The 8th Annual Back to School Blog Tour for 2021 is now taking sign-ups for the blog tour that will start on Labor Day, September 6, 2021.
Please sign up below to apply to be in the blog tour. I’m taking a limited amount of authors, so please sign-up ASAP. I will feature up to 2 authors a day. Last year, we had one per day, but I’d like to get a few more. This has been a special blog event that has been going on for several years now. And I think this year will be especially important to support teachers and students as they return to school during COVID. I want to be able to supply them with children’s literature that will be resourceful and relevant to the times.
Plus, I’d love to have some featured books that will help motivate children to read more. Basically, let’s help make this a great start to what has been a difficult period for many of us. Reading a good book can be comforting to a child when all else around them can seem out of sorts. Let’s bring the joy of reading to children at the start of this new, unique school year.
Here is the form to fill out to apply for the blog tour:
Deadline to apply is Friday, September 3 unless all the author slots fill up. If they do, I will post on the Blog Tour page when all slots of filled. Please mention that you are applying for this year’s blog tour and what kind of children’s book you have.
Marie Urquidi reading with her child from her “Speaking Together” workbook series.
The summer is an excellent opportunity for children to learn new skills and start a lifelong learning journey. Why not help them start learning language skills?
I’ve found a book series that has been written by a parent that wanted to teach her children their lost heritage of language. Marie Urquidi is Filipino but wasn’t encouraged to learn Tagalog, the Filipino language, as a child. Her husband has Mexican heritage and wasn’t motivated to learn Spanish. She decided to help her child to learn Spanish in school and enrolled her in a Spanish Dual Language Program. It turned out to be a Spanish course for herself as well.
She developed learning worksheets to help herself review the language as well as to support her child. Through this teaching opportunity, she has developed a unique set of workbooks to help children learn Spanish with their parents. Her “Speaking Together” workbook series covers how to teach your child Spanish, Tagalog, and English. I had the chance to ask Marie Urquidi about her influences growing up, writing projects, and what writing means to her.
Who is your favorite author and how did they influence you?
Marie Urquidi: Jane Yolen has written over 400 books, and I absolutely fell in love with “How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?” I read that to my son one night, and we enjoyed it. It was a great way to bond over the pictures and the questions in her story. The engagement with my son as I read her books is what I want to emulate. She inspires me to write engagingly because I want to replicate that same experience for readers.
2) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Marie Urquidi: My bilingual books aim to encourage parents and children to practice language learning in a fun and easy way. I currently have Language Workbooks for parents and children learning Spanish, Tagalog, and English. The books focus on conversations about school, recess, and playtime. I’m currently developing picture books that focus on other areas of language learning, for example, tenses and vocabulary. You can find my books on Amazon or my website: DLIParentBooks.com.
3) What is writing to you in one sentence?
Marie Urquidi: Writing is an opportunity to share a piece of you that’ll last beyond our own time here on earth.
“Speaking Together in Spanish” is a wonderful workbook to help reinforce your child’s Spanish lessons as well as learning the language yourself. With phonetic translations, easy phrases to start conversations, and extensive practice and review, you’ll have a tool to have you practice Spanish right along with your child. This workbook will give your child more opportunities to speak Spanish out of school, with private tutoring or even with Spanish-speaking playdates. You’ll gain intermediate-level grounding in four key skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. This specially designed workbook is equipped to help monolingual parents facilitate supportive learning at home while learning the language. Great for private tutoring support or supplemental homework for the classroom, this series is a beautiful support for parents and home schooling programs.
For information on all the workbooks, here are the links:
I’m always on the alert for helpful books for the classroom or at home for parents. I think I’ve found a series that will be helpful for children suffering from different traumas life can throw at you. A.C Morris has written an amazing book that touches children and helps to heal them. “Beyond the Scars” is her first book in the series, and it models how friendship can help a child mend from within. I had a chance to talk to A.C Morris about childhood reading memories, favorite authors, writing and what she has in store for us.
What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
A.C Morris: There was a book named “Sam” by Ann Herbert Scott. It was about a young boy, the youngest of his siblings like myself, and Sam had a big age gap between his older siblings. So, he had no one to play with, as he kind of didn’t fit in. He was too young or too small or too, not enough, for everyone and couldn’t figure out what to do. I felt he was similar to me because I was the only girl with two older brothers. That book actually taught me how to have fun alone. I played and used my imagination. I was inspired by Sam. Ever since then, I loved reading.
Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?
A.C Morris: My favorite author is Toni Cade Bambara. She wrote amazing short stories, which I love, short and sweet.
Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
A.C Morris: My writing routine is to write down a general idea. Then, rewrite it again as a concept/outline and rewrite again. After, I get someone’s opinion, and ask if I am clearly expressing myself with the concept. Then, I start writing and rewriting, following that outline, adding in details. I like to actually write at night or by the lake where I can hear and feel nature the best.
What subjects would you like to write about in the future?
A.C Morris: I like to write about anything that will inspire a child to be their best and to be fearless.
What is writing to you in one sentence?
A.C Morris: Writing is Magical. I say magical because, just before your eyes, you can have this tiny vision only you could see, and you turn it into something the rest of the world can feel, see and hear.
“Beyond the Scars” is a book to help a child begin healing from trauma with a friend. Modeled with the relationship of Celeste and Miguel, the reader goes on a journey of healing as the two talk over their past traumas and heal. Celeste is an amazing ballerina, and Miguel is talented pianist. Together, their friendship forms the way to healing and dealing with the past.
“Beyond the Scars” is available at Amazon.com. This book is a Kindle Unlimited title.
For more information on A.C Morris and her books, visit her soon to launch website on August 1.
Dr. Terance Shipman is the author of the new book, “Mr. Shipman’s Kindergarten Chronicles: ABC”.
Look no further, Dr. Terance Shipman has a winning smile that wins over parents, students and I’m sure, everyone he meets. Being a teacher for almost 28 years, he’s got a lot of stories. Some of the best are from his eleven years teaching Kindergarten, and he’s put them together in a book called “Mr. Shipman’s Kindergarten Chronicles: ABC”. Each book in his new Kindergarten Chronicles helps to celebrate and emphasis the African American male teacher as a role model. He presents a positive and strong black male image in his book that children need to see. I had the chance to talk with Dr. Shipman about future projects, memories of reading as a child, and his writing routine.
What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Dr. Terance Shipman: I would like to write a motivational book. I post daily motivational and inspirational quotes each day on social media. I think it would be great to have them in a book.
What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
Dr. Terance Shipman: One of my favorite memories was having my mother read to me each day. We would start a book and read a little each day. I remember placing the bookmark in the book to make sure we started in the right place.
Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
Dr. Terance Shipman: I think about a story in my head for days sometimes weeks at a time. I write an outline of the story. Afterwards I sit with pen and paper and write. I have to get the story out of my head and on paper.
Great for early readers and English language learners, “Mr. Shipman’s Kindergarten Chronicles: ABC”, is a delightful presentation of the alphabet. Your child will enjoy the pictures, learning and humorous introduction written by a real teacher.
Prudence Williams is the author of the book “Ruby Smiles”.
I’ve got another fabulous summer read for your child. With school just around the corner, it’s a great idea to get some books lined up to get in the rhythm of reading again too.
Author Prudence Williams knows a thing or two about school. She’s a 25-year veteran teacher that uses her experience with children to inspire them in her writing. Her new release, “Ruby Smiles”, is about a big sassy dog that needed her own book. I loved the way that a child is brought into Ruby’s world from a dog’s point of view. I had the chance to talk with Prudence Williams about her favorite reading memory from childhood, subjects for future projects, and what writing means to her.
What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
Prudence Williams: My favorite memory from reading as a child is reading “Down These Mean Streets” by Piri Thomas. It was the first novel I picked by myself, and it was good! I was about nine years old and the book was probably too mature for me, but I loved it. It introduced me to new cultures, languages, foods, and ideas, and since then I’ve been a strong reader.
What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Prudence Williams: I would like to write a book for teen girls about being an African American girl and enjoying life and being happy and falling in love. Most of the literature about young African American girls is very heavy and serious. I want young black girls to know they can be playful and just enjoy growing up. I want to represent a stable two parent home with loving and consistent parents and sibling. I want to show the black girl as the heroine and the popular girl who get the guy, grades, and joy.
What is writing to you in one sentence?
Prudence Williams: Writing is an old friend that I always can depend on to help me understand the problem, share the news, and tell the story.
“Ruby Smiles” is a day-in-the-life of Ruby, a busy dog with responsibilities all day. But she has fun doing them, and you get to join her. Find out what a dog likes to do and how being responsible can be fun.
I’m happy to present the third part of my interview series with Harvey L. Frierson Jr. He is a songwriter instilling family values as his message within his books. It all started as a way to entertain and teach his niece, but it is becoming a literary legacy that will help future generations. I got to ask Harvey about his book soundtrack, the coloring book edition of “My Big Sister is the Best”, and the other editions of the book.
Why did you decide to write the single “Sleepy Time” and a sing-along soundtrack?
Harvey L. Frierson Jr: I wrote all the songs for my (2) month old niece Juliet, my brother and my sister-in-law Kim, so they have songs to sing along to at night.
You have some other editions of the book, like audio and translations into other languages. Can you tell us a little about them?
Harvey L. Frierson Jr: Children sing along with anything, so I gave my niece a sneaky language course. When Juliet grows up, she will be singing about her childhood memories in Mandarin, Spanish, French and English with ease.
Why did you decide to create a coloring book edition?
Harvey L. Frierson Jr: As Juliet grows; hopefully it will keep her interest in coloring and learning months from now. (lol) The coloring books reinforce our family values by telling stories that support my brother and his wife’s interest in teaching family values to my niece. I am just trying to do my uncle part. To be the best of her uncles. I have good competition, but I have coloring books and animation to entertain my niece. I am sure to make her laugh the most.
“Sleepy Time”, the sing-along audio track that accompanies the book “My Big Sister is the Best”, is available at Spotify in Mandarin, Spanish and soon in French and English.
A video is alsoavailable on YouTube with several of the songs from the “My Big Sister is the Best” soundtrack in English and the book, “I Love to Wave” in English and Spanish.
For more information on Harvey L. Frierson Jr., please visit his website here.
To read part 1 of Harvey L. Frierson’s Jr. interview, link here.
To read part 2 of Harvey L. Frierson’s Jr. interview, link here.
Sometimes you come along and find a great book series you just have to share. “The Woes of a Ginger Named Red” series deals with problems children need to hear about from a diverse voice. Real world problems are all brought to light in this heart-felt series written by Andrea Witt. Ginger is dealing with a seizure disorder, the medications, moving, and adapting to a new home. I was lucky enough to interview Andrea Witt, and asked her about memories from reading as a kid, her favorite authors and how they influenced her, and what writing means to her.
1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
Andrea Witt: I used to be “dragged” to flea markets. I couldn’t stand it until I realized flea markets were full of books. I started collecting change from around the house to use to buy books. I started looking forward to going so I could find new books to read. The books I bought were used and I could get 4 for $1! Other people’s discards were my treasures and I bought many books I would have never had the opportunity to read had I not been “dragged to” those flea markets every weekend!
2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?
Andrea Witt: As a small child, my favorite author was Dr. Seuss. I loved the silliness he added to each story. The rhyming aspect made them fun to read and I used to challenge myself to read them really fast since many of them were like tongue twisters. As I grew a bit older, Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary were among my favorite authors.
3) What is writing to you in one sentence?
Andrea Witt: Writing is the compilation of my thoughts, feelings, memories and imagination combined into a foundation that breeds new thoughts, feelings, memories, and imagination for its readers.
“The Woes of a Ginger Named Red–Book 1: The Move” is told from the perspective of nine-year-old Ginger. She has a mild seizure disorder. Although her seizures don’t happen very often, they are huge to her. Because of the seizures, Ginger is on medications that stunt her growth and make her feel like an outsider. When her mom announces that they’re going to move to a new home in the country, Ginger starts to panic about encountering bullies at her new school. Will Ginger crumble under the pressure of the move, or will she be able to learn to love her new home?
The Coloring Book edition for “My Big Sister is the Best” is releasing Summer 2021.
I’m happy to announce more of an exclusive interview with Harvey L. Frierson Junior. I’m featuring him in a three part interview to talk more about his upcoming projects, and the coloring book edition of his book, “My Big Sister is the Best”. He has experience as a songwriter, and is putting his talent into these darling books to impress his niece as she gets older. She is lucky to have an uncle such as Harvey.
Here is part two of my interview with Harvey L. Frierson Jr:
What books influenced you as a child?
Harvey L. Frierson Jr: I had a huge collection of Black History comic books that told stories of Black educators and heroes in action.
What future projects do you have in the mix currently?
Harvey L. Frierson Jr: In the future I plan to write Si-Fi adventures that my niece Juliet and her big sister Olivia will like and learn family values. There is also an upcoming coloring book for “My Big Sister is the Best” and a sing along soundtrack. The single, “Sleepy Time” is available now on Spotify.
Why have you decided to change from songwriting to writing books?
Harvey L. Frierson Jr: Writing books is not as a commercial concern as when I first started my songwriting career. So, I am having nothing but fun, and hopefully steering my nieces into enjoyable reading and family values.
“My Big Sister is the Best” is a book of a little sister telling the story about her big sister, Olivia. Told through the adventure of making cupcakes, it shows the love and bonding between two sisters growing up.
I’ve continued my search for good reads for this summer, and I think I’ve found another fantastic author for you to meet. If you’re looking for a good read-aloud at bedtime, I think I found the book and the author for you.
Darius Good is the author of the children’s book series, The Adventures of RiRi. He’s written a science-themed bedtime story called “The Adventures of RiRi: Stars, Stars” which is the first book in the series. He’s also the author of the book, “Unlocking Godly Wisdom: Solomon’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom”. I had a chance to interview Darius Good about his childhood reading memories, writing routines, inspirations, and what projects he has in store for us.
What is your favorite memory reading as a child?
Darius Good: As a child I wasn’t into reading. I did well with numbers and math. I remember my mother taking me to the library and telling me there are so many subjects to choose from. I had seen the cartoon the Hobbit and did not realize it was a book. That book introduced me to the Fantasy genre. That sparked my interest in reading and writing stories.
Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?
Darius Good: J. R. R. Tolkien became my favorite author. His stories weren’t simple; they were extremely complex and detailed. He wrote songs and poetry. He created another world of different types of people, and had maps that accompanied the stories. He also created languages for the different species. And all the characters had a character arch that made it difficult to put his books down. You can still see his influence in many of the current stories that are popular now.
Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
Darius Good: I do not have a writing routine. I write when I feel inspired. My mother had me take music lessons at the age of 5 and I learned many different instruments. After graduating college I went into the music industry for several years and did fairly well. When I am in a creative mode, whether it’s creating music, writing a story, or whatever other creative mode I find myself in, I “lock in” until that inspiration leaves.
What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Darius Good: I am currently developing my children’s book series, The Adventures of RiRi. It’s a series based loosely on my youngest daughter Riley. The first book “Stars Stars” is a science themed bedtime story. It explores my love for astronomy through the eyes of a toddler. The second book of the series will explore music. I love music so it was inevitable that I would write a music related book. That book is currently being illustrated. I have several stories that explore different themes for the series that I am currently developing.
What is writing to you in one sentence?
Darius Good: Writing (books or songs) is powerful because it has the ability to shape and impact lives of those present and generations to come.
“The Adventures of RiRi: Stars, Stars” is a children’s bedtime story series that features the character RiRi. In her first adventure, she can’t fall asleep until she knows the answer to the question, “What happens to the stars during the day?” This series explores different themes such as science, music, and family dynamics.
Stephanie Jane Markham is the author of the picture book, “Maisie Mae From Sunnyside Street”.
Summer is soon upon us. So, I’ve been scouting for some great summer reads for your kid(s). I think our first author has got a real inspiring picture book that will set your kid’s imagination on a roller coaster adventure.
Stephanie Jane Markham is an actor, filmmaker, and singer/songwriter living in Los Angeles. Her book, “Maisie Mae From Sunnyside Street”, utilizes her memories of growing up in Scotland and Kentucky. It’s a book that will show your child how to take their imagination into a big adventure. I was pleased to be able to interview Stephanie Jane Markham about her childhood reading memories, writing routine and what future projects she has in store for us.
What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
Stephanie Jane Markham: My favorite memory reading as a kid was that snuggly, safe feeling I got from my parents reading books at bedtime. It really is such a magical thing to read to a child. My Dad used to tell me what I could dream about before I went to bed at night. I’d make these elaborate plans in my head on where I could go while asleep. I try to instill that same sense of wonder in my little boy.
Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?
Stephanie Jane Markham: My favorite author is Mary Shelley. Not just because she gave us Frankenstein or because every Hollywood screenwriter owes her a royalty check. Her voice as a writer is so strong and clear and a bit fragile. She was fearless in a way that I’m not. I’m also very influenced by Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre. That book changed me. Her sense of wild independence coupled with a need to belong and a strong inner compass that urged her forward, despite the struggles she kept facing. That is very much who I am.
Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
Stephanie Jane Markham: I don’t have any sort of routine except general chaos dealing with my kid. I’m usually squeezing in whatever free time I can to write, albeit usually late at night when I am most inspired.
What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Stephanie Jane Markham: Right now, I am focused on the other books in the Sunnyside Street Series. The next book is about Maisie’s introverted friend Duncan and his exuberant unicorn, Letty Lou. I also have an unhealthy obsession with pirates. There’s a lot to explore there.
What is writing to you in one sentence?
Stephanie Jane Markham: Writing is how I express myself fully.
Join Maisie Mae and her friends from Sunnyside Street as they dream up new adventures!
Maisie Mae imagines herself all the way to Mars, slides down rainbows and even sails a pirate ship! Her best friend Duncan and his unicorn, Letty Lou, take Maisie for a magical ride around the town. They drop in on the zoo and meet up with their good friends Simon, Sabrina and the twins, Ann & Emma.
Kids will love the lush color illustrations in this 8×8 storybook.
The Indie Children's Authors Connection 