Showing posts with label children's non-fiction books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children's non-fiction books. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

W...W...W...Wednesdays


This meme was created by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I am loving this book. Heather Haven is also good for a fabulous story.





The year is 1942. Already weary from the Great Depression, the U.S. has joined the Allied Forces in their war against the Axis Powers. Fear and uncertainty is everywhere. Never has the circus soothed so many seeking refuge in its magic, if only temporarily. But there is no shelter from murder, even under the Big Top. Up and coming circus performer, Jeri Deane, finds a young clown strangled inside a beloved lion's cage. The town sheriff's threat to close down the Big Top won't stop her from finding his killer. Beneath the spangles and sawdust of the canvas sky, Jeri uncovers deceit, treachery, and secrets more dangerous than any death-defying trick in the show. Even she has much to hide. If the Big top survives the season, will she be able to face her own hidden past?

Heather Haven is the daughter of real-life Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus folk. Her mother was a trapeze artist/performer and father, an elephant trainer. Heather brings the daily existence of the Big Top to life during World War II, embellished by her own murderous imagination.

What did you recently finish reading?

Read this book for a review that will appear at TC&TBC today.





Yell and Shout, Cry and Pout: A Kid’s Guide to Feelings is an essential guidebook for adults in steering children through the confusing behaviors that emotions evoke. When you understand the purpose of emotions, behavior becomes understandable. Each of the eight emotions is clearly defined thorough vignettes and illustrations, keeping both adult and child captivated, thus creating an opportune time for discussion. By recognizing that all humans experience these emotions throughout their lives, the book provides a true sense of comfort. Emotions are not to be shunned, but rather embraced and explained to provide a positive development environment for all children.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Possibly these two:


Every parent wants the golden key to raising well-behaved, academically gifted, successful, happy children. Embedded in our collective psyche is the notion that discipline is the cornerstone to achieving these goals. This book lambasts this notion, offering a never-before-published perspective on why the entire premise of discipline is flawed. Dr Shefali Tsabary shows that the very idea of discipline is a major cause of generations of dysfunction.

Out of Control goes to the heart of the problems we have with our children, challenging society’s dependence of discipline, daring us to let go of our fear-based ideologies and replace them with an approach that draws parent and child together instead of alienating them. The key is ongoing meaningful connection between parent and child, free of head games such as threats, deprivation, punishment, timeouts—indeed, all forms of manipulation. Parents learn how to enter into deep communion with their children, understanding the reasons for a behavior and how to bring out the best in the child. Far from a laissez-faire anything goes approach, this is how a child learns responsibility and takes ownership of their life, equipped with character and resilience that flow naturally from within.


No one thought as highly of Lieutenant Spencer Watley as he did himself. This selfish cop met 14 year-old Justin Andrews during an important stakeout. Determined to nab a group of cyber killers, he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way, especially a smart mouthed teenager like Justin.

After Spencer bids him good riddance, he is killed by the hackers and stands before the gates of heaven. But – what’s this? After a life of putting dangerous criminals behind bars, he’s locked out?

He yells at the angel blocking his entrance, only to find out he needs to go through the J.R.P. program before he can enter. That’s the Jerk Redemption program, otherwise known as sensitivity training boot camp, which to his horror consists of non-stop Oprah and Dr. Phil reruns. Or he can go back to earth and help Justin’s dysfunctional family. Spencer opts for the lesser of two evils, to help Justin.

But the Angel pulls a fast one on Spencer. He can only go back to earth in the body of his K9-Partner. Spencer refuses, but like it or not, Spencer becomes a dog. He falls back to earth and is slowly morphed into a dog that closely resembles a mop.

And if being a dog wasn’t bad enough, Spencer also swallowed an important microchip his killers need to hack into PC’s and steal millions. Now the criminals are hot on his trail for the only existing microchip that’s logged in his belly.

Justin and Spencer butt heads constantly; both are stubborn and willful, neither one wanting to give an inch. Spencer needs to find out what the killers are up to, so he swallows his pride and forms a bond with the boy. Spencer relays to Justin his past and together with the help of Justin’s girlfriend, Shahla; they discover the hacker’s plans. Spencer has broken down Justin’s reserve and he finally learns the meaning of unselfish love.

But it’s too late, the hackers have captured them.

Can Spencer maul the shins (and other choice areas) of his kidnappers and stop them from their evil plan?

Can a selfish man find a heart?

You bet. He just has to become a dog first.


What have you been reading?

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Winners of the 2009 Children's Choice Book Awards



Pay a visit to the Children's Book Week website to find out the winners of this year's Children's Choice Book Awards.

You'll also find a history of Children's Book Week--which began in 1919, and special pages for kids, teens, teachers, librarians and booksellers, and publishers.

Dates for Children's Book Week:

2009: May 11 - 17
2010: May 10 - 16
2011: May 2 - 8
2012: May 7 - 13

What did you do to celebrate Children's Book Week?



[Photo of official 2009 Children's Book Week Poster from the Children's Book Week website.]

Sunday, December 28, 2008

My Favorite Books from 2008!



This year at The Book Connection I read close to one hundred titles in a variety of genres. Here is a list of some of my favorites from this year:

Fiction

* Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia by Jessica James**

* The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

* The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson

* Ten Thousand Charms by Allison Pittman

* The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens

* The Ultimate Passage by Jean Hackensmith and Kathe Birch

* Mistress of the Revolution by Catherine Delores

* The Lost Diary of Don Juan by Douglas Carlton Abrams

* Season of Sacrifice by Tristi Pinkston

* Up the Devil's Belly by Rhett DeVane


Nonfiction

* Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World by Kathi Macias

* Don't Know Much About Anything Else by Kenneth C. Davis

* CULLOTTA: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness by Dennis Griffin

* Born Liberal Raised Right by Reb Bradley

* The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, Third Edition by Mark Levine

* The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing by Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards

* The Well-Fed Self-Publisher by Peter Bowerman

* The Dancer Returns by Susan Lee Titus

* The Dog Walked Down the Street by Sal Glynn

* The Sky's Not Falling: Why It's Ok to Chill About Global Warming by Professor Holly Fretwell (children's nonfiction)



Children's fiction

* The Rabbit and the Snowman by Sally O. Lee

* The State of Wilderness by Elysabeth Eldering

* Zooprise Party by Rebekah Delgado

* Rainbow Sheep by Kim Chatel

* Scarecrow Finds A Friend by Blume J. Rifken

* Sam's Quest Book 2: The Royal Trident by Ben Furman

* The Tutu Ballet by Sally O. Lee

* The Giant Leaf by Davy Liu

* You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt

* The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm Smart and I Know Everything!) by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

These books are available at Amazon.com.


** My favorite book across all genres for 2008!

Monday, June 23, 2008

The Sky's Not Falling! by Holly Fretwell--Book Review


Wondering how you can help your kids make sense out of all the information flying around about global warming? The Sky's Not Falling!: Why It's OK to Chill about Global Warming is a good place to start.

The Sky's Not Falling! is a unique and interesting way for your child (age 8-12) to find out more about global warming; what we know, what we're not sure of, and what's important for the future. Filled with "Fun Facts", eye-catching photographs and illustrations, and a few graphs, the reader gets an apolitical journey through time that shares the warming and cooling trends that have occurred for hundreds of thousands of years.

The reader is encouraged to be optimistic about the future by becoming an enviroprenuer (an entrepreneur who works for the environment). The Sky's Not Falling! encourages critical thinking through a variety of exercises that show the impact of individual choices and how you must learn as much as you can and look at the big picture before making a decision.

Fretwell manages to do what is often so difficult: make learning fun! I would highly recommend this book to any parent who would like to provide their child with a greater understanding of global warming. The Sky's Not Falling! also makes a great read for parents.


Title: The Sky's Not Falling!: Why It's OK to Chill about Global Warming
Author: Holly Fretwell
Publisher: World Ahead Publishing
ISBN: 978-0976726944
U.S. Price: $17.95

You can read my interview with Holly Fretwell here.