IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW AND RICHARD WAGNER

ABOUT THE BOOK

Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Written by Richard Wagner

Illustrated by Sydni Kruger

Ages 3+ | 38 Pages

Publisher: Mascot Kids | ISBN-13: 9781645437086

Publisher’s Synopsis: The world is not always a perfect place. Needles, a scraggly little tree, must endure criticism, laughter, and setbacks to realize his goal of becoming a beautiful Christmas tree.

This is a story of dreams, desires, hope, determination, and never giving up. It also offers the observation that what others think is beautiful may not really matter. Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder and paired with the spirit of Christmas, maybe we can make the world just a little more perfect!

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Author’s Website

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Wagner grew up in Southern California. When he was fourteen years old, a business friend of his father’s had a small Christmas tree delivered as a thank-you. Their family already had a large tree decorated in the house. Not being able to find anyone who needed a tree, that small Christmas tree stood outside by itself for the remainder of the Christmas holiday. Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree is a tribute to that little tree and what might have been, but more importantly, to all the beauty, goodness, and hope that Christmas brings to us all. Mr. Wagner continues to reside in Southern California with his wife and two children.

For more information, visit https://needlesthechristmastree.com.

MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK:

JUST PERFECT

Needles: The Forgotten Tree

Written by Richard Wagner

Illustrated by Sydni Kruger

What a perfect picture book to celebrate the meaning of the season! Needles is a short, scruffy evergreen tree growing on a Christmas tree farm. The adjoining trees make fun of him, but Needles firmly believes he will achieve his goal to become a beautiful Christmas tree in someone’s home.

The trees are cut down and brought to market but as day after day passes, Needle’s friends are chosen, while no one seems interested in him. When the owner of the lot, decides to gift Needles to a friend, Needles is elated. Now he will have a home! Will he achieve his dream to become a beautiful Christmas tree?

The story contains many twists and turns. Children (and the adults who read this story to them) remember that the promises of faith and hope are at the heart of the Christmas season. Even more important that sharing and caring for others is the true spirit of Christmas.

A perfect holiday choice for a bedtime story or read-aloud with elementary school children.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a copy of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree, autographed by Richard Wagner.

One (1) winner receives:

– An autographed copy of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

https://gleam.io/u7VnN/needle-the-forgotten-christmas-tree-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, December 5, 2022The Children’s Book ReviewA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Tuesday, December 6, 2022Me Two BooksA book activity to pair with Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Wednesday, December 7, 2022Barbara Ann Mojica’s BlogA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Thursday, December 8, 2022Confessions of a Book AddictA book giveaway of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Friday, December 9, 2022icefairy’s Treasure ChestA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Monday, December 12, 2022Book Zone ReviewsAuthor Interview with Richard Wagner

Tuesday, December 13, 2022Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersA guest article by Richard Wagner

Wednesday, December 14, 2022Heart to HeartAuthor Interview with Richard Wagner

Thursday, December 15, 2022J.R.s Book ReviewsA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Friday, December 16, 2022The Momma SpotA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Monday, December 19, 2022The Fairview ReviewA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Tuesday, December 20, 2022The Review WireA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Wednesday, December 21, 2022Chatty Patty’s PlaceA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

Thursday, December 22, 2022Crafty Moms ShareA book review of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

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

Book and Soundtrack Review: Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk

About Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk

Darkness. Utter blackness. Was this why his mother had refused to let Jack unlock his father’s old trunk? It had been two years since his dad had died, and all Jack could think about was examining whatever treasures were stored inside the beloved trunk. But when he finally lifted the lid, he didn’t just fall in—he fell through it into a pit of rattlesnakes!

Trying to recall his mother’s stories about “the Breath of All Good Things”—anything to shed light on his current situation—Jack wishes he’d paid better attention rather than mock the tales as childish myths…and that he’d waited to enter the trunk with his sister, Lilly, so they could at least face this together.

Like L. Frank Baum’s Oz and C. S. Lewis’s Narnia, M. M. Allen brings to life the fantastical world of Wishapick—a land of courageous animals ruled by a cruel rattlesnake king who has condemned the villagers to live without light. Chosen as the reluctant hero to save the villagers, Jack must face terrifying creatures and overwhelming odds if he wants to help his new friends—and return home himself.

“… a breathy and fantastical storytelling style, imaginations will flourish and the tale will be enjoyed by kids ages 8-12 who enjoy the genre of fantasy.”—The Children’s Book Review

Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk is available on Amazon.

Fun Stuff

Wishapick Soundtrack

Be sure to check out the companion music CD, Wishapick, for purchase or download from DeborahWynne.com

Book Club Questions

Get to the heart of Wishapick by downloading this set of book club questions: Wishapick by M. M. Allen: Book Club Questions

About M. M. Allen

M. M. Allen, author of the acclaimed children’s picture book Let’s Play Ball, is the mother of two adult children and aunt to twenty-three nieces and nephews, including ten great-nieces and great-nephews. MM is a former teacher and university lecturer. She has also worked extensively in marketing and communications with varied businesses and non-profits. MM lives in a picturesque northern California town where she enjoys writing, tending to her rose garden, and caring for her West Highland terrier, Pip.

www.Wishapick.com | Facebook

About Deborah Wynne

Composer and lyricist Deborah Wynne created a companion CD of songs to accompany Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk. Wynne’s primary talents lie in choral singing, stage musicals, and composing. Her musical projects include the 2013 album Strands of Gold and 2007 musical Moment of Truth. She is an active singer and composer in Santa Barbara, California, where she lives with her husband and their two shelties, Sparkle and Gracie.

DeborahWynne.com

Wishapick and iPod Nano Giveaway

Enter to win an autographed copy of Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk written by acclaimed author M. M. Allen; plus an Apple iPod Nano to listen to your downloaded copy of the Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk soundtrack composed by the talented Deborah Wynne!

Giveaway begins November 5, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends December 31, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2015/11/win-an-ipod-nano-and-wishapick-tickety-boo-and-the-black-trunk-m-m-allen-giveaway.html/
 

Wishapick Tour Dates

Thursday November 5 2015
The Children’s Book Review

Tour Kick-Off & Giveaway

Friday November 6 2015
The Review Wire

Book Excerpt & Soundtrack Clip

Tuesday November 17 2015
Suz Reviews

Creating Mood in a Story with Music

Monday November 23 2015
On Starships & Dragonwings

5 Things About the World of Wishapick

Tuesday November 24 2015
Valerie’s Reviews

Book Excerpt & Soundtrack Clip

Tuesday November 27 2015
Batch of Books

Author Interview with M. M. Allen

Saturday December 5 2015
The Fairview Review

Wishapick Book Review

Thursday December 10 2015
Inspired by Savannah

Wishapick Book Review

Wednesday December 23 2015
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Author Interview with M. M. Allen

Sunday December 27 2015
Little Miss History

Author Interview with M. M. Allen

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A Book of Poetry for Teenagers: Vol. 1

Written by RyAnn Adams Hall

This collection of poems of approximately one hundred pages hits on many of the issues so important to the teens of past and present generations. The author organizes her poetry collection by age rather than theme; the poems become more sophisticated and complex as the chapters and maturity levels progress through time.

Poems are listed by title only, the reader must peruse through to the end to find the theme. But the underlying themes match the trials and tribulations that coming of age brings upon all of us. Several of the poems relate sorrow at not having a mother present while growing up. At age twelve the author writes about her “best friend forever” Renee. There are poems expressing fear and frustration, relationships with boys, and feeling left out of things. Many poems express hope and optimism like “The Stars,” “My Shadow,” and “What You Do.” In the very last section of poetry written in the period from ages twenty-two through twenty-seven, the author finds her true love, David, and then becomes the mother of Kayleigh in whom she places her hopes and dreams.

I think many that teens will enjoy having these poems to read as they pass through the many moods, phases, ups and downs of adolescence. Nice book to have when you feel the need to take a moment or two to reflect on the joys and sorrows of growing up and life in general.

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Peter, Enchantment and Stardust:The Poems

Written by William O’Brien

William O’ Brien is not only a talented storyteller but a gifted poet as well. This collection of poems is meant to accompany his children’s book, Peter, The Darkened Fairytale. In that story, Peter is the protagonist who must fight and overcome the forces of evil.

In this wonderful poetry collection, the author presents us with a mix of
lighthearted poems that inspire us with hope and love. On the other hand, we meet dragons, demons and witches waiting to snare the unwary child. O’Brien
sets the tone in his first poem, “Drawers and Doors.”

The thoughts one thinks may not be real
And sometimes they will make you squeal
Biting, scratching, tastes hang true
Inside this book, you’ll meet things new
Must be careful, for if you fall
These evildoers will seize all.

These words present a challenge that most children will be glad to take up! There are silly poems like “Wandering Twondle” and “Cuthbert,” scary poems like “Devil’s Wish” and “Zombie Queen,” and fantasy creature poems titled, “Elves and Goblins,” and “The Vaandorg Dragon.” Some of the nature poems remind me of William Wordsworth.

Spells that dust the sleeping flowers
May just drip with April showers
In summer lands frolic and sing
Still protected by nature’s wing

One thing children always seem oblivious of is the element of time. O’Brien addresses the concept in his poem titled, “Eternal”

Fairy love
Starlight blessed
In your heart
Feel the test

Touch and wander
Your spirit through
Flowers speak
Holding new

Bash of rain
Sleet and snow
Leaves do fall
Please don’t go

Apples, chestnuts
Tease my eyes
Always there
Never dies

The author employs alliteration, personification and metaphors to make the reader feel that she is on a magical journey to a very special place. So close your eyes and lose yourself in the recesses of your mind. Tweens, teens and adults will enjoy the ride.