Chatting with the Pros: Children’s Author, Darlene Foster
Posted: February 15, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Chatting with the Pros, Children's Books, Fiction, Interview, Writing | Tags: Amanda in Scotland, Author Interview, Book Reveiw, Chatting with the Pros, Children's Books, Darlene Foster, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writing to be Read 77 Comments
I first met Darlene when she sent me a pitch for this interview in response to a call for pitches I put out. I’m always thrilled to meet other children’s authors and I have to say, I really liked her attitude and her approach. I believe children’s authors have the gift of viewingthe world through a child’s eyes, or maybe they just retain more of their own inner child than others do. When I saw her author photo (below), I saw this in her wonderful smile and the sparkle in her eye.
Join me here, in learning more about her and her lovely children’s books, the Amanda Travels Series, (ten books and still more to come). She also writes short fiction, which has been featured in several anthologies, and has a short fiction collection, .
About Darlene Foster
Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories. She is the author of the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, Darlene enjoys spending time with her family in Canada and her house in Spain with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia.
My Interview with Darlene
Kaye: Please tell us a little about your author’s journey.
Darlene: Since I was a little girl on the farm, I enjoyed telling stories, often making them up in my head as I daydreamed. My wonderful grade-three teacher suggested I write my stories down. I had a short story published in the local newspaper when I was twelve but didn’t do much serious writing until I was a grandmother. I visited a friend in the United Arab Emirates and had such a great time that I planned to write a story about it. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to try writing the story from a twelve-year-old’s point of view. Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask was born. It took me three years to write the book and another five years to find a publisher, but I persisted. In the meantime, I wrote Amanda in Spain: The Girl in The Painting and had ideas for Amanda in England: The Missing Novel. I now have ten books in the series and am working on the eleventh.
Kaye: You are a member of the Children’s Writer’s Guild. Can you tell us how authors benefit from being a member of such organizations?
Darlene: I belong to CWILL BC (Children’s Writers and Illustrators of BC) I love being part of an organization like this as it is important to mix with other authors. One of the many benefits is the sharing of knowledge. It is the best way to keep up to date on the writing/publishing industry which is an ever-changing world. It’s imperative to keep on top of trends etc. These organizations put together workshops and special events, in person or online, and provide marketing opportunities. Because of my membership, I have done in-class presentations all over the world via Zoom. I used to belong to more similar organizations, but there is only so much time to commit.
Kaye: You have a children’s series, the Amanda Travels series. Tell us about the books and the series.
Darlene: Here is the Reader’s Digest version. Spunky Amanda Jane Ross loves travelling to interesting places, meeting cool people and learning fascinating new things. Her curiosity and eagerness to help people often gets her into trouble wherever she goes. Her adventures have taken her to the deserts of Arabia, castles in England, Spain’s sunny beaches, historic cities along the Danube, spooky buildings in New Mexico, the tulip fields of Holland, and mysterious standing stones in Scotland. Life is never dull for this tween.
Kaye: Amanda in Scotland makes ten books in the Amanda Travels books, and in each one she travels to a different country. Would I be wrong in assuming that you have visited all the places Amanda has traveled?
Darlene: You would not be wrong. In fact, I have made it a policy that Amanda can not go anywhere I haven’t been!
Kaye: Which country is your favorite? Why?
Darlene: That’s difficult to answer as I like all of them for different reasons. Perhaps the United Arab Emirates as it was so very different from anything I had ever experienced, and it got me started writing the series.
Kaye: Which country is Amanda’s favorite? Why?
Darlene: Amanda doesn’t have a favourite country. She loves them all and always has a great time wherever she goes. As long as she is making friends,learning new things, and solving a mystery, she is happy.
Kaye: If Amanda goes to a different country each year, how old was she when the series began? How many countries does Amanda go to each year?
Darlene: Amanda turned twelve when she wished for travel and adventure before blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. She stays twelve years old throughout the series. Nancy Drew is the same age in all 34 books. I believe Trixie Belden stays around the same age too. The books are stand-alone and don’t have to be read in any particular order. I prefer writing for tweens instead of teenagers.
Kaye: Where does Amanda plan to travel next?
Darlene: Amanda will be off to Ireland to attend her cousin’s wedding. She will have a fabulous adventure in the Emerald Isle; the land of leprechauns, fairies and dangerous bogs. The working title is, Amanda in Ireland: The Body in the Bog.
Kaye: You are a traditionally published author and the Amanda Travels series is signed with Simon & Schuster. (Congratulations, by the way.) How much of the marketing and promotion for your books are you required to do?
Darlene: The first nine books were published by Central Avenue Publishing, a small independent press in Canada. CAP has recently become an imprint of Simon & Schuster, which is wonderful. I self-published, through Draft2Digital, Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones. As for marketing and promotion, I have always done most of my own. I set up book signings and visits to bookstores, schools and libraries, as well as blog tours and social media marketing. I do some marketing every day as it is part of the job. It is great to have a distribution company like Simon & Schuster for bookstores, libraries, and schools to order from.
Kaye: After being traditionally published for nine books, why the switch to independent publishing through D2D?
Darlene: My publisher has decided not to publish kids’ books anymore. We are still on good terms, and I am leaving the first nine books with her. The publishing world is very changeable and as writers, we need to be adaptable.
Kaye: According to your bio, you are an award-winning author. Would you tell us about the awards you’ve won for your books? Which are you most proud of?
Darlene: I have won awards for my short stories, which can be found in a number of anthologies. I’m very proud of my story, The Day Dief Came to Town. It’s based on an hilarious event from my childhood. It was the first prize I got for my writing and gave me the confidence to carry on. I included it in my short-story collection, You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie
Kaye: Your books are available in both digital and print editions. What differences do you see in digital and print sales for children’s books?
Darlene: Initially (15 years ago), I sold 50% e-books and 50% print books. Now it is more like 25% e-books and 75% print books. Kids still enjoy holding a book in their hands, and adults prefer buying print books for them. School libraries like to stock print books, and teachers use the print books as part of their curriculum.
Kaye: What advice do you have for new authors trying to break into the children’s market?
Darlene: Never give up and never stop learning. Search out other writers who can serve as mentors or become part of your street team.
Kaye: Where can readers find out more about you and the Amanda Travels series?
Darlene:
My website https://www.darlenefoster.ca/
My blog https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
My Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA
My goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster
Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog!
Kaye: You’ve been a wonderful guest. Thank you so much for your candid responses.
About Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones
What could possibly go wrong on the magical Scottish Isle of Arran? It’s such a peaceful, charming place with castles, mountains, old graves and ancient standing stones.
Amanda Ross and Leah Anderson are visiting Aunt Jenny who owns an old house on the island. But something is not right. A mysterious woman, who seems to have stepped out of the past, keeps appearing, Leah’s father hasn’t contacted the family for some time, and Aunt Jenny’s house may have an uninvited guest.
Amanda is intrigued by this picturesque island, often called Little Scotland. She watches exciting sheepdog trials, attends a lively ceilidh, makes friends with the locals, and visits the mystical Holy Island. Join Amanda as she tries to solve the mystery of the strange woman and the disappearance of Leah’s father. Will the past catch up with the present?
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Scotland-Standing-Stones-Travels-ebook/dp/B0D5TMLSLC
My Review of Amanda in Scotland
I received a digital copy of Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones, by Darlene Foster is a delightful middle-grade mystery reminescent of the Nancy Drew mysteries, with the element of travel thrown in. In the Amanda Travels Series, Amanda is a curious and bright twelve year old, who discover and solve myteries through her travels. Readers are introduced to the various countries she travels to through Amanda’s eyes as she learns about the history and culture of each destination.
This story takes us to the Arran in Scotland, where Amanda visits her travel friend, Leah, and her Aunt Jenny. As the girls explore Arran and the surrounding islands, they meet a mysterious woman, recieve puzzling messages from Leah’s father, and they experience other odd occurances which don’t add up. On an island where many places are reported to be haunted, Amanda determines to follow the clues and unravel the mystery. Like any good mystery, all is revealed by the end of the story.
Foster manages to give vivid descriptions, allowing readers to picture the castles, ruins and landscapes of Scotland in stunning detail, while delighting in the thrill of solving a mystery. I’ve no doubt the other books in the series are just as delightful. A great way for young readers to learn about the world around us. I give Amanda in Scotland five quills.
_______________________________
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
________________________________
Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
__________________________________
This segment of “Chatting with the Pros” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Get Your Copy Now.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
Share this:
Writer’s Corner: Writing for Children
Posted: November 4, 2024 Filed under: Book Promotion, Book Sales, Books, Children's Books, My Backyard Friends | Tags: Children's Books, Collaborations, My Backyard Friends series, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read 10 Comments
Language and content
Don’t write down to children: This is the number one piece of advice I heard about writing for children, and of course, it is true. It doesn’t mean to write about adult subjects filled with sex and cuss words, but they’re trying to get through the idea that kid’s are smart and you don’t have to dumb things down for them.
I think this is one of the biggest differences in writing for children. Children’s minds are like sponges that absorb information. While you probably don’t want to use a lot of scientific jargon to explain the workings of the solar system, plain layman’s terms are usually simple enough for kid’s to digest and understand.
In her writer’s refence book, Word By Word, Kerrie Flanagan offers snippets from interviews with three different teen and young adult authors who tackle sensitive issues in their books and have all taken heat for doing so, about handling real life issues in their writing. Jay Asher, author of the young adult novel Thirteen Reasons, which deals with the issue of suicide says,
“Yes, I shaped the story to reveal the things I wanted to say, but it had to be revealed through the words of my characters, not me. I also knew, out of respect for the seriousness of what needed to be written, that I couldn’t hold back any detail that would make the scenes feel however raw they needed to feel. That caused my book to be challenged, but I know it’s also what made it connect to so many readers.”
And New York Times bestselling adult and young adult author, Ellen Hopkins says,
“Every teen is faced with choices, and without understanding possible outcomes, they often rush headlong in the wrong direction. As authors, we can’t tip-toe around hard truths, because those truths, because those truths are part of the human condition, and fearing a challenge is a sure way to make your writing fall flat.”
When asked for advice to new writers dealing with a sensitive topic, Cheryl Rainfield, author of the award-winning novel, Scars, and other teen novels which deal with the issue of abuse and incest says,
“I think using some of your own emotion and honesty in writing is so important; readers will sense if you’re not being honest or you’re holding back or you’re afraid of the topic….”
I believe this advice is true when writing for younger children, as well. In the My Backyard Friends series, which are aimed at four to eight year olds, I deal with issues such as being lost and alone, and situations where you need the help of others, and the possibilities of self-indulgence, but the message comes through through the words and actions of the characters, and all serves the story, and there’s a lesson in each one. For a small child, being lost can be a scary experience, it can be difficult to ask for someone’s help with a problem when a child is struggling to feel grown up, and children may need help to see the consequences of their actions. My hope is that children can learn through my characters, how to cope in similar situations.
Illustrations
Many children’s books are illustrated, where adult books are usually not. This makes every illustrated children’s book a collaboration, and all parties involoved need to be on the same page about the goal. This is extremely important, and finding the right illustrator, one who understands your vision, can be a daunting process. Finding an illustrator you want to work with who has prices that fit your budget is even more challenging.
Back in 2010, I found an illustrator who met both of these criteria to do Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, and the rest of the My Back Yard Friend series. I was thrilled with her cover design and sample illustrations, and the price she gave me was reasonable, as well. She even matched me up with a small independent publisher who was willing to publish my book. I was ecstatic.
But, like traditional publishing for adult literature, publishing children’s books takes time, five years or more, and during that time, things can and do change. My illustrator ran into health issues which made it impossible for her to continue doing the beautiful illustrations by hand, and I was forced to accept first, digital illustrations, and then, a whole different illuistrator who I knew nothing about. When I requested the money I had paid for my illustrations five years previous, since they had never been completed and I would not be able to use them, the illustrator refused my refund and the publisher dumped me, and I found myself back at square one. It was enough to sour me on traditional publishing, and set aside my dreams of having my children’s books published.
This was a tough decision. I shopped around for another illustrator for a short time, I found that illustrations had become quite expensive, far beyond my budget at the time. So, the books of the My Backyard Friends series were shelved, filed away in the archives of my files for many years. You can imagine how excited I became when I learned that the talented Robbie Cheadle had taken up drawing and painting, and was actually illustrating some of her own books. Having written and illustrated her Sir Chocolate books, Robbie also had experience inside the arena of children’s literature, so it seemed to me to be a perfect fit. I was ecstatic when she agreed to my proposal to illustrate the first three books in the series in 2023, to be published through WordCrafter Press. And what a feeling of satisfaction to see them released this past July.
Robbie may live on a different continent, and her hummingbird is a different breed with different coloring than the hummingbirds in my neighborhood, but her Heather is absolutely gorgeous. Readers are not aware of the differences. All of Robbie’s illustrations are wonderful, bringing my characters to life with vivid imagry and brilliant colors. But this lead me to yet, another tough decision.
WordCrafter Press publishes wide, through D2D, and while I enjoy many of the advantages this offers, their print books are not illustration friendly, and they only publish in black and white. I did not feel that black and white would do Robbie’s beautiful illustrations justice, and thus chose not to offer them in print until I could afford to publish through other channels that of color options. Originally, I planned a Kickstarter, but circumstances in my personal life made the Kickstarter platform not a viable option for me, and I tried to do my own fund raiser during the blog tour, but the funds just weren’t there. And so, as disappointing as it may be, the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series is only available in digital format for now.
Marketing Children’s Books
Marketing is the area where some would say children’s and adult literature differ the most. I’ve heard it said, “I just don’t know how to market to children.” But that’s the thing. Children are not your marketing audience, adults are. Kid’s aren’t going to care that the My Backyard Friends series was inspired by the birds and animals that visit my backyard, but their parents might find it interesting enough to buy a book for their childMarketing children’s books really isn’t all that different from marketing adult literature. You just need to look at the value offered from a parent or educator’s point of view, because that’s who you are marketing to.
I haven’t had a lot of success using the same digital marketing strategies I use with my adult books, which blog tours and social media promotion, with the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series. According to Jason Chen, founder of Story Bundle, “We’ve done a children’s bundle once and it did really poorly. Overall parents aren’t looking for digital ebooks for their kids in my experience (yours may be different!)” But, my experience has been similar. I think children’s books fall into an area where print books are still preferable to digital ones. That’s one of the reasons I am so disappointed to be unable to offer my children’s books in print.
With that in mind, I’m thinking maybe in-person selling, which is a bit more personal, might be more effective in selling children’s books. Speaking at your child’s school, or doing a reading and book signing at your local library might just be the way to go. But that’s just my thoughts on the matter. I’d love to hear about what has worked and what hasn’t to sell your children’s books in the comments below.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, and her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
___________________________________________
Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
___________________________________________
This post is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Get Your Copy Now.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
Share this:
Day 3 of the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 17, 2024 Filed under: Animals, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Children's Books, Interview, Review, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Reveiw, Character interview, Children's Books, Heather Hummingbird, Heather Hummingbird Makes a NEw Friend, Kids Books, My Backyard Friends series, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 2 Comments
Join us on Undawnted for day 3 of the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour where DL Mullan interviews Heather Hummingbird and offers a review of Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend. Come join in the fun as we send off all three of the wonderful books in the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series.
http://www.undawnted.com/2024/07/my-backyard-friends-meet-heather.html
Share this:
Growing Bookworms – illustrating children’s books #childrensfiction #growingbookworms #readingcommunity
Posted: July 10, 2024 Filed under: Animals, Birds, Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Illustrations, Writing | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Illustrations, Kid's Series, My Backyard Friends series, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read 47 Comments
I have always loved reading. I started reading at the age of four years old and have never stopped. I consume books like dinners. When I was a little girl, I used to read books from the library. I didn’t own many books myself. I loved books with bold and bright illustrations and I always think of Richard Scarry’s books first.
Richard Scarry used personification for the animals in his books. They all walk and talk like humans and they wear clothes. They are delightful, but they are not representative of the world of nature and the reality of nature. When I was little, I knew about animals. I was exposed to them and I knew that milk came from cows, eggs came from chickens, and other things about meat that I’ve always tried not to think about to much. As I grew older, I read other books that included the personification of animals. One of my favourite books in this genre is Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
Last year, when I discovered an aptitude for drawing and painting, I thought I would turn my hand to creating pictures of the animals and birds I love so much. I have now created several animal pictures which you can see on my art page here:
In June 2023, Kaye Lynne asked me if I would like to illustrate her My Backyard Friends books. I thought about it and decided to give it a go, even though I hadn’t ever tried to do drawn/painted illustrations before. I was busy at the time with creating the illustrations and story for my latest children’s book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe.
Before embarking on illustrating books for children, I reflected for some time on what the best type of illustration would be for modern children. Children who grow up in cities now don’t have much interaction with animals. They don’t know that milk comes from cows and eggs come from chickens. I decided it was necessary for them to see the reality of the animal world and not a fantasy, personified versions. Especially given the Sixth Mass Extinction our planet is currently facing with the endangerment of many of our animal species world wide. If believed it was better for children to be exposed to wildlife in a true and natural way. I hoped it would help to stimulate interest and passion for our animals. Afterall, our children are the next generation and will have to carry the torch for the salvation of what is left of the animal kingdom.
It is for these reasons that my drawings and paintings of wildlife and birds in my own children’s books and in Kaye Lynne’s children’s books are based off real photographs and are not personified or animated in any way. I am happy with how the illustrations have worked out and I hope that they will make a small difference towards saving our limited supply of remaining animals and birds.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
_____________________________________________
Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.
________________________________________________
This segment of “Growing Bookworms” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Pre-Oder Your Copy Now.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
Share this:
My Backyard Friends – Available for Pre-Order Now!
Posted: June 11, 2024 Filed under: Advertising, Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Illustrations, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Books, Charlie Chickadee Finds a NEw Home, Children's Books, Fiction, Heather Hummingbird Makes a NEw Friend, Kaye Lynne Booth, Kid's Series, My Backyard Friends series, Picture Books, Timothy Turtle Discovers JEllybeans, WordCrafter Press 7 Comments
The first three books in the My Backyard Friends kid’s book series are available for pre-order in digital format now!
Don’t miss these fantastic new kid’s books inspired by the birds and animals which visit me at my mountain home, and brought to life in the vivid illustrations of Robbie Cheadle.
Meet Heather Hummingbird
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend is a picture book with a message of friendship and cooperation. (Ages 3-5)
Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle are two unlikely friends who discover that it is good to accept help from others and that is what friends are for.
Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/471vzj
Meet Timothy Turtle
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans is a picture book with a moral message from a young turtle’s perspective. (Ages 3-5)
Meet Timothy Turtle, who has a sweet tooth. He eats too many jelly beans and finds himself in a pickle. His friends Katy Cat and Betsy Beaver try to help, and Timothy learns that you can get too much of a good thing.
Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/3LL5K7
Meet Charlie Chickadee
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home is a story of survival from a young bird’s perspective. (Ages 6-8)
Charlie Chickadee is happy with his family in their cozy nest. But whem the violet-green swallows thake the nest for their own, Charlie finds himself alone, seperated from his parents and on his own to face the dangers of the forest. His new friend Nicholas Nuthatch shows him the ropes and teaches him about the other birds and the woman who puts out food each day, and by a stroke of luck, Charlie discovers the perfect spot and builds a new nest that he can be proud of.
Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/md2YLO
Share this:
Growing Bookworms – Age groups for children’s books: Middle-grade Fiction #growingbookworms #childrensfiction
Posted: May 8, 2024 Filed under: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, middlegrade, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read 38 Comments
What is middle-grade fiction
Middle-grade fiction is aimed at readers aged between 8 and 12 years old. This genre is intended to be a bridge between simple children’s stories and stories that are more emotionally or thematically advanced. Importantly, middle-grade is not a genre, it is an age-based categorisation. Middle-grade fiction comes in all sorts of genres.
Books falling into the middle-fiction category are usually 30,000 to 50,000 words in length and are frequently in the third person point of view. The protagonist is usually between the ages of 10 and 13 years old and there is no graphic violence, sexuality or swearing.
While middle-grade stories can include heavy topics such as death, illness, mental illness, and war, the stories generally focus on dynamics between family and friends and don’t go into introspective discoveries and or social dynamics in the greater world.
Famous examples of midde-grade fiction
Holes by Louis Sachar
An excellent example of a complex middle-grade book is Holes by Louis Sachar. The main themes of Holes are: The power of fate to determine events; the benefits of friendship; the destructive nature of cruelty; and the importance of history in every day life.
This is the Amazon US blurb for Holes:
Stanley Yelnats’ family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn’t green and doesn’t have a lake), it’s not exactly a surprise.
Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole each, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. Why? The evil warden claims that it builds character, but this is a lie. It’s up to Stanley to dig up the truth.
A masterpiece of storytelling that combines sly humour with irresistible, page-turning writing.
You can purchase Holes from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Holes-Louis-Sachar-ebook
Roald Dahl’s books
Roald Dahl is synonymous with childhood in my mind. I absolutely loved his dark and quirky books when I was a young reader. I read these books to my two youngest sisters and also to both my sons. When I got the chance, I also read them to my nieces and nephews. I am a Dahl fan!
These are a few wonderful quotes from Roald Dahl’s books:
“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.” from Boy: Tale of Childhood
“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place, you can install A lovely bookshelf on the wall. Then fill the shelves with lots of books.” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
“Well, maybe it started that way. As a dream, but doesn’t everything.” from James and the Giant Peach (this is my favourite as it includes an assortment of giant bugs including Miss Spider).
You can find all of Roald Dahl’s books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roald-Dahl/author/B000AQ0WGQ
Roald Dahl inspired a few of my fondant creations:
Toni Pike is a modern Indie author who has captured the same quirky and darkly humorous style of writing as Roald Dahl. You can find all of Toni Pike’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Toni-Pike/author/B009I70E8Y
Middle-grade series
There are several excellent middle-grade series.
My sons both loved Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson. The first book in the series in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. The hero, Percy Jackson, is half human and half Greek god. A quote from the Amazon blurb: I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Now I spend my time battling monsters and generally trying to stay alive.
Talented Indie children’s author, Darlene Forster, has a wonderful series of middle-age books featuring a young girl, Amanda, who loves travelling to different countries. Everywhere Amanda goes, she falls into an adventure.
You can find all of Darlene’s Amanda books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA
Some writers start out as middle-grade writers and their targeted age group increases as their characters age. A famous example of such a writer is JK Rowling. The first two Harry Potter books were middle-grade stories. As her characters grew older, the books became more complicated, darker and much longer.
You can find the complete collection of Harry Potter books here: https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Complete-Collection-1-7-ebook/dp/B01B3DKROQ
Of course, if anyone reading this post hasn’t read Harry Potter I’ll eat Sir Chocolate – haha!
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
_____________________________________________
Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.
Share this:
Growing Bookworms – Age groups for children’s books: Early Readers #GrowingBookworms #childrensfiction
Posted: April 10, 2024 Filed under: Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Interactive Books | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read 47 CommentsEncouraging children to read is very important. Reading helps children build language skills, learn about the larger world and also, develop empathy and emotional awareness. Parents reading to their children is one of the greatest gifts you can give.
In order to ensure the children are fully engaged in the book and story, it is important to read age appropriate books. If a story is to complex for a child, he/she will not fully engage and will lose interest. If the book is to easy for the child, he/she will not learn anything new and there will be no progression.
This is a summary of the different age groups for children’s books:
Books for toddlers
These books are aimed at children up to approximately 3 years old. They are printed on hard cardboard for durability and usually contain interesting pictures with accompanying words and/or phrases.
Early picture books
The age group for these books is 2 to 5 years old. These books are driven by colourful illustrations and often teach a life lesson about friendship, empathy, and kindness. They help teach children the social skills they need for school. The text is simple but stimulating.
Picture books
Picture books are aimed at children aged between 5 and 8 years old. These books contain a full story, sometimes told in rhyming verse, and contained beautiful pictures and illustrations to maintain interest and aid reading. These books are usually between 600 to 1,000 words in length and often include educational material.
This is the target market for most of my children’s books which are interactive and also include recipes (Sir Chocolate books), activities for children (Sir Chocolate Highdays and Holidays books series) and wildlife facts, photographs and wildlife videos (Southern African Safari Adventures Books).
First chapter books and graphic novels
These books are aimed at children who have learned to read on their own. They are usually between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length and contain a more complex story line. While these books still contain illustrations, there is more text than pictures in the book. The storylines often still adhere to the concepts of acceptance, friendship, and sharing. These books can also expand into more complex areas such as nature conservation and exploration.
Michael and my book, Haunted Halloween Holiday, fits into this category. This story’s primary messaging is around acceptance and diversity. The family unit around which the story revolves comprises of Count Sugular, a vampire, Witch Honey, their baby, Baby Howler, who is a banshee, and Skelly, Count Sugular’s brother who is a skeleton.
I created a short YT video story called Haunted Halloween Safari which uses some of the characters from Haunted Halloween Holiday and gives an idea of writing and creative level of this type of book.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
_____________________________________________
Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.
Share this:
Growing Bookworms – Meet prolific children’s book author, Janice Spina, and a review #GrowingBookworms #readingcommunity #childrensfiction
Posted: February 14, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Interview, Review | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Janice Spina, Robbie Cheadle, The Case of the Sad Mischievous Ghost, Writing to be Read 50 CommentsMy featured guest for this month’s Growing Bookworms post is prolific children’s book author, Janice Spina. Janice also writes for adults as J.E. Spina. This is an overview of Janice’s books:
Welcome Janice!
Tell us a bit about your books and your history of writing for children
I have always love writing poetry since a young child. When I wrote my first book, Louey the Lazy Elephant,I had to put it into rhyme. I find that children love rhyming; it keeps them interested if there is a cadence to the story.
I have 22 children’s books at present. Most of them are in rhyme and all of them carry important life lessons and family values. I first began writing for children but branched out later on into MG/PT/YA and novels for 18+. I have books about animals, dragons, and even short stories in a series of six stories per book for children ages 5-8 called Bedtime Stories for Children Series. Some of my stories in this series are based on experiences while others are purely from my overwrought imagination.
A number of your children’s books feature animals and creatures. Are these stories based on personal experience with these creatures?
Many of my children’s books are dedicated to individuals or based on imaginary animals or real-life pets that I have had in the past such as: Jerry the Crabby Crayfish – a pet blue crayfish, Lamby the Lonely Lamb – dedicated to my granddaughter and her stuffed lamby, Jesse the Precocious Polar Bear – dedicated to a little boy I met while vacationing in Aruba, Sebastian Meets Marvin the Monkey – dedicated to my youngest grandson and his stuffed monkey, Colby the Courageous Cat – dedicated to my daughter’s cat, Jeffrey the Jittery Giraffe – dedicated to a little boy who was nervous about loud noises, Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab – a pet hermit crab we once had, Lucy the Talented Toy Terrier – my first dog, The First Star – dedicated to my two children when they were young. I hope to continue to create stories to delight and entertain children for uyears to come along with my husband’s help creating the beautiful illustrations and covers.
The illustrations in your picture books are lovely. Your husband helps you with your illustrations. How much input do you put into the illustration process?
My husband, John, does do the illustrations and covers for all of my children’s books. He also creates the covers for all the other books I publish. Thank God for him! I would be lost without him.
I had to convince him to do this many years ago beginning in 2013. He told me that he wasn’t an illustrator but would give it a try after I told him how much it would cost to hire someone who was an illustrator. John has a quirky sense of humor. I do give him plenty of input about each illustration and cover, much to his chagrin. We don’t always agree on each one and therefore there are many revisions. But I am always pleased with what he creates as the finished product and give him an ample number of kudos online when I present his work.
What do you like best about writing for children?
I love writing for children. What I like best is to see children reading and enjoying my books or anyone’s books. The joy in their faces when they read or are read to is priceless. Reading is so important at an early age and not only for children but also for adults.
I love to hear from parents that their children loved one of my books and look forward to reading more. That is why I write. Receiving positive feedback in reviews is another way to make authors happy and give them an early Christmas gift.
Children – preschool to grade 3 are like sponges soaking up all kinds of things. My goal is to create entertaining and good, clean stories that are educational and full of important life lessons and family values that will stay with them for a lifetime. I hope my stories will enhance their reading experience, increase their reading levels, help to encourage them to become lovers of reading, and create readers and thinkers of tomorrow.
I also write for middle-graders, preteens, and young adults. This age group is a difficult group to entice into reading. They are always absorbed into the newest technology such as X-Box and video games, etc. I create stories in series for this age-group that have plenty of magic, mystery, suspense, wizards, ghosts, and time travel. It is a tough job but I will continue to do all I can to encourage this age-group to read.
What is your favourite children’s book or series for children?
Of all my 22 young children’s books my favorite is still, Louey the Lazy Elephant. This was the first book John illustrated. I love the crayon drawings that he created and how sweet and innocent he made Louey look. It is one of my most popular books alongside Jerry the Crabby Crayfish.
My favorite MG/PT book is Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series Books 1-6. I had such fun creating the twins and their twin-telepathy, adventures, magic, mystery, ghosts and even time travel. Kids enjoy this series but so do adults.
I was requested by a few readers to offer a series for girls after Davey and Derek were so popular. That is why I wrote Abby & Holly Series Books 1-6. These books are enjoyed by both girls and boys.
There are more stories in my head waiting to be written down, so stay tune for many more to come for all ages.
Thank you so much, Robbie, for inviting me as a guest. I thoroughly enjoyed answering your questions and sharing a little bit about myself and my books with you and your readers.
Thank you, Janice, for being a delightful guest.
My review of The Case of the Sad Mischievous Ghost (Davey & Derrick Jr. Detectives Book 5) by Janice Spina
This is the fifth book in the Davey and Derek Junior Detective Series. Davey and Derek, who are warlocks under the tutelage of their aunt, a witch, have already solved four mysterious cases and they have gained a reputation as detectives. Abby and her cousin, Holly, seek them out at school. The two girls believe the house they have recently moved into, called the Sheridan House after its previous owner, is haunted by a ghost. They have experienced some strange happenings. Davey and Derek agree to investigate and see if they can discover the source of the strange happenings and visitations.
With some advice from their Aunt Gigi, the pair set out to determine the cause of the girls’ anxiety. They embark on an intriguing adventure including cold spots, ghostly forms, and secret tunnels.
This book was reminiscent for me of the Secret Seven adventures series by Enid Blyton which I read as a young girl. It is full of the same energy and excitement as Enid Blyton’s books, but the Davey and Derek Junior Detective Series incorporates a taste of magic and the supernatural which appeals to modern children. This series also tackles topical issues faced by 21st century youngsters. The language is appropriate for the target audience and will keep young readers engaged and interested.
I enjoyed the subtle demonstrations of respect and family values incorporated throughout this book, which send an excellent message to young readers. An enjoyable book with an interesting storyline.
You can purchase The Case of the Sad Mischievous Ghost (Davey & Derrick Jr. Detectives Book 5) from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Mischievous-Ghost-Davey-Junior-Detectives-ebook/product-reviews/B072QBJ7LC
About Janice Spina
Janice Spina is a multi-award-winning author with 45 books of which there are 22 children’s books,12 MG/PT books and two books in a YA series with four more coming over the next few years, seven novels and a short story collection for 18+ written under J.E. Spina. She is also a copy editor, blogger, book reviewer and supporter of fellow authors. Her husband, John, is her illustrator and cover creator. Watch for more books to come over the next few years.
Jance has received the following awards for her books:
10 Mom’s Choice Awards – Silver Medals, 5 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards – Silver Medal, Bronze Medal, Honorable Mention and Finalist, 21 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards, 1 AUTHORSDB – Cover Contest, 2 Book Excellence Award Finalists, 2 Top Shelf Awards – First Place & Runner up, one Maincrest Media Award
Her logo is Jemsbooks – books for all ages! Her motto is – Reading Gives You Wings to Fly! Come soar with Jemsbooks! Happy reading!
Janice loves to hear from readers and appreciates and happily welcomes reviews.
Find Janice Spina
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
Share this:
Growing Bookworms – War in Children’s Literature: yes or no? #GrowingBookworms #childrensliterature #warbooks
Posted: November 8, 2023 Filed under: Books, Children's Books, Classics, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Historical Fiction | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Historical Fiction, Robbie Cheadle, War and children, Writing to be Read 68 Comments
The world is full of conflict currently, and this has been the case throughout the reign of ‘civilized man’ on this beautiful planet of ours.
According to save the children US, a total of 93,236 children have been killed or maimed in conflicts in the last ten years (this figure is from November 19, 2020 before the two recent conflicts centering around Ukraine and Israel), which equates to 25 children (an averaged size school classroom) of children every day.
These children were mainly victims of airstrikes, shelling, landmines, and other explosive weapons used in populated areas.
War and conflict is a very real factor of human society. Wars displace people and create refugees; people who are unable to continue living in their homes and carrying on with their daily lives because of violence. Refugees are a huge concern and area of focus in Western society.
With these thoughts and figures in mind, I ask, should children read books about war?
My answer is yes. Books and stories are a way of teaching empathy, understanding, and raising awareness.
Jennifer Armstrong is quoted as saying: “if we don’t encounter war in the safe way, by experiencing it through literature and art, how will we be moved to avoid the real thing? Reading about was doesn’t imply an endorsement of it: it’s a way of acknowledging part of the human experience that has been with us since the days of the Trojan War and long before. If you really want to teach young readers about peace, give them books about war.”
Jennifer Armstrong is the author of over 50 books for children from kindergarten through to high school. She is best known for writing historical fiction. You can read more about Jennifer Armstrong here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Armstrong
To:You
Mon 2023/11/06 09:29
Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote: “Children think about and ponder such matters as justice, the purpose of life, the why of suffering. They often find it difficult to make peace with the idea that animals are slaughtered so that man can eat them. They are bewildered and frightened by death. They cannot accept the fact that the strong should rule the weak.” You can read more about Isaac Bashevis Singer here: https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/hebrew-literature-biographies/isaac-bashevis-singer
I’ve always been fascinated by war and have been reading about children and adults in war situations since I was a young girl. These are a few of the books about war and conflict situations I was given by Sister Agatha when I was a young student (10, 11 and 12 years old) at Holy Cross Convent in George in the Western Cape of South Africa:
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Discovered in the attic where she spnt the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
In 1942, as Nazis occupied Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the secret upstairs rooms of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.
In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, Anne’s account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
I am David by Anne Holm
David escapes from the concentration camp where he has spent his entire life and flees across Europe. He is utterly alone – who can he trust? What will await him? And all the while, how can he be sure that they won’t catch up with him…David learns that his polite manner, his haunted eyes and his thin features are strange to other people. He must learn to fend for himself in this strange new world.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
This semi-autobiographical classic, written by the beloved Judith Kerr, tells the story of a Jewish family escaping Germany in the days before the Second World War.
This beautiful new edition celebrates the fifty year anniversary of an adventure that Michael Morpurgo called “The most life-enhancing book you could ever wish to read.”
Suppose your country began to change. Suppose that without your noticing, it became dangerous for some people to live in it any longer, and you found, to your surprise, that your own father was one of those people. This is what happened to Anna in 1933.
Anna is too busy with her schoolwork and tobogganing to listen to the talk of Hitler. But one day she and her brother Max are rushed out of Germany in alarming secrecy, away from everything they know. Their father is wanted by the Nazis. This is the start of a huge adventure, sometimes frightening, very often funny and always exciting.
Judith Kerr wrote When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit fifty years ago, based on her own journey, so that her own children would know where she came from and the lengths to which her parents went to keep her and her brother safe. It has gone on to become a beloved classic that is required reading for many children all over the world and is an unforgettable introduction to the real-life impact of the Second World War.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
A powerful story set in Nazi occupied Denmark in 1943. Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is called upon for a selfless act of bravery to help save her best-friend, Ellen – a Jew.
It is 1943 and for ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen life is still fun – school, family, sharing fairy stories with her little sister. But there are dangers and worries too – the Nazis have occupied Copenhagen and there are food shortages, curfews and the constant threat of being stopped by soldiers. And for Annemarie the dangers become even greater… her best-friend Ellen is a Jew. When Ellen’s parents are taken away to be ‘relocated’ by the Nazis, Ellen is taken in by Annemarie’s parents and suddenly Annemarie’s family are under threat too.
Annemarie has to call upon all her resources for courage and bravery as she helps her friend make a daring escape.
A Newbery Medal winner by an acclaimed author *For readers from 8 to 12 *
I still enjoy reading children’s books about war, and have written one, While the Bombs Fell, myself. These are few I’ve enjoyed.
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo has a number of children’s books that centre around war and conflict situations. This blurb is for War Horse.
An unforgettable tale of war, redemption, and a hero’s journey. It is 1914, and Joey, a farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of World War I on the Western Front. When Joey is dragged away, his heart aches for Albert, the farmer’s son he is forced to leave behind. In the army the beautiful red-bay horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off the battlefields. Amongst the clamoring of guns, and while plodding through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it does, will he ever find Albert again? War Horse joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!
Elizabeth’s War by DL Finn
It’s April of 1917, and World War I has reached Elizabeth’s family on their wheat farm in North Dakota. Although the battles are being fought overseas, the war has affected her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Elizabeth is thrust into a new role after her brother and father leave the farm to do their part in the war. And she’s only eleven years old! Having almost died as a toddler, Elizabeth has been babied most of her life. Now she must learn to help out around the farm; cooking, cleaning, and tending to the garden and livestock. No longer can she run from her responsibilities, as she did when her horse Rosie was giving birth. There were complications during the delivery, and Elizabeth panicked and froze. The foal didn’t make it. Elizabeth faces her biggest challenge yet as a huge Christmas Eve snowstorm rages outside, cutting her family off from any help; and her mother is about to have a baby! Her brother and sister are laid up with chicken pox. Does Elizabeth face her fears or run from them? Can she help her family, who need her more now than ever? Or will she retreat like she did when Rosie needed her?
You can find out more about DL Finn’s latest book here: https://dlfinnauthor.com/2023/10/30/new-release-the-destination-harbor-pointe-series-book-3-dlfinnauthor-harborpointeseries-storyempire-writingcommunity-whattoread/
My Gentle War: Memoir of an Essex Girl by Joy Lennick
The affection Joy Lennick nee Mansfield felt and feels for Wales is immediately evident in this charming memoir.
Separated in World War 11 from her parents – with her father serving in the Royal Air Force abroad and her mother working in munitions – she finds herself living on a mountain with her two brothers. It is a world away from the cosy environment of her home in Dagenham, Essex.
You can read one of Joy Lennick’s blog posts here: https://joylennick.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/a-labyrinth-of-meanings/
While the Bombs Fell by Robbie Cheadle and Elsie Hancy Eaton
What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2? Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden. Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia. Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes.
The ebook of While the Bombs Fell is available from Lulu.com here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/robbie-cheadle-and-elsie-hancy-eaton/while-the-bombs-fell/ebook/product-23768958.html?page=1&pageSize=4
You can find out more about the South African concentration camps in my book, A Ghost and His Gold. IT IS NOT FOR CHILDREN. https://tslbooks.uk/product/a-ghost-and-his-gold-roberta-eaton-cheadle/
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
Share this:
Growing Bookworms – Great Halloween reads for children #Halloween #GrowingBookworms
Posted: October 11, 2023 Filed under: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Reading, Teaching children | Tags: Children's Books, Children's Stories, Growing Bookworms, Halloween, Writing to be Read 67 Comments
I didn’t grow up with Halloween. In fact, I learned about the Halloween festival much later in my life through social media and books.
Looking back on my childhood reading though, I always had a fascination with all things creepy and chilling. Below I’ve discussed two of my favourite childhood books about witches, monsters, and other fantasy and mythological creatures, as well as Michael and my latest Sir Chocolate book: Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon.
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Blurb
This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don’t ride around on broomsticks. They don’t even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you’re face to face with one? Well, if you don’t know yet you’d better find out quickly-because there’s nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she’ll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.
My thoughts
I loved The Witches. The main characters of the book are a grandmother and her young grandson. Grandma comes from Norway and has had several experiences with real witches disguised as lovely and kind ladies. There are lots of way of identifying ‘real’ witches and Grandma passes this wisdom on to her young grandson. The story is told from the perspective of the unnamed grandson.
Following an illness, Grandma and her grandson book a holiday in a hotel near the sea. Grandma needs fresh ocean air to convalesce. When the pair arrive, a conference of the “Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children” is in progress. The grandson manages to get himself trapped behind a screen in the ball room where the conference is being held. It doesn’t take long before the lovely attendees of the conference are revealed to be witches. The Grand High Witch has come up with a plan to rid the world of its children and she is sharing this plan with all the witches of England.
It is up to Grandma and her grandson to stop the witches and save the children of England from a ghastly fate.
Grandma was such a wonderful character, full of creepy stories and antsy comments. I really enjoyed her, and this is one of my favourite Roald Dahl books.
You can purchase The Witches by Roald Dahl here: https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Roald-Dahl-ebook/dp/B00INIYHJQ
Which Witch by Iva Ibbotson
Blurb
Arriman the Awful, feared Wizard of the North, has decided to marry. But his wife must be a witch of the darkest powers…
A sorcery competition is held to discover which witch is the most potent and fiendish, and glamorous Madame Olympia conjures up a thousand plague-bearing rats! Belladonna, the white witch, desperately wants to be a wicked enchantress, but her magic produces flowers instead of snakes. How can she become more devilish than all the other witches?
My thoughts
Iva Ibbotson has many entertaining children’s books that feature witches, monsters, and other fantasy creatures. This one was the first of her books I read, and I never forgot it. When I had my own children, I searched for this book and purchased it to read to them.
Arriman the Awful, a dark and powerful wizard, lives in Darkington Hall. Arriman has become bored with his dark magic and decides to choose a wife from his hometown of Todcaster. He is aware of a prophecy that he will be replaced by a wizard with much greater powers than his own and believes this great dark wizard must be his son. Arriman doesn’t have any children and isn’t married so he decides to remediate this situation as quickly as possible.
Arriman decides to choose his wife through the holding of a contest between the seven witches of Todcaster: (Mabel Wrack, Ethel Feedbag, Mother Bloodworth, Nancy Shouter, Nora Shouter, Madame Olympia, and Belladonna). The witch who performs the darkest magical act will become his wife.
All the witches are black witches except for one: Belladonna. She is a white witch and is not able to perform acts of dark magic. Belladonna is, however, in love with Arriman the Awful and wants to win the contest.
Shortly before the contest, Belladonna meets an orphan boy named Terence Mugg. Belladonna is able to perform a really dark act of magic to rescue Terence from the dreadful and unking matron of the orphanage. The pair believe that Terence’s pet worm, Rover, is a powerful familiar and has enabled Belladonna to perform this black magic.
Belladonna and Terence, with the help of Rover, come up with a plan to ensure Belladonna wins the contest.
However, the best laid plans often go astray and this one is no exception.
You can purchase Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson here: https://www.amazon.com/Which-Witch-Eva-Ibbotson-ebook/dp/B003GGST7Q
Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon
How this book came to be published
Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon is the third book in Michael and my new “Sir Chocolate High days and Holidays” book series.
We decided to self-publish this new series which celebrates various Christian holidays and other international celebration days like Valentine and Halloween.
The source of these stories is mainly promotions for the Sir Chocolate book series that we have written over the last seven years since the first Sir Chocolate book, Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream berries story and cookbook was published.
Our intention with this series is to share a fun, rhyming verse themed story and to include some fun activities (mainly baking and food art but there are some other activities included) that parents or caregivers can make with their children in line with the holiday or theme that is the focus of the book.
Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon is a Halloween themed book and includes three fabulous themed baking activities that children can make under parental guidance.
This book includes five fun limericks for children. This is one example:
Blurb
The Chinese Candy Dragon has taken all of Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet’s Halloween treats. Will he return the stolen goodies and mend his relationship with the villagers?
Includes three fun Halloween activities for children.
Book trailer
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
