Category Archives: Reviews

Oct30

Write Your Own Spooky Story Day 5: Revision and Proofreading Your Story

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Writing Your Own Spooky Story Day 5: Revision and Proofreading

Writing Your Own Spooky Story Day 5: Revision and Proofreading

To Note: This whole activity is available online at my new “Keep On Writing” Online Writing School. It’s set up as a tutorial to allow kids to work at their own pace with more in depth instruction. For more information, LINK HERE!

Welcome to Day 5 of writing your own Spooky Story. Well, tomorrow is the big day, Halloween. And I’m sure if you’ve been working hard all week, you’ve got your rough draft done and ready to polish today. This is when you need to find a partner to listen to your story, and give you some feedback. Feedback is comments about what the person liked, what works, and what might need to be changed. They should listen to and let you know if anything is confusing or hard to understand. I’ve always taught this aspect through the writing workshop process, and often gave my students a feedback worksheet to work with. Below are the questions I would include on the sheet for them to fill out.

Your partner can be an older sibling (brother or sister), cousin, Mom or Dad, Grandparent or even Aunt or Uncle. You can also have your friends work with you as well. Writer’s call this a critique group. We often have a network of fellow writers, or betareaders, that read through our stories and give us feedback on what to improve.

You might also notice I mentioned listened. It’s best that you read your story out loud to your partner. That way, it is easier for you to hear what works, check on how dialogue flows, and how your descriptions read. You can often catch awkward and hard to understand sentences this way.

So, here is a list of questions for your betareader(partner) to answer as they listen to your story:

  1. What was your favorite part? Why?
  2. What would you want to know more about in the story?
  3. Is there anything, words or sentences, that were confusing in the story?
  4. What details in the story stood out the most?
  5. What would you want to see in the next story?

After you’ve had a chance to go over some revision, only then let your partner look over your story for corrections in punctuation or spelling. They are welcome to look through and catch any changes they may find. Then, it’s your turn to go back and rewrite the parts and make changes they suggested. When you’re done, show it to them again. See if they suggest anything else.

Most writers do this about 4-5 times. I know, you think, wow, that’s a lot. As a beginning writer try this at least once. Make changes, and show them to your partner one more time. In the last rewrite, they should probably be less often. That’s when you know you’re ready to copy from a revision draft to a final draft.

When you get to that point, you’re ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow, it’s all about copying into a nice final draft to read for friends and family on Halloween. You’re ALMOST there! Have fun today and tonight! You’re in the home stretch.

Meanwhile, looks like I got my phone working. So, I’m going to try the Periscope Broadcast at 3:30 pm PDT. Look for @Tiffmeister. That’s in about 1/2 hr from uploading this post. So, I’ll be going over the steps the last few days, answering questions you might have, and enjoying any comments you have for me. I would love the feedback. Again, Periscope is an app. that is available on Android and iPhone. I’m sure it’s also on iPads too since it’s in the iTunes store. Just head over to the apps section, type in Periscope, and you’re there. So, hope to hear from you. Until then, happy revising! -Tiffany Turner (Mrs. Turner)

Oct29

Write Your Own Spooky Story: Day 4 Your Rough Draft; Adding Dialogue and Getting Unstuck

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Using dialogue to describe your characters action can propel your story forward.

Using dialogue to describe your characters action can propel your story forward.

Note: This whole activity is available online at my new “Keep On Writing” Online Writing School. It’s set up as a tutorial to allow kids to work at their own pace with more in depth instruction. For more information, LINK HERE!

Welcome to Day 4 of writing your own spooky story. Today, it’s time to work on connecting those middle events to lead to your solution in your ending. It’s going to be a busy day. Before I start, I have to announce the HUGE issues with my phone. It completely has died. I have to take it to the CPR phone store. So, I’m going to have to postpone my Periscope broadcast until tomorrow at 3:30 pm PDT. Sorry folks. When the electronics act up, it affects everything. But of course,  I can still answer questions and comments on the blog. Feel free to ask advice as you progress through your project this week.

Today is the second day of writing your rough draft. It’s the time you need to connect your introduction and problem you wrote yesterday to the rest of the story. You need to write the middle events that lead your characters to the solution, and end your story with the satisfying bang that they crave. In this section, you have to leave clues that your character can find or have events that push them along to the ending. Think of all those other spooky stories you may have read. They will help you get some ideas. Writers are active readers as well as observers. A lot of the time, a good book in the same genre will jog an idea for you. If you get stuck, try remembering some of your favorite books and try the same thing(s) with a twist. All you have to do is something similar but with twists and changes.

Another thing that helps me get in the zone for writing is to put on some music. If it’s difficult for you to concentrate without noise, that’s normal for some people. Some people need a background noise, like music, to concentrate. Some people need complete silence. If you’re having trouble, and know you need quiet or music to write, try making an environment for writing. For example, I have made several playlists for different projects using Youtube. I find the video for a song and put them in a playlist. Right now I’m playing a Halloween playlist to get me in a spooky mood. It includes Panic at the Disco’s “Emperor’s New Clothes”, “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, Theme song from “Tales of the Crypt” and “Ghostbusters”. If I get stuck, I watch the video and listen to the music, and it gets my concentration going again. This works for me. But if you have other ways that help you as you write, please feel free to share in the comments section.

As you’re writing, be sure to check your story map to check off things as you add them. They will help you guide yourself to the ending. Also, to avoid telling too much, try using dialogue. Sometimes it’s easier to have your characters talk about something than just describe it. Here’s an example:

Mark and Becky walked up to the house at the end of the street. No one liked to trick or treat at this one house, because it looked too haunted. It had a older man that lost his wife a few years ago. He never appeared except to water his lawn now and again. Becky thought one more treat would be good. Her candy bag looked a bit small. Not many people had been home in her neighborhood. Maybe they could get something at this house after all.

Now, let’s add some dialogue to the paragraph.

Mark looked at Becky. “You think we should trick or treat at the house at the end of the street?”

Becky felt ill. “Really, no. I mean, that old guy never appears since his wife died. He only comes out to water his lawn. He’s not very nice when he does it too.”

Mark grabbed his bag looking inside. “It’s been slim pickings this year. Not many people have been home, Becky. Why don’t we try one more house? It couldn’t hurt, right?”

Becky shrugged her shoulders. What did she have to loose? One more house couldn’t hurt. 

Adding dialogue makes the scene come alive, and you’re no longer telling the action, it is being done by your characters. Dialogue can make the action propel into the next scene. Next, I’d have them walk to the porch and try to trick or treat. Since this would be my haunted house setting, somehow they’d end up inside the house. And then the real fun begins.

Pumper the Pumpkin: A Halloween Tale by Tiffany Turner is a Kindle Unlimited title. Free Oct. 27-31!

Pumper the Pumpkin: A Halloween Tale by Tiffany Turner is a Kindle Unlimited title. Free Oct. 27-31!

Enjoy finishing up your rough draft today. Tomorrow, we’ll work on revising and proofreading to ready you to get that final copy done for Halloween. Ask around and see if someone is willing to listen to your story for tomorrow. And I’ll post questions and tips for them to look for. Until then, happy writing!- Tiffany Turner (Mrs. Turner)

Plus, for this week only starting, Oct. 27, my Halloween Tale, Pumper the Pumpkin will be available for free on Amazon. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Pumper-Pumpkin-Tiffany-Turner-ebook/dp/B005X1CS1A

Oct28

Write Your Own Spooky Story: Day 3 Starting Your Rough Draft

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Day 3 of writing your own spooky story: Starting your rough draft

Day 3 of writing your own spooky story: Starting your rough draft

Note: This whole activity is available online at my new “Keep On Writing” Online Writing School. It’s set up as a tutorial to allow kids to work at their own pace with more in depth instruction. For more information, LINK HERE!

Welcome to Day 3 of writing your own spooky story. Today we’re going to start the rough draft. The best way to start your story is to find a quiet place, and have an idea of what activity your character is doing when we find them. It’s best to start them in the middle of an activity that is important to them, such as being at school, basketball practice, or playing in the creek near their house. Something that would be a place or thing that will lead them to the problem.

Why is this important? Because as a writer, you want to SHOW, NOT TELL your story. You want to have activities showing what your character is about or likes to do, and not just tell your readers. If you tell them, your story is nothing more than just a summary of actions. A story shows the actions and events. It puts characters into problems and lets them loose.

There are two school of thoughts on how to write the rough draft as well. The two ways to write a rough draft can be broken into two groups of people, those that write by having an idea of what the characters are and what may happen, and let the action play in their mind as they write it down. These people are called Pantsers, as they write by the seat of their pants.

The second group are more organized and like to outline or write down the order of events that they want to have happen in a story from beginning, middle to end. These people are called Plotters since they like to have events mapped out.

Either way of writing your rough draft is correct. You could even try the one way that sounds best to you, and if it doesn’t work, switch to the other. It’s good to know which you prefer since it will make it easier for you to write. Personally, I’m a Pantser. I tend to spend a lot of time knowing what my characters are like, and an idea of what they will do. But often I’ve sat down and had the story turn out different, because once I put the characters into the situation I’ve created, they choose to do something else. I love this! I call it being in the zone. I enjoy the story as much as any reader since sometimes I don’t even know what will happen in the end until I write it.

So, think of that action your main character needs to be in the middle of, find that quiet space, and start writing. Don’t worry about how it starts. You can always change it later. Just start. If it’s hard, use the phase, “There I was on a dark and stormy night.” My starting phrase for my posts this week is”Welcome to Day — to writing your own spooky story.” It might sound boring or hokey, but it gets me started. Once you get your brain flowing, the beginning can always be changed or improved.

Tomorrow, I’m planning to try something new. I’m going to be broadcasting on Periscope, a phone app. that allows you to broadcast world wide anything you might be doing from anywhere. I’ll be going through the techniques I’ve posted about the last few days, and taking any questions or comments you might have on your story in progress. Please join me @Tiffmeister on Periscope at 3:30pm-4:40pm PDT. If you don’t have the app, you can download it from the GooglePlayStore or Itunes store for your iPhone.

Pumper the Pumpkin: A Halloween Tale by Tiffany Turner is a Kindle Unlimited title. Free Oct. 27-31!

Pumper the Pumpkin: A Halloween Tale by Tiffany Turner is a Kindle Unlimited title. Free Oct. 27-31!

So, get writing! And I’ll see you tomorrow for some one-to-one help and support! -Tiffany (Mrs. Turner)

Plus, for this week only starting today, Oct. 27, my Halloween Tale, Pumper the Pumpkin will be available for free on Amazon. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Pumper-Pumpkin-Tiffany-Turner-ebook/dp/B005X1CS1A

Oct5

World Teacher Day! Share Appreciation With A Teacher Today!

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This year it is difficult for me since I’m not able to teach. I’m spending the year working on getting my health back and writing after a serious health issue in December last year. But I can at least support my fellow educators especially on a day like today. It is World Teacher Day! It’s time to show appreciation for teachers around the world. I know on some days words of appreciation were small gifts to help combat the constant exhaustion, stress and politics that accompany teaching. So, give a shout out for your favorite teacher today. Here is a graphic to show why we need to support teachers courtesy of Grammarly.com:

World-Teacher-Day-infographic

Sep18

#ISTANDWITHAMED: My Thoughts On The Fear of Violence in School Culture

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How about a new School Culture that is a World School?

How about a new School Culture that is a World School?

I have to say, I don’t usually talk about something so political on my blog. But this story has got me so fired up and thinking, I have to write something. There are so many points of view that affect what happened to the Muslim student, Ahmed Mohamed, that it’s hitting a big nerve with people. In fact, I’m reading so many points of views and opinions, it’s time I threw mine into the ring. Because I seem to be adding to the conversation of many Twitter and newspaper article comments about School Culture. That is a big part of this. It’s the reason the officials treated the clock project with caution. Any school in our country would. That I think is as equally sad as taking it to the levels they did with arresting, finger printing, and questioning Ahmed without his parents.

The fact that school officials and police have to deal with the threat is outrageous in American society to begin with. That is clearly an outrage in itself. I know. I’ve had to deal with teaching children for all most two decades of Lock Down Drills, watching for people that might shoot kids on the playground from hills that surrounded my school, or think of what I’d do if someone should come through the school with a gun. These are things that, when it comes down to it, are more acceptable than the fact Ahmed is a Muslim and a student of color.

School Culture isn’t what it was when I started teaching in 1997. The innocence of American schools has been destroyed. It started with Columbine, when two kids could change the make up of American schools by deciding that their enemies needed to be destroyed instead of dealing with high school in the usual way kids had in the past. Then, Sept. 11 happened. Terrorists won by causing a rooted fear in American society. Distrust is connected with Muslim and Islamic people. This incident shows the 20 years of progression of what American Schools have become.

Who do we blame? I want to say ourselves. But that wouldn’t be right. There were events that living through them, caused the fear. But I do know the progression of the School Culture. And the way the rules are set by politicians and adminstrators following laws to prevent these things from happening again. Truly, Ahmed is not a victim of this alone. We are all victims from the things we are losing from the youth who are affected by it.

I’m an 80s kid. I remember the rebel and radical images portrayed of kids back in the 80s. Heavy metal was going to rot everyone’s brains. Warning stickers were put on albums to protect the innocence of youth. D & D was children devil worshipping. What was to become of society? It’s almost laughable now to what the current young generation has to deal with. Some of those things that were considered bad actually made my generation strong. Maybe with all of this being put into light, the School Culture will be reexamined. But what happens when one kid slips through the cracks, sets off a bomb, and the authorities are blamed for not being tough?

We got to approach this different. But how? I’m at a loss here. It’s hard to suggest a solution with 20 years of attacks on the school system, violence, and terrorist fears haunting most of America. I don’t know if there is a clear answer. But there has to be a start. Maybe what happened to Ahmed could be the start of that; the healing this country needs. I look forward to seeing what this young man will do with his opportunities from this, and maybe it will help future school officials and police to take a step back and think before assuming someone is something by how they look. If they had taken a close look at him, he was so geeked out, with glasses and a NASA t-shirt, he could have been on the “King Of The Nerds” reality show. And talking to his parents would have been a perfect way to handle it than cuffing and fingerprinting him. The fear can’t take us over or the real terrorists will have won. Taking a step back and looking at this situation will hopefully bring change that is so needed in our schools today; looking at kids again as kids.

Sep11

Back to School Blog Tour: Day 5 I’m SO Glad We Had This Time Together & 9/11 School Memory

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2015 Back to School Blog Tour: DAY FIVE

2015 Back to School Blog Tour: DAY FIVE

Welcome to day 5 of the blog tour. I wanted to have a day to wrap up and thank all of the participating authors this week. Here they are again so you can stop by and say a big thank you on their websites. They took the time out of their busy schedules to let me interview them, and for that I’m thankful.

Participating Authors:

Plus, the giveaways are still open. Many will be open on Saturday or the whole weekend. Here they are for you.

Here is a list of the giveaway links for the tour:

  1. Back To School Blog Tour Grand Prize Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card
  2. Marilyn Peake’s Giveaway for The Fisherman’s Son Trilogy
  3. Rachel Elizabeth Cole’s Giveaway for The Rabbit Ate My Homework
  4. Lee Winter’s Giveaway for $20 Amazon Gift Car
New from Tiffany Turner, Writing Projects for the New Common Core. The first 6 weeks of school to start your own writing program.

New from Tiffany Turner, Writing Projects for the New Common Core. The first 6 weeks of school to start your own writing program.

Today is also the day I wanted to reveal my new writing venture. As some of you know from following my blog, I’ve been taking medical leave from teaching due to a heart blood clot and septic shock that occurred last December. I have since had a lot of time to rest my body, but my mind is super active and needs to come out and play. Since I couldn’t teach this year, I’ve decided to start writing down what I would be teaching for writing. I’ve come up with a pretty awesome writing program over my 18 years of teaching. I’ve been trained in Six Traits, the Writing Workshop Format, and was on a writing curriculum planning committee for my district in preparation for the Common Core. So, instead of being upset that I can’t teach, I’m writing all my lesson plans to assist others so they can teach fun writing.

I’ve put together my first ebook, and it is available on Teacherspayteachers.com. It’s on sale now for 20% off regular price through tomorrow. It’s called:

Back to School and September Writing Projects for Common Core

***All lessons are in the Five Step Lesson format with grading rubrics and needed graphic organizers for each lesson. Lessons include the introductory to writing process, paragraph parts, opinion paragraphs, and a final Book Review 3 paragraph essay. With this PDF book, you’ll get all your students on the track for Common Core. It is the first 6 weeks of school to start your own writing program.

***Sentence Frames included in lessons for ELD Support.
***Written to fit a workshop teaching format to differentiate instruction.

neverforget

Many authors have shared their School Memories. Today, Sept. 11, I always think of what it was like to teach school on that day, and the days after.

I remember going to work on Sept. 11, because that’s what those people were doing in the Two Towers. Going to work for the day. I wasn’t going to let terrorists stop me from teaching the children of America, though I admit for days after I watched airplanes flying over cautiously. I had the kids journal about their feelings about what was happening, and told them it would be OK. The authorities had things under control, the airports were closed, and everyone was on the alert. Many drew flags. Many drew the Towers on fire as they had seen on TV in the morning. We’d all seen it. It naturally started as a comfort symbol. Some of the students stayed home that day.

The next day, everyone was in class. Most everyone had been seeing the images. Some of the kids saw images that have been blocked now. I know because it’s the second day that they drew bodies falling from the towers, instead of just the towers burning. We talked about what we wanted to see happen. Many wanted to see the Two Towers rebuilt.

On Friday, there was a moment of silence by the whole school for those that had been lost. In a moment of emotion, I grabbed the class flag and gave it to my line leader to hold as we walked to the center of the school for the moment of silence. Many other classes had done the same. I remember watching him hold it high, proudly for all the kids to see, as we silently remembered what had happened on Tuesday.

And now, I think silently, with a tear welling, about that whole week I taught for this country. It sad to think I can’t do it now from what happened last December. And as I’m writing this the tears are coming. But I’m so thankful I was able to teach that day, and unite with the students in my class for the first moment of silence. It’s a school memory I’ll cherish, always.

To those lost, the firemen and police officers that tried to save them, and to the innocence of the many kids I had to teach in the 5 years after that had memories of the whole event.  I dedicate this whole blog tour. For the education of the future Americans. That’s what we stand for.

Sep1

UPDATE: Back to School Blog Tour Starts Monday, Sept. 7

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Join in on the Back to School Blog Tour Sept. 7-11, 2015

Join in on the Back to School Blog Tour Sept. 7-11, 2015

PLANS ARE UNDERWAY! The blog tour will begin next week on Monday, Sept. 7. All week there will be author interviews, and links to participating author blogs with behind the scenes posts, back to school memories, and giveaways.

Here is the list of participating authors:

Participating Authors:

  • Marilyn Peake Monday Sept. 7
  • Rue Cole Tuesday Sept. 8
  • Sean McCartney Wednesday Sept. 9
  • Lee Winters Thursday Sept. 10
  • Recap day of giveaways

It will be a fabulous way to celebrate the beginning of school. Plus, I’ll be releasing my first Writing Project lesson plans in a Back to School Writing Project packet that will be available on Teacherspayteachers.com. All lessons comply with the new Common Core Standards and are drawn from my 18 years of teaching experience.

Looking forward to having you there! I’ll see you on Monday, Sept. 7!

-Tiffany Turner

(Mrs. Turner)

May5

Author Spotlight Book Review: E.S. Pete Sixth Grade Sense

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E.S. Pete is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

E.S. Pete is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

This month’s author spotlight review is on E.S. Pete Sixth Grade Sense by Arnold Rudnick. I always like a good story with a psychic twist. Pete, like other boys, wants to be normal. But has a strange twist to life; he can read minds. Most of us would love to have this super power. For Pete, sometimes it’s a curse. Like being able to read the mind of a teacher that is going to rob the school and no one believes him. Sometimes he wishes he couldn’t do what he could. Factor in his crush on his friend Casey, and you got a recipe for a mystery adventure.

This middle grade novel is a cross between Encyclopedia Brown and the Mentalist, except with a school boy crush in the middle. Unlike Encyclopedia, Pete has fallen for his sidekick or at least she becomes his sidekick in the first of what proves to be an interesting series. From trying to save the day to going on a field trip as bait for the robbery, Pete is the unsung hero. He has to believe that he is right even with the ability to read people’s minds. He still has doubts on whether he should use the information or not. It often gets him in trouble.

I liked this twist of fate. What would happen if you could read minds? Rudnick digs deep into this dilemma giving Pete that morality of good vs. evil that is often missing from today’s literature for children. With the basics of a good ole’ fashion mystery, ESPete: Sixth Grade Sense will charm any child reader into believing that reading minds isn’t easy, and having super powers means you have to still be like everyone else. I think they’ll relate to Pete on an everyday level and enjoy the idea that reading minds wouldn’t be easy. I recommend for children that enjoy a good mystery series that might enjoy fantasy or paranormal twists.

Rating: Four Stars  ****

ISBN: 0981587909

Publisher: Paraphrase, LLC

****Available on: Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

FB Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ES-Pete-Sixth-Grade-Sense/239256356097969

ARNOLD RUDNICK has written for many television shows, including THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR, STAR TREK: VOYAGER and THE NEW ADDAMS FAMILY.

Author Website: http://espete.com

Follow on

Twitter: arnoldrudnick

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/arnold.rudnick

Sep5

Back To School Blog Tour 2014: Featured Book Review/Interview Vivienne Mathews

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Wb2schblogtour2014elcome to Day 5 of the Back to School Blog Tour 2014! If you haven’t signed up for the Book Bundle Giveaway, there are still few days left. Entering is easy. From liking authors on Facebook to commenting on their blog, you can enter to win the fabulous book bundle of children’s book each day. So, keep coming back each day and enter.

ENTER HERE TO WIN THE BOOK BUNDLE GIVEAWAY! Open until Sept. 8!

I Want to Be an Athlete And a Teacher by Garrett Carter is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I Want to Be an Athlete And a Teacher by Garrett Carter is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Featured today is the book review for I Want To Be An Athlete And A Teacher by Garrett Carter. Coby is an enthusiastic boy that wants to do something he loves, like play sports. He learns that he can do anything, including teaching others. In this picture book, limiting yourself is explored as Coby discovers all of his capabilities. Being good at many things and exploring your skills is part of growing up. In the end, he realizes that he can do anything, especially if he’s good at it.

This is the first in a series of picture books, and is a great start for exploring your potential. It’s a good read aloud for the beginning of school when teaching kids to look into themselves and build confidence is emphasized. Of course, saying what you will be when you grow up isn’t set in stone. Trying out new things and thinking about what you are good at is part of growing up. I liked the way this picture book gets a child to think about their skills and that they can be good at MANY things. It’s ok to do it all.

**** Four Star Rating

Available at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Want-Athlete-Teacher-Cobys-Career/dp/1499152647

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-want-to-be-an-athlete-and-an-entrepreneur-garrett-carter/1119911646

For more information on the author: http://www.garrettcarterbooks.com/

Plus, our last featured author interview is with Vivienne Mathews.  Last year, Vivienne was a featured author on the blog tour. So, I wanted to catch up and ask her what things had been like for her as an Indie Children’s author.

Vivienne Mathews is the author of The Sons of Masguard series.

Vivienne Mathews is the author of The Sons of Masguard series.

1) What new books have you released in the last year?
Since we last spoke, Jax and Mack has been my only release. It’s been a very full writing year, but a very lean publishing one — which is bound to make for a busy 2015. Book three in the Sons of Masguard series is on the release schedule for early in the year, followed by a trilogy of chapter books, and another picture book by next Christmas.

2) What do you have planned to release soon?
The Dangerous Life of the Honey Bee (Image attached) – a non-fiction picture book for young kids. It follows a worker bee as she goes about an average day; dodging threats, collecting honey, coping with her surroundings. Bees are an incredibly important part of our ecosystem. As a complete fangirl of one of the coolest insects on the planet, I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about sharing the amazing things they have to accomplish in order to maintain a healthy hive.

3) What has inspired you the most along your writer journey?
I was lucky enough to grow up in a reading family. My mother never, ever dismissed the importance of a book and went to some pretty fantastic lengths (example:http://www.viviennemathews.blogspot.com/2013/05/why-i-will-always-love-print-and-my.html ) to encourage her children to view them in the same light. Even now, I have a hard time picturing her without a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. Despite the fact that she was (and IS) a frugal and practical woman, never once did she tell me that writing was something I shouldn’t do. She never pointed out that this might be a difficult field or that I’d do better to turn my eye in a more financially viable direction “just to be safe.” Instead, she’d give me another romance, another classic, another strange and ragged cult novel that she found on a shelf in that one secondhand store downtown. To this day, she still sends me home from any visit with a bag full of reading materials. If creativity is indeed a well, she’s done everything in her power to make sure that it never runs dry. And I couldn’t love her more for it.

The Sons of Masguard by Vivienne Mathews is available on Amazon.

The Sons of Masguard by Vivienne Mathews is available on Amazon.

Current Book links:
The Mosque Hill Fortune: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CCID3ZW
Guardian’s Rise: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DUZOU9E
The Sons of Masguard – The Companion Guide: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DX52HCI
Jax and Mack: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G600G48

To Connect to Vivienne Mathews:

Blog: http://www.viviennemathews.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VivienneMathews

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7051589.Vivienne_Mathews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivienne-Mathews-MG-Writer-Extraordinaire/445474412218828?ref=bookmarks

 

Today, we wrap up the blog tour. I want to thank all of the authors for participating this week. To show the love, stop by and visit their websites and check out their books. It’s a good way to start the school year. I always need to build up my classroom library. For one more bow, here are the authors for the 2014 Back To School Blog Tour:

I’d also like to thank all of the followers of the Indie Children’s Authors Connection. You’ve helped build the blog by your views and comments over the last 3 years. For that, I am truly grateful. Again, I salute another successful Back to School. As I finish writing this post, it’s time for me to start writing Back to School Night handouts and work on a presentation. So, to all those busy teachers out there, I know what you’re going through. Thank you for all that you do. Have a great school year!

 

 

Apr10

A New Take On Standing Up To Bullies

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Jacob's New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman will grab your heart with its message. If you have ever been bullied, or your little one is being bullied for being different, this is a great way to teach them to stand up for themselves.

Jacob finds a dress during dress up time at school and decides to wear it. Other kids insist boys don’t wear dresses. But Jacob continues to follow his dream. He gets his Mom to make a dress, and finally wears it to school. He is so proud of the small stitches he’s made. During sharing time, one boy questions Jacob’s actions, and states “Boys don’t wear dresses”. As a result, a group tries to tease Jacob at recess, insisting he must be on the girls’ tag team. The story ends with Jacob standing up to the main bully, proud of his new dress.

This is a great read-aloud book to stress the issue that differences make us unique. The characters are well constructed, and the adults thoughtful and supporting of Jacob. The reluctance of excepting others by Jacob’s classmates is looked at as an obstacle that doesn’t stand in his way. He becomes proud of his dress and ignores the name calling. This is a great picture book to read aloud to a class or every night to show differences make us unique and special.

***** 5 Star Rating

A review copy was supplied by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.