to sea before Uti can return to the wheelhouse. Alone and scared, the children are terrified when a ship crashes right into them. To their dismay, Captain Red, a pirate, is in command. Will the children survive the storm and escape from the pirates?

That is just the beginning of their adventures. A white gorilla, slithering reptiles, scary Natives, Will’s disappearance, aircraft, tunnels, and vampire bats are among the things the intrepid children will need to face.

The characters are nicely developed, the settings intriguing, and the action is nonstop, providing the perfect backdrop for a middle-grade or young adult thriller adventure.

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop – Simple, straightforward introduction

YouTube Video Marketing: Video Marketing Tips, Tricks And Strategies EXPOSED

Written by Lavorite Martin

This book is written in an easy, non-technical style. While certainly not intended for an expert in videography, this book is a good choice for beginners. Authors who want to explore using video clips in their marketing campaigns will find it a good introduction.

Martin begins with explaining the importance and techniques for identifying and zooming in on your ideal customer and target audience. This is crucial for success. The author also stresses the need to tie video marketing in with the rest of your social media platform. The section on the many types of videos will help the reader decide which is the right kind of approach to video marketing.

Success will rise or fall if you don’t have the right equipment. Martin gives suggestions. I learned a lot about which formatting is most effective and how to choose the right one in each situation. Finally, Martin explains how to optimize videos with calls to action, keywords, and tags. He tells the reader how to embed a video on various social media platforms.

I recommend this book as a handy reference tool and quick reminder for a marketer’s video needs.

A DIFFICULT JOURNEY

Sagas of Anya

Written by Kirsten Mbawa

Anya is only thirteen. She lives in Cardiff, and her life has been difficult. Tad, her alcoholic father, has spiraled into alcoholism and depression. Unable to support himself and his daughter, he secures a position as a scullery maid in London for her.

Anya’s adventure begins with a train ride on a contraption she has never laid eyes on. When she disembarks at Paddington Station, the sights and smells of Victorian England surround her. She has no idea of what to expect. When she meets her boss, Mrs. Axton, her fears escalate.

But as Anya settles into a life of drudgery, more trouble looms before her. Anya has secured a few friendships, but she has also made many enemies. The novel traces her struggle to clear her name. This young Victorian girl is determined to obtain a measure of happiness and find a family to accept and love her.

The book is a fast-moving historical fiction adventure that is perfect for middle-grade readers.

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TENDER AND SWEET

Mama Loves You Always

Written by Lindsey Coker Luckey

Illustrated by Tanya Matikiv

The illustrations say it all. Soft colors and exquisite expressions portray the emotions set out in the rhymes. Most of the rhymes are on the mark, perhaps a couple stretch the meaning of the words.

Toddlers and preschoolers will get the message clearly by looking at the images. I think the book would have made an even greater impression if a few human examples of mother and child were included. Luckey gives specific examples of why a mother’s love is so deep and truly everlasting.

This book would be an excellent gift for a new mother. Grandmothers and caretakers will also enjoy reading it aloud or as a bedtime story.

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#GIVEAWAY #Buckets Goes On A WINTER ADVENTURE

GIVEAWAY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW AND TARYN CROWDER

GIVEAWAY

  • An autographed copy, by both Taryn Crowder and Buckets, of Buckets Goes On A Winter Adventure
  • A 16″ plush Buckets toy

Nine (9) winners will receive:

  • An autographed copy, by both Taryn Crowder and Buckets, of Buckets Goes On A Winter Adventure

Giveaway begins August 3, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 3, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. PST.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3d5cb282177

About the Book

Buckets Goes on a Winter Adventure

Written by Taryn Crowder

Illustrated by Nidhom

Publisher’s Synopsis: Buckets is a curious French Bulldog, and he’s determined to find out where snow comes from! One wintry day, Buckets runs away from his home in Brooklyn in hopes of finding its origin…but what happens when he gets lost along the way?

Buckets Goes on a Winter Adventure is a story of friendship and determination, and will encourage readers of all ages to explore the mysteries of the world around them.

Ages 4-8 | Mascot Books | October 1, 2019 | ISBN-13: 978-1643073699

https://amzn.to/3jORBxI

https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9781643073699

OFFICIAL LINKS

bucketsthefrenchie.com | Instagram | Facebook

TOUR SCHEDULE

August 3The Children’s Book Reviewhttps://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
August 4Word Spelunkinghttp://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/
August 5Over Coffee Conversationshttps://www.gmarciano.blogspot.com
August 6J.R.’s Book Reviewshttps://jrsbookreviews.wordpress.com/
August 7Life Is What It’s Calledhttp://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/
August 10Barbara Ann Mojica’s Bloghttps://bamauthor.me
August 11icefairy’s Treasure Chesthttp://icefairystreasurechest.blogspot.com/
August 12Library Lady’s Kid Lithttps://janemouttet.wordpress.com/
August 13Heart to Hearthttps://tynea-lewis.com/
August 14Confessions of a Book Addicthttp://www.confessionsofabookaddict.com/
August 17Satisfaction for Insatiable Readershttp://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com
August 18Mommy Ramblingshttp://www.mommyramblings.org
August 19Fairview Elementary School (Library)https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/
August 20A Dream Within A Dreamhttp://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com

AND THE FUN CONTINUES…

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids 2

Written by Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by Dylan Goldberger

This book is the sequel to the wildly successful Silly Jokes 1 and it follows a similar format. It includes silly questions, knock-knock jokes, tongue twisters, puns, riddles, one time and a write your own jokes section.

My favorite parts of this collection include the silly facts because I love getting the background or history behind the scene, and the write your own jokes section because it teaches children writing skills while they don’t even realize they are developing new methods of communication aptitude.

The charming illustrations add to the fun. Recommended for children of any age. Younger children can begin with the simpler jokes and progress to those with more difficult punch lines.  It is a good choice for siblings to share.

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AN ADVENTURE FOR THE AGES

The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity

Written by Carl Ashmore

Illustrated by Andrew Gaia

This is the second book in the series. Becky and Joe Mellon return home on school break to learn that nothing has changed at home. That home is as weird and unusual as ever. Saber-tooth tigers, a dodo, and a dinosaur share the home with the rest of the family. Things become more bizarre when an American named Bruce Westlake arrives. This time traveler has in his possession gold doubloons that contain magic powers.

In no time at all, Becky, and Joe, accompanied by their Uncle Percy and Will, find themselves time traveling to Victorian England, the 18th century Caribbean, and the city of Chicago in the 1920s. They will encounter gangsters, sharks and sea demons, and blood-thirsty pirates. What is their goal? Their quest is to find the elusive Pandora’s box.

This fantasy time-travel thriller will appeal to middle-grade, young adult, and adult audiences.

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Mixed Feelings

Mina’s Ups and Downs (Written in Traditional Chinese, English and Pinyini)

Written by Katrina Liu

Illustrated by Rosalia Destarisa

This bilingual picture book written in Chinese and English walks the reader through Mina’s first visit to a carnival. She is so excited. As Mina experiences the rides, the petting zoo, and the sights and smells of the carnival, she displays a range of feelings

Mina feels happy when she flies up in the air but disappointed when she is too short for the roller coaster. She finds it difficult to choose from so many foods She feels angry when the goats cause her to drop her ice cream and sad when she first loses a carnival game. Young readers get the message that it’s okay to experience a range of emotions and that all works out for the best in the end.

This book is an excellent choice for toddlers and preschoolers. My only criticism would be that the font for English is rather small and a bit difficult to read as the Chinese characters draw the eye to it.

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A REELING REPUBLIC

Bodies in the Tiber: An Ancient Rome Political Thriller: The Sertorius Scrolls Book 3

Written by Vincent B. Davis II

Quintus Sertorius has just returned from five years of fighting for the Roman republic in the north. He is eager to return to Rome and pick up his life with a family that he is certain barely remembers him.

Davis has a fluid writing style. He bases his historical fiction on research, but he is adept at creating interesting and complex personal characters. It is the year 100 B.C. While Rome has been victorious, the republic has never been in greater danger. Sertorius has been writing a diary of sorts in his scrolls for the past year documenting history while also providing personal glimpses into his ambitions as well as his fears.

This is the third book in the series which begins seven years earlier when Sertorius loses his father and his rural village. In a struggle to survive and provide for his family, Sertorius leaves them and is thrust into the role of politician in a corrupt society.

The author uses his own military experience to enrich his story. An engaging and fascinating read for anyone interested in ancient history.

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