Awareness tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review, Drew Callander, and Alana Harrison

GIVEAWAY

Click on the link below to enter

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3d5cb282196/

Enter for a chance to win a Mightier Than the Sword prize pack!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• A hardcover copy of Mightier Than the Sword
• A hardcover copy of Mightier Than the Sword: The Edge of the Word
• A paperback copy of Mightier Than the Sword
• A personalized video message from Manteau—the lovable French stoat

Three (3) winners receive:

• A paperback copy of Mightier Than the Sword
• A hardcover copy of Mightier Than the Sword: The Edge of the Word

Five (5) winners receive:

• A paperback copy of Mightier Than the Sword

The giveaway begins November 16, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends December 16, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Mightier Than the Sword

Written by Drew Callander and Alana Harrison

Illustrated by Ryan Andrews (and YOU!)

Publisher’s Synopsis: Wildly funny and inventive, this interactive book pulls you, the reader, into the action. Yes, YOU!

You wake up in the fictional land of Astorya, where stories from our world come to life. You’re a real human being (we assume), and in this fictional world, that makes you a superhero. Armed with your trusty pencil, you have the power to create: what you write, draw, or scribble in the book becomes part of the story!

Only you can rescue Prince S. from the evil Queen Rulette. Aided by the Couriers–a French stoat with dangerous dance moves, a giant dung beetle, a fire ninja, a Pegasus-centaur-cowgirl and a super-intelligent femalien chameleon—you must write, draw, and puzzle your way through a hilarious adventure and prove that the pencil is mightier than the sword.

Ages 8-12 | Publisher: Penguin Workshop | ISBN-13: 978-0593093641

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JWho9D

Buy on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9780593093641

My Review of the Book

COME PLAY WITH ME

MIGHTIER Than The SWORD

Written by Drew Callander & Alana Harrison

Illustrated by Ryan Andrews AND YOU

When the authors tell the reader that this book is like no other in the first sentence, they are not exaggerating. This interactive book places the reader in the driver’s seat; the only requirements are a pencil and an active imagination.

You, as the reader, become the protagonist. You wake up on a beach with no memory of who you are. Next, you find a piece of paper with a message from Prince S., pleading to be rescued. Then you discover a pencil in your pocket.

In this strange world pizzas fly around the sky, trees talk, and you meet a tiny rodent called a stoat named Manteau who speaks French. You find out that you are in the land of Astorya, where everything is a story.  The stoat tells you that you must travel to rescue the prince. Along the way to the Fuschia Purple Palace where he is held captive, you will be chased by Rubots, Ninjas, bandits, meet pirates, and work your way through the land of Doodles.

You will be required to use that pencil to write your story. Readers are encouraged to fill in the blanks of scripts written inside this book. As a bonus, young readers can expand their vocabulary and creative writing skills. Andrews helps you to visualize the imaginary characters through his black and white illustrations.

I promise you an exciting journey with lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending. Attention readers ages eight though twelve, buckle your seat belts and sign up for the journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Alana Harrison and Drew Callander have spent their lives telling stories and cracking jokes. Alana graduated from The College of William and Mary with a degree in Comedic Writing and Performance. Drew graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Fiction Writing. Together they have created cartoons and short films with Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien, John Oliver, and Kristen Schaal. Their work as writers and improv comedians has aired on Sirius XM Radio, NBC, and Comedy Central. Mightier Than the Sword is their first book series. They live with their two kids and one exquisitely talented cat (none of whom help with the dishes).

ABOUT THE IllUSTRATOR

Ryan Andrews lives in the Japanese countryside, with his wife, two kids, and their dog, Lucky. A friendly Kodama or two have been known to take up residence in the giant acorn tree that shades the house. Ryan often works at his drawing desk in the early-morning hours, to the sound of rummaging wild boar and badgers, who come from the surrounding forest seeking out shiitake mushrooms and fallen chestnuts.

OFFICIAL LINKS

https://www.mightierthantheswordbooks.com.

TOUR SCHEDULE

November 16	The Children’s Book Review	https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/	Book List
November 17	Lisa’s Reading	https://lisasreading.com	Book Review: Book One
November 18	Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog	https://bamauthor.me	Book Review: Book One
November 19	Fairview Elementary School (Library)	https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/	Book Review: One and Two
November 20	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	https://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com	Book Review: One and Two
November 23	Some the Wiser	https://somethewiser.com	Book List
November 24	ShootingStarsMag	https://shootingstarsmag.net/	Book List
November 25	icefairy’s Treasure Chest	http://icefairystreasurechest.blogspot.com/	Book Review: One and Two
November 26	THANKSGIVING
November 27	Word Spelunking	http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/	Book Review: One and Two
November 30	Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk	http://glassofwineglassofmilk.blogspot.com/	Book Review: Book One
December 1	Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk	http://glassofwineglassofmilk.blogspot.com/	Book Review: Book Two
December 2	Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog	https://bamauthor.me	Book Review: Book Two
December 3	Jrsbookreviews	https://jrsbookreviews.wordpress.com/	Book Review: Book One
December 4	Library Lady’s Kid Lit	https://janemouttet.wordpress.com/	Book Review: One and Two
December 7	Some the Wiser	https://somethewiser.com	Book Review: Book Two
December 8	Jrsbookreviews	https://jrsbookreviews.wordpress.com/	Book Review: Book Two
December 9	ShootingStarsMag	https://shootingstarsmag.net/	Book Review: Book Two
December 10	Lisa’s Reading	https://lisasreading.com	Book Review: Book Two
December 11	Life Is What It’s Called	lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com	Book Review: One and Two
December 14	The Children’s Book Review	https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/	Book Review: Book Two

Game Spaced

Written and Illustrated by Justin M. Stone

This is the first book in a series for middle-grade readers who enjoy sci-fi, adventure and fantasy. Patrick and Trish are the male and female protagonists. They have been selected along with ten other children to travel to the planet Grimline-8..

All participants under the age of seventeen will spend the five year journey in cryogenic sleep. While in their pods, the children will be playing video games. That may sound like a dream come true for some middle-grade students. On the other hand, Patrick and Trish will be facing zombies, pirates, wolves, and the like in their virtual world. In theory, the skills they acquired would help them to cope in their new world.

The action moves quickly. Perhaps a little bit outlandish for some adults, but an enjoyable adventure read for its audience in grades three through six.

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Check out all my learning opportunities at http://www.LitttleMissHISTORY.com

This tour is hosted by the Children’s Book Review and sponsored by Zuroam Media.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Little Spark

Written by Chris Parsons

Illustrated by Mike Motz

Publisher’s Synopsis: When the survival of their hometown is threatened, two unlikely comrades join forces on a quest to defeat a dangerous enemy and bring back the only one who can save them all.

Beyond the frozen mountains there lies an oasis from the frigid cold and the howling winds. A place the animals call Lake Zuron. What a wonderful place, happy creatures of all kinds, living in harmony and warmth thanks to their very own fire-breathing dragon named Daniel.

But one day everything changed when the unthinkable happened. The Dragon fire goes out and immediately the air begins to chill. Things were not looking good but just when all hope was lost, an unlikely hero steps up. Join Spark the mouse on an adventure of a lifetime as he and his friends do their part to save their town from an icy demise.

With the magical power of Daniel, the Dragon there could be hope. But first, they must face and defeat a dangerous enemy, the vile beasts who own these mountains where nobody passes through.

Along this journey maybe you will discover that it’s that little Spark in each of us that really matters, and that a little Spark could save them from the coming cold. The story reminds us that we all need something in life every day to ignite our passion and spirit – to help the world be a “warmer” place and to look for ways to “Be That Spark.”

Ages 7+ | Publisher: Zuroam Media | October 1, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1735145501

About the Author

Chris Parsons grew up in the small fishing village of Flatrock, Newfoundland where he was surrounded by storytellers. When he became a father, he began creating his own children’s stories, and soon he was sharing them with a wider audience.

Over time, his audience grew up, but he continued to create his stories and colorful characters mostly for his own enjoyment. One day he had a flash of inspiration about a little mouse named Spark and began to create the world of A Little Spark.

Today, Chris lives in Dallas. He has left the high-tech world of innovation and business development behind and is focused on his real passion – to create new meaningful experiences for children centered around powerful and engaging stories like ” A little Spark.”

Together with his wife, Kathleen, daughter, Maggie, and son, Kealan, they share a love for all God’s creatures.

bethatspark.com | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

About the Illustrator

Mike Motz is a children’s book illustrator and publishing professional based out of Toronto, Canada. Motz has helped writers around the world fulfill their dreams of publishing their works. To date, Motz has been responsible for the creation of the artwork for over 300 self-published children’s books.

About the Narrator

Brandon McInnis is a voice actor and singer known primarily for his work on animation and video games. He voices Sir Nighteye in My Hero Academia, Ganos in Dragon Ball Super, Finral Roulacase in Black Clover, Asagiri Gen in Dr. Stone, Yuna D. Kaito in Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings Online, Patrick Phelps in Black Butler, Sonosuke Izayoi in Danganronpa 3, Erlang Shen in SMITE, and many more.

With a deep love for music production and originally trained as an opera singer, Brandon also produces music for release on YouTube and Spotify. He can be followed on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram: @BranMci.

About the Music Producer

Bruce Faulconer is a musician, composer, and record producer based in Dallas, Texas. He is the owner and founder of Faulconer Productions Music, and CakeMix Recording Studio. Faulconer writes music for orchestra, various instrumental and choral groups, along with the music for feature films, and TV series, including the anime Dragon Ball Z. He recently completed twelve songs for A Little Spark, included in a new audiobook, an interactive children’s book, and an animated feature film in development. He resides in Dallas with his wife Lisa and is the father of two sons.

My Review of A LITTLE SPARK

SMALL BUT MIGHTY

A Little Spark

Written by Chris Parsons

Illustrated by Mike Motz

This interactive book is a valuable resource for young children’s minds on so many levels. It is innovative, inspiring, and entertaining.

The target audience range is a wide one. This book contains rich illustrations that could place it in the picture book category. But with a length of more than one hundred fifty pages, it also might be considered a chapter book or a middle-grade reader. What it delivers is a range of fascinating animal characters which are personified with a range of human emotions and aspirations. There are fire-breathing dragons, bears, mice, weasels, goats, cats, and raccoons. They live in Lake Zuron, an oasis on the edge of a frozen world. Their world survives only because of the warmth provided by Daniel, a fire-breathing dragon. Lake Zuron is not an ideal society. The “Supervisors” contain the stronger animals, a ruling class. Far below them, “The Streeters,” perform all the work.

One day, Daniel loses his ability to produce fire. Lake Zuron faces extinction. But Sparky, a tiny mouse, finds within himself the courage to make the perilous journey over the frozen wasteland of their enemies, the Scabes, to follow a rumor that another land survives on the other side of the mountain. He and Veen venture to the other side. Will they discover salvation or face extinction?

Young readers learn many lessons from the colorful cast of characters as the adventure unfolds. Hope, courage, friendship, equality, fairness, and responsibility are exemplified in the faces and actions of the characters, both large and small. But Parsons provides much more than an excellent book. Embedded within its pages are a collection of twelve songs, private video messages from the characters, the ability to take a photo with your favorite character, or an opportunity for readers to share their personal opinions on the interactive lesson pages at the end of the book.

I highly recommend this unique educational resource for readers age eight through eighty-eight.

PURCHASE LINK

Before October 1st, pre-order your copy, email the team at Zuroam Media, and they’ll give you the audiobook free so you can enjoy it while you wait for the book to arrive. You can find all the email address and links to your favorite bookstore here: https://bethatspark.com/shop/.

Click the link below to enter the GIVEAWAY

“http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3d5cb282179/“

Enter for a chance to win the A Little Spark prize pack.

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• A hardcover copy of A Little Spark, autographed by author Chris Parsons.
• A downloadable audiobook of A Little Spark.
• A Little Spark USB drive with the A Little Spark music album.
• One set of Apple AirPods Pro for listening to the outstanding audiobook and music!

Two (2) winners receive:

• A hardcover copy of A Little Spark, autographed by author Chris Parsons.
• A downloadable audiobook of A Little Spark.

Giveaway begins August 24, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends September 24, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

TOUR SCHEDULE

August 24	The Children’s Book Review	https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/	Book Review
August 25	Jrsbookreviews	Http://www.jrsbookreviews.wordpress.com	Book Review
August 26	Over Coffee Conversations	https://gmarciano.blogspot.com	Giveaway
August 27	Heart to Heart	http://tynea-lewis.com/	Giveaway
August 28	The Children’s Book Review	https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/	Interview
August 30	Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog	https://bamauthor.me	Book Review
August 31	Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom	http://wannabesuperheromom.blogspot.com/	Book Review
September 1	A Dream Within A Dream	http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com	Book Review
September 3	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com	Guest Post
September 8	Fairview Elementary School (Library)	https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/	Book Review
September 9	icefairy’s Treasure Chest	http://icefairystreasurechest.blogspot.com/	Book Review
September 15	Library Lady’s Kid Lit	https://janemouttet.wordpress.com/	Intervie

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 18^th 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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Magic: The Molly Marsh Book Series: Book 1

Written by V. K. May

I would describe this book as a short story that could easily be developed into a full-length novel.

Molly Marsh is a curious ten-year-old whose parents are off on a scientific expedition to New Guinea. Her trepidation begins with a bumpy plane ride. Molly is enchanted when a beautiful blue butterfly alights on her.
When the family arrives at their new home, Molly meets Yosia, who will be working for them in their new jungle home. She is intrigued by him. At first his strange habits scare her. Then she learns about his magical talents.

These two characters are interesting and could be developed in a fuller narrative. I consider the adventure book a short, chapter book. It is well-written with challenging vocabulary that is most appropriate for nine to twelve-year-old readers.

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Dragon Thunder (Dragon Dreamer Book 3)

Written by J.S. Burke

This book may be read as a solo sci-fi, fantasy adventure. I have been fortunate to read the first two books in this series and can fully appreciate the development and depth of the characters in Book Three.

The ice dragons fled their homeland due to a volcanic eruption. The golden dragons and creatures of the sea have all been forced to relocate. Drakor, leader of the ice dragons, is young and inexperienced. He is wary of Mardor who has already challenged him and lost. Now Drakor must gain the trust of the dragon colony who are wary of their leader.

There are two parallel stories. Readers follow Scree and Orm, the octopi who hunt the seas and ally themselves with the dragons. Arak leads the golden dragons who will need to decide whether to fight or trade with the ice dragons in the New World. There will be food shortages and new enemies like the Dwire, who become new threats to survival.

This book is a fascinating and intriguing combination of science fiction, fantasy, adventure, biology, environmental science and societal mores. Readers will experience many scenarios, war, peace, empathy, division, healing, and generational struggles.

A highly engaging read for middle-grade, young adult and adult readers.

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Witch Hearts the Discovery of Magic and Power

Angharad Thompson Rees

This is the first book in a fantasy series for young adults. Triplets Morganne Amara, and Fae despair because their mother appears to be nearing death. They live in a secluded cottage at the edge of Mystic Wood.

Desperate to find a cure for their mother’s mysterious illness, the sisters venture into the woods in search of a cure. Little do they realize their problems are just beginning. Something or someone appears to be following them.

Once captured, the girls are deemed to be witches. How will they be able to save their mother? Will they succeed in escaping or are they doomed to the pyre?

I was impressed with the writing. The author succeeds in creating the mood and getting the atmosphere right. For a book that is fewer than one hundred pages, the characters are remarkably well-developed. This is a clean read and would be appropriate for advanced middle-grade readers as well as teens and adults.

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Never ask a Dinosaur: Funny Read-Aloud Story Book for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kids 3-6) Book 4

Written and illustrated by Melinda Kinsman

A little boy decides to bring his pet triceratops to school with him, thinking that they will both have lots of fun. At first, his friends think this is cool. His teachers, principal, cafeteria workers, and staffers don’t agree.

This book contains terrific illustrations that are colorful and expressive. The rhyming text flows well and is fun to read aloud. Children will love the humor and funny antics. The bonus puzzles, matching activities, and games keep the fun rolling along. Book 4 in this series does not disappoint. Preschoolers and primary grade readers can have lots of fun with this series of books.

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Onward: The Search for the Dragon Gem: An InQuestigation

Written by Steve Behling

The book is based on the Disney movie. It is primarily a middle-grade read for fans of fantasy, magic, dragons, and coming-of-age novels.

Sadalia is a sophomore at Mushroomton High, Her passion is journalism. She constantly searches for that big story. When a red mist appears around the school one evening, her dream comes true. The high school is taken over by a dragon. The adventure of a lifetime begins.

Will things ever get back to normal? What part have her two schoolmates, Ian and Barley have in the mystery? Can Sadalia get her big scoop? Fans of the movie will want to check out the book. Recommended for grades three through seven.

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Pea Soup Disaster (A Gregory Green Adventure Book 1)

Written by Elaine Kaye

Gregory Green is excited to find a thermos of green pea soup in his thermos. Unlike most kids, he loves his mother’s homemade pea soup. After lunch on the playground, his friends begin making fun of him. Gregory has turned green! Gregory is feeling bad when an unexpected buddy comes to his rescue to end the bullying.

This book contains elements of fantasy, a family curse, a lesson about bullying, and strong family bonds. The layout is more like a chapter book but there are some multicultural illustrations. I read the book in kindle format which did contain a few formatting errors, but the clever storyline and message make the book a good choice for beginning readers, reluctant readers and a parent read-aloud for any age child.

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