HEY KIDS! LET’S VISIT LONDON (Fun, Facts, and Amazing Discoveries for Kids)

Written by Teresa Mills

This book is geared toward middle-grade students, roughly ages eight through thirteen. It can be used as a guidebook to prepare children who are planning a trip to London with a family or a community organization. Each site is accompanied by pictures, its history, main features, and visitor appeal. Mills talks about iconic historical landmarks like Stonehenge, The Tower of London, Big Ben, The Red Phone Booth, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. She discusses street landmarks like Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, and Harrod’s Department Store. Other notable spots to visit include The London Zoo, Hampstead Heath, The Globe Theater, and Platform 9 3/4’s with its connection to Harry Potter. Of course, no visit would be complete without a ride on the London tube or a visit to one of the museums like The Duxford Air & Space Museum or the RAF Museum.

There is so much to see. Mills has especially focused on those of interest to children. This book can also be useful as a starting place for a school project on London. The book need not be read in any particular order as the chapters are not laid out sequentially.

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Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 (1/25/19) is in its 6^th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents, and educators.

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board!

*View our 2019 Medallion Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-
*View our 2019 MCBD Author Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-2eN

Medallion Level Sponsors

Honorary: Children’s Book Council, The Junior Library Guild, TheConsciousKid.org.

Super Platinum: Make A Way Media

GOLD: Bharat Babies, Candlewick Press, Chickasaw Press, Juan Guerra and The Little Doctor / El doctorcito, KidLitTV,  Lerner Publishing Group, Plum Street Press,

SILVER: Capstone Publishing, Carole P. Roman, Author Charlotte Riggle, Huda Essa, The Pack-n-Go Girls,

BRONZE: Charlesbridge Publishing, Judy Dodge Cummings, Author Gwen Jackson, Kitaab World, Language Lizard – Bilingual & Multicultural Resources in 50+ Languages, Lee & Low Books, Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul, Redfin, Author Gayle H. Swift,  T.A. Debonis-Monkey King’s Daughter, TimTimTom Books, Lin Thomas, Sleeping Bear Press/Dow Phumiruk, Vivian Kirkfield,

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Author Sponsors on board

Honorary: Julie Flett, Mehrdokht Amini,

Author Janet Balletta, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Josh Funk, Chitra Soundar, One Globe Kids – Friendship Stories, Sociosights Press and Almost a Minyan, Karen Leggett, Author Eugenia Chu, CultureGroove Books, Phelicia Lang and Me On The Page, L.L. Walters, Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Hayley Barrett, Sonia Panigrah, Author Carolyn Wilhelm, Alva Sachs and Dancing Dreidels, Author Susan Bernardo, Milind Makwana and A Day in the Life of a Hindu Kid, Tara Williams, Veronica Appleton, Author Crystal Bowe, Dr. Claudia May, Author/Illustrator Aram Kim, Author Sandra L. Richards, Erin Dealey, Author Sanya Whittaker Gragg, Author Elsa Takaoka, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo, Anita Badhwar, Author Sylvia Liu, Feyi Fay Adventures, Author Ann Morris, Author Jacqueline Jules, CeCe & Roxy Books, Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, LEUYEN PHAM, Padma Venkatraman, Patricia Newman and Lightswitch Learning, Shoumi Sen, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Traci Sorell, Shereen Rahming, Blythe Stanfel, Christina Matula, Julie Rubini, Paula Chase, Erin Twamley, Afsaneh Moradian, Lori DeMonia, Claudia Schwam, Terri Birnbaum/ RealGirls Revolution, Soulful Sydney, Queen Girls Publications, LLC

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Biracial Bookworms, Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Descendant of Poseidon Reads, Educators Spin on it,  Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joy Sun Bear/ Shearin Lee, Jump Into a Book, Imagination Soup,Jenny Ward’s Class, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Raising Race Conscious Children, Shoumi Sen, Spanish Playground

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Make A Way Media: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/25/19 at 9:00pm.E.S.T. TONS of prizes and book bundles will be given away during the party. GO HERE for more details.

FREE RESOURCES From MCBD

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

I am delighted to participate once more in Children’s Multicultural Book Day as I have been involved in reviewing books since the inception of the event. This year, I had the pleasure of reviewing, Memphis, Martin, AND THE MOUNTAINTOP The Sanitation Strike of 1968, written by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie.

This story is based on facts recorded in history books and the memories of a Memphis school teacher named Lorraine who was nine years old when the momentous events of 1968 transpired. Lorraine was the daughter of a maid and sanitation worker. At the beginning of 1968, her father’s wages were $1.70 a day. In January Robert and Cole Walker were killed in a sanitation truck accident. The all-black workforce organized a labor union, which the newly elected mayor, Henry Loeb, refused to recognize. Thirteen hundred men deserted their sanitation trucks on Feb. 12, 1968. The men picketed the streets for 65 days. A group of Memphis preachers formed a support group and used church donations to help the workers and their families. The NAACP organized boycotts and sang freedom songs. Martin Luther King, Jr. heard about the strike and promised to come to Memphis to support them. He preached that all labor has dignity.

On March 28, six thousand marchers gathered. The families stood behind the workers. Police had billy clubs, and tear gas. Within 15 minutes bricks and looting began. Rumors suggested militant teenagers initiated the riot. The mayor called in the National Guard. On April 3, Dr. King came to deliver his famous mountaintop speech. The next day, he was shot at the Lorraine Motel by James Earl Ray. His widow, Coretta Scott King, kept her husband’s pledge to march behind the workers. Protests sprung up all over the country.

President Lyndon Johnson sent James Reynolds to negotiate. The labor union was recognized, pay hikes negotiated and merit-based promotions instituted. The Memphis Sanitation Strike ended on April 16, 1968.

This picture book features bold, watercolor illustrations that evoke the mood and emotion of the event. It includes the powerful poem, that nine-year-old Lorraine wrote on the day of the march. A timeline presents the day by day history of the events, and Duncan adds links to the museum and a complete bibliography. The book is highly recommended as an insight into the emotions which rocked the entire country during the 1960s and a portrait of the economic and racial tensions that existed. Suggested as an effective classroom reference as a springboard to a discussion on civil rights history for middle-grade students ages eight through twelve. The author graciously provided a copy of this book for reviewers of this event.

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FREE lesson plans and a PowerPoint to use with students

The Family That Went to War

Written by Gordon Smith

The author was inspired to write this story because of genealogical family research. It begins in Cootamundra in New South Wales in 1911 when Australia was just six years old. Charles Power was about to marry Iris. The first world war would break out three years later. This memoir traces the stories of six young Australians who would leave their homeland to fight in a war for Great Britain. Only three of them would return.

The memoir follows the family members who served in Gallipoli and Tripoli. It reflects on the military history of their experiences as well as leave time in France and England. Its language is simple and straightforward filled with the gravity of the situation as well as moments of light humor. When the author starts to reflect on personal feelings, the plot seems to veer off course. Perhaps the author takes too much license in writing about how the brothers perceived the situation. Readers need to be aware that while much of the story has been carefully researched, there is an emotional family attachment. The story ends with Charles and Iris reflecting on the losses the family has suffered as well as the joys of raising their children.

The book provides a unique perspective on World War I. Homeschooling parents might want to explore using it to supplement primary sources. Recommended for readers ages ten and older.

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Mary’s Song (Dream Horse Adventures Book 1)

Written by Susan Count

Mary is a twelve-year-old handicapped young lady. Her mother died when she was three; no one wants to talk about it. Mary lives with her father and a housekeeper. The story is set in 1952. Her father constantly searches for a possible medical breakthrough to cure his daughter. Mary is strong-willed and determined. Her best friend, Laura, rides and cares for horses at her home. The girls become obsessed with saving a horse named Illusion who needs surgery. They find ways of earning money toward that end.

Mary’s overprotective father frequently gets upset with Mary’s obstinate behavior. Laura and Mary disobey their parents and end up in trouble often, but that means lots of interesting adventures along the way. Will the girls be able to save Illusion? Can Mary’s father find a medical cure to help Laura walk again?

Middle-grade and young adult readers will find the antics of these two friends’ fun and endearing. There is lots of humor and a few surprises in store for readers. Two strong female role models and a tender story of animal affection will appeal to a wide audience. Highly recommended. I look forward to reading the sequel.

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6^TH GRADE REVENGERS: BOOK 1, CAT CRIMES AND WANNABES

Written by Steven Whibley

Marcus and Jared are two eleven-year-old friends in sixth grade. They would both like to attend spy camp but don’t have the money to attend. Jared is smart and creative; Marcus is a computer genius with the equipment to put his ideas into motion.

Jared comes up with an idea to set up a business with Marcus to raise money by solving people’s problems. After playacting to remove his six-year-old sister’s fears of The Bogeyman, Jared decides his idea might work. He comes up with the name, The Revengers and enlists Marcus to develop the website, advertise and be his partner “in crime.”

The friends take on the task of ridding a neighborhood of an aggressive orange cat that has been terrorizing Oak Street, while at the same time getting rid of Gunner, the ne’er do well, freeloading musician boyfriend of Jared’s older sister, Ronie. A series of comical mishaps follow on both fronts. Things seem to be getting more out of hand.

The adventures include lots of humor and age-appropriate scenarios for preteens and teens. Reminiscent of vintage adventures like The Hardy Boys, the characters also include strong female characters like Janet, the gossip, and Ronie, the somewhat gullible, and follow the crowd pleaser.

I haven’t read the other books in the series, but if the first is any indication, I would certainly recommend the series for readers age eight and older. The characters are likable and the plot lines clever and engaging. Young adults and adults will enjoy them as well.

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ANDREW THE GREAT: The Heroic Story of Andrew Jackson That “They Don’t Want You to Know”

Written by MS King

This book, as the title implies, is not a traditional retelling of the life and times of Andrew Jackson. The author is not a historian. He is an investigative journalist with a penchant for uncovering inaccuracies and misconceptions widely accepted by the public.
King carefully traces the origins of the American Revolution as an important prelude to how the Republic came to be and the influencers behind its foundation. He names the major players in the Federalist Party like Alexander Hamilton and John Adams as well as the opposing, Democratic-Republicans like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who believed in limited government and states’ rights.

Andrew Jackson grew up as a self-educated orphan who would rail about the powerful interests like the Rothschild bank in Europe that would greatly influence the role of the central bank and its early failures in the United States.

The author is a firm believer that a person’s actions and role in history should not be judged by the standards and morals of the present. Consequently, King points out that though Jackson owned slaves and trapped Native Americans, he also recruited blacks and Native Americans to fight alongside him in The Battle of New Orleans and paid them equally.

Jackson also foresaw the importance of eliminating Spain and English control of Florida and the Mississippi River trade. King gives a fascinating account of Jackson’s struggles with the news media, his enemies and his personal struggle to maintain individual rights and avoid global entanglements.

The book contains lots of illustrations of contemporary reports, drawings, and speeches. I would recommend this book as a highly readable and informative account for students and the general public. While it does not qualify as an objective, unbiased resource, it certainly contributes to a healthy discussion of Andrew Jackson and the period in which he lived.

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Snowdrops: Adventure Three (Book # 3 in the Adventures of Katie and Alex series)

Written by Julia Gousseva

Ten-year-old Alex and his nine-year-old sister are staying with their Aunt Karina while their parents are working in Russia. Karina frequently reads the children Russian folktales. But she does more than read those tales, the children have discovered a fireplace that leads to a magic portal through which they become a part of that story.

One day the children are on the porch when the summer weather suddenly turns stormy. Within a matter of minutes, snowdrops are swirling. Alex, Katie and their Aunt Karina retreat to the warmth of the house. Karina reads them a folktale about a girl named Masha who lives with her wicked stepmother, Darya.  This stepmother ordered Masha to go into the forest and pick snowdrops even though it was still winter. Alex, Katie, and Karina rush into the forest to save Masha and they proceed to have an adventure in which they meet Father Frost and move through all the seasons of the year. The children learn about the seasons and meet the Twelve Months of the Year.

Will the children and their aunt be able to rescue Masha and prevent Darya from abusing her further?

This is a chapter book that combines elements of fantasy with a Russian folktale and a travel adventure. There are no illustrations. I would recommend this book as a good choice for readers in third through fifth grade, but readers of any age who enjoy multicultural folktales will probably enjoy it.

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Want to help your child learn about history? Then follow Little Miss History on her explorations.

Little Miss HISTORY Travels to MOUNT RUSHMORE is her first stop. In her second journey, she sails to The STATUE of LIBERTY. Little Miss HISTORY’S third adventure to SEQUOIA National Park finds her skydiving into the park to explore its history. This book recently received honorable mention in the Children’s Literature Independently Published Principal’s Awards (CLIPPA), and runner-up in nature/wildlife category of the 2015 Great Northwest Book Festival. In her fourth adventure, Little Miss HISTORY arrives at FORD’S THEATER in her horse and buggy just in time for the 150th Anniversary to witness an event that changed history. This book won the 2015 IAN Award for Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction Book.

Awards for books in this series include seven B.R.A.G. MEDALLIONS, Eric Hoffer Award, Book Excellence Awards, International Reader’s Favorite Awards, Independent Author Network Awards, Global E-Book Award, and CLIPPA Principal’s Award.

https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Ann-Mojica/e/B00B9DOVKC

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Barbara+Ann+Mojica?_requestid=786603

About the Author

Barbara Ann Mojica is a historian and retired educator living in New York State. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in History. Barbara spent more than 40 years teaching in NYC and holds New York State teacher certifications in Elementary, Special Education, and Administration. She also spent several years as a Special Education Administrator and principal of a special education preschool for developmentally delayed children. Barbara, although retired from teaching, is staying busy: along with her series of Little Miss History travel books she writes historical pieces for The Columbia Insider, Pat Fisher, and Ed Pollack Editors, under the banner “Passages”. Marrying her love of history and teaching, Barbara hopes her Little Miss History character will inspire children to learn about historical people, and visit landmarks such as the one covered in this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Ann-Mojica/e/B00B9DOVKC

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Barbara+Ann+Mojica?_requestid=786603

Barbara@littlemisshistory.com

http://www.littlemisshistory.com

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Review excerpts

“The use of photographs and colorful illustrations by the illustrator enhances the book with visual appeal. Highly recommended.”

“Charming and informative, Little Miss History doesn’t disappoint, informing young readers about the many great places the United States has to offer for entertainment and learning.”

“I love Barbara’s Little Miss HISTORY books! They visit historical sites and explain the significance of that location in terms kids understand. These books can be used in the classroom as well as for reading at home. Kids love to learn!”

“Because ALL books produced by Barbara Ann Mojica are just wonderful to read, I can’t tell you my favorite. Each time I read one, I believe they all become my favorite.”

Check out what others are saying about Little Miss HISTORY’S
Latest Adventure as she travels to the North Pole.

Little Miss History Travels to the North Pole

Barbara Ann Mojica ANNOUNCES THE NINTH BOOK IN THE AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S BOOK SERIES…

Little Miss HISTORY Travels to The NORTH POLE

Ever feel like you’re standing on thin ice?  Here at the northernmost point on Earth, no land lies below. Are there seasons? Who lives here?   What does Santa look like and where does he live? Uncover the answers in Little Miss HISTORY Travels to The NORTH POLE, the newest release in the award-winning children’s nonfiction book series.

Barbara Ann Mojica is a historian and retired educator. She writes historical articles for the Columbia Insider under the banner “Passages.” Barbara is a licensed New York State educator with forty years’ experience in Elementary Education, Special Education, and School Administration. Using the whimsical Little Miss History character, Barbara hopes to inspire children to learn about historical people and places. Little Miss History’s antics make reading nonfiction a fun-filled adventure for all ages.

Book Series Awards include International Reader’s Favorite Awards, International Book Excellence Awards, Independent Author Network Awards, Eric Hoffer Award, Global e-book award, CLIPPA Principal’s Award, and B.R.A.G. Medallions to name a few.

For more information, resources, school visits, book signings, and book reviews of family-friendly books, visit me at:

Website:           http://www.littlemisshistory.com

AMAZON:        http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Ann-Mojica