Thank you to all the readers that have stopped by this week. It’s been a pleasure bringing you all of the different children’s books. All of the participating authors really appreciate you exploring and learning about their books.
Below, I’ve recapped each book and its author and linked back to its review. If you missed any of the book reviews, or maybe, you’re stopping by after the first week of October, you can catch up on any of the books you’d like.
Thanks again for stopping by. Submissions for the 2027 Back to School Blog Tour starts in the beginning of the summer in 2027. Plus, I take submissions for book reviews and author interviews all year round. Please feel free to submit if you’re a children’s author.
Welcome to Day 4 of the Back to School Blog Tour. Today, I have a helpful book for those children going through a trauma with a parent that is doing drugs. As a retired teacher, it is sometimes part of teaching to try to help support children with trauma at home. It is also helpful to let other children know some of the difficulties other children might be experiencing in their daily lives.
The book, “It’s Not Your Fault: A Child’s Story of Drug Addiction” is a picture book that goes through the process of a child saving her mother from a drug overdose and what happens after. It’s a great read for any classroom during Red Ribbon Week to help understand the process of drug addiction and how it affects children.
Cindy is a third grader with a family that might differ from others. She tells her story about her mother’s addiction to drugs and how that has affected her. It’s a brilliant telling of how she calls 911 when her mother overdoses. She talks about the steps she goes through and all the people that help her and her mother along the way. From the police officers, to the judge and child services worker, Cindy relates her point of view of all that happened, including finally going to live with her grandparents. The message of it not being her fault is skillfully described through character dialog and personal thoughts from Cindy. It’s a beautiful depiction of what a child struggling through this kind of trauma might experience and want to share with others.
I would recommend this picture book as a great read-aloud during Red Ribbon Week to illustrate what illegal drug use does to families. Told through the sensitive point of view of the daughter of a drug user, children will relate with the protagonist and understand that this kind of situation is not the fault of any child. Plus, it opens up the classroom or home to discussions about this topic, whether there is a family member or friend going through a similar situation.
“It’s Not My Fault: A Child’s Story of Drug Addiction” is a read-aloud that tells the point of view of a child of a drug user and how it affects her family and life. It will be an asset to any classroom or home library to help explain how drug use isn’t the fault of the child related to the user, and that there are a lot of helpful safety nets available to help through this type of trauma.
“It’s Not My Fault” is available on the Wildfire Rose Book Company Website.
Welcome to day 3 of the Back to School Blog Tour. Today, I have a fantastical, magical surprise for you. It’s Ellie’s Magical Surprise, a picture book that will help beginning readers with their phonics and imagination. Written by Erin Davenport, this beautifully illustrated picture book will sparkle in the minds of any child that wanted to own a unicorn, including myself when I was a child.
Ellie is waking up on what she thinks is a normal day. But after breakfast, she discovers, with help from her mother, someone else living in the horse stables on her farm, a magical unicorn. After exploring each stable, she bonds with the new creature living with the other horses. It’s a pleasant surprise that will enchant any horse owner and child that loves horses.
The first thing that stands out about this picture book is the repeated rhyming words that help with phonics identification for beginning readers. This is a picture book that beginning readers will be able to follow along or read themselves. It brings to mind the early rhyming text used by Dr. Seuss to help children with decoding words. But even better. After exploring the stables on her farm, Ellie discovers a new friend, a unicorn. I am sure the adventures that await them will be enchanting.
I recommend this picture book for teacher’s needing beginning reader books in their reading groups or if teaching reading workshops. It also has a little girl protagonist to give variety in storytelling heroes. The rhyming patterning of the text is great for beginning decoding. It will also be a great fantasy picture book read for parent’s that are homeschooling, especially if your child adores horses and would love to own a unicorn.
Ellie’s Magical Surprise is a beautifully illustrated book that will help any horse-loving child with their phonics and decoding.
This Kindle unlimited book is available on Amazon as a ebook or in print.
Welcome to Day Two of the Back to School Blog Tour. I’m sure about now, thoughts are turning to fall and reading unit planning. I’ve got a wonderful picture book with the theme of kindness and sharing to add to any reading unit. Enyonam’s Kind Heart is a beautifully illustrated picture book told from the perspective of a kind Ghana girl that chooses kindness and transforms her neighborhood. It’s a great book to dive into for this new fall season.
Enyonam is a Ghana girl that lives in a wealthy home, but is gifted with a kind heart. When talking with her grandmother, she learns that sharing often leads to spreading kindness. Through actions of buying oranges from the older market woman with no sales, sharing the oranges as snacks, and showing her cousin how to share, love and kindness spreads in her neighborhood. Her cousin, Ale, also learns the lesson when he finally decides to share his locked up toys with his other classmates.
This is a beautifully told story highlighting Ghana culture, vocabulary and traditions. The culture is reflected in the story and illustrations with loving details. We’re taken into Enyonam’s neighborhood and shown aspects of Ghana that many readers will enjoy learning about. There are very helpful discussion activities and questions at the end of the book which will help any teacher or parent with home schooling.
I found this to be a great introduction to morals and themes in a story as well. Plus, this would be a great picture book to start with the social morals that have to be emphasized in creating the classroom community each school year.
I highly recommend Enyonam’s Kind Heart as a beginning of the year read-aloud or literature circle story to heighten the community building in a classroom or at home.
To purchase the book at the Bright Love Learning Hub website, please hit the button below.
Welcome to the 2026 Back to School Blog Tour event. This year, I’ve decided to heavily focus on book reviews to give a fresh look at books that can sweep your child into the world of reading. Each day this week, I’ll be featuring a new book and review ranging from picture books to middle readers. Please bookmark and check back each day to find out about a new book. Like what I’m talking about? Please subscribe!
For the first book review, I’ve chosen a beautiful drawn picture book with a mermaid at its center. “Penny Lane in Florence” is a journey of a mermaid dreaming to become an artist. It’s written and illustrated by the author, Sarah Arias.
Penny Lane has heard the legend of the magical hat given to any aspiring artist in Florence that has real talent. But trying to find the hat is the hard part. Along her journey, she’s helped by flamboyant Italians, a mysterious mouse, her animal friends and her own intuition. Will she be able to find the hat? Or is it something to be earned?
The one thing that strikes me about this book is the beautiful, whimsical artwork. It is amazing! A whole world of fantastical friends and creatures accompany Penny Lane on her adventure. The artwork keeps you anchored in her quest. I really enjoyed seeing the interactions and comical betrayal of her animal friends. It creates a fantastic world of fantasy to dive into.
The book is also divided into chapters to make it easy for beginning readers to join in. It’s a great way to help introduce the chapter structure in stories. There is the strong theme of finding the artist within which goes well with combining literature and art for reading units.
Sarah Arias is the author & illustrator of the picture book, Penny Lane in Florence.
As far as the plot, Penny seems to find the hat within herself and her artwork which the whole story leads to easily. It is very predictable, which any children’s book should be to an extent. But I think the moment of the discovery could have been more dramatic then nonchalant as it’s shown in the book. A magical moment of self-discovery might have been lost, or it just became less important to her at the end, maybe symbolizing the journey being more important than the hat itself.
Overall, I found it to be a fun, fantasy story to help inspire children to not give-up on their artistic impulses. It does lend itself to the idea of exploring your artistic side and less to trying to find the recognition of being a real artist. I did relate to the action of burying myself in pillows when feeling the artistic rejection or failure. That’s relevant at any age. But that drive to keep going has to be intrinsic, which is delightfully illustrated and told throughout the book.
Children with artistic interest will enjoy this mermaid led adventure in self-discovery.
“Penny Lane in Florence” is available at Amazon.com as a print hardcopy or ebook. It’s recommended for ages 4-8.
Bookmark this blog and return tomorrow for another book review. Please leave in the comments if you enjoy this week of reviews. It is truly a labor of love to help connect teachers, parents and readers to fabulous Indie children’s authors and their books.
-Tiffany Turner
Editor/Head Writer of the Indie Children’s Authors Connection Blog
Tour sign-ups for the Back to School Blog Tour 2026 are now closed!
Thank you for all the submissions. If your book isn’t chosen for the tour, I keep submissions on file for future reviews and interviews. So, thank you again. Please follow this blog to get all the information on the Back to School Blog Tour.
Also to note, due to a medical incident over the weekend, I am having to postpone the blog tour a few weeks so I can recover. I intend to continue with the tour, get to the reviews and post the planned author interview (s). I am just unable to do much work right now. I’m pretty bummed, but will get to it when I’m able, and will get it up and running by the end of September.
The new dates for the blog tour are:
September 28th through Oct. 3rd.
Thank you for your patience. I hope that you all will follow and stick around to find out about all the fabulous books to check out for the new school year of 2026.
-Tiffany Turner
Head Writer/Editor for the Indie Children’s Authors Connection Blog
I hope you enjoyed the 2025 Back to School Blog tour last week. I have one more surprise for you. Consider it a post blog tour treat. I’d like to introduce you to the author, Jennifer Ferrell. She has a darling book about two sweet characters, Fran and her pig, Benny. I am partial to kid adventure stories since I’ve written a children’s fantasy adventure series. So, I couldn’t wait to let you know about this new find. The Story of Benny and Fran is a charming story of a fun kid adventure that will pull any child into an imaginative reading experience. The info on her book is below the interview.
Jennifer Ferrell is also our featured author for September. So, get ready to read all about her. I have an exclusive interview in which I was able to find out about her inspirations, writing routines, and plans for future projects. Enjoy!
Jennifer Ferrell is the author of the picture book, The Story of Benny and Fran.
What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
Jennifer Ferrell: My favorite memory from reading as a child is hearing my dad’s excitement while reading. We could go on so many imaginary adventures together. I will always have that precious memory.
2) Who was your favorite author as a child?
Jennifer Ferrell: I love Dr Seuss. The simplicity of his books with amazing rhymes and characters has always amazed me.
3)Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
Jennifer Ferrell: My writing routine has been to write when I can, but mainly in the evening. I will shut myself in my room and start typing away.
4) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Jennifer Ferrell: In future projects, I’d love to continue creating stories that inspire children with themes of friendship, courage, and discovery. My next idea is about a character named Sammy. She is an adventurous pigeon. Because of her curiosity, she seems to find herself in different situations that she, with the help of her friends, will have to get out of. I want to teach children life skills in a fun and relatable way.
5) What themes would you like to include in future books?
Jennifer Ferrell: The themes I would like to include in future books are experimenting and curiosity. My new book series, Sammy the Pigeon, is full of curiosity.
6) Who were the inspirations for the characters Benny and Fran?
Jennifer Ferrell: The inspiration for Benny and Fran came from my really good friend Frances and her pig, Benny. I do plan to write another book about my pig named Penny. I got her from Frances, so I am going to intertwine the two books.
7) What kind of pets did you have growing up?
Jennifer Ferrell: I had a cat named Sassy. She definitely was a little sassy pants.
8) Why do you enjoy photography as a hobby?
Jennifer Ferrell: I love to take photos of nature. So, I guess it is calming to me too.
9) What kind of adventures did you do as a kid?
Jennifer Ferrell: The adventures, as did as a kid, were to explore the woods with my best friend, Amanda; and go to the mountains with my parents.
10) What is writing to you in one sentence?
Jennifer Ferrell: Writing to me is a creative outlet that I can use to bring new characters alive.
Book Blurb:
The Story of Benny and Fran (A Picture Book)
Benny and Fran are inseparable. Their days are a whirlwind of excitement filled with all sorts of surprises. The silliest things can spark an adventure. Benny is a curious pig that loves to sniff out fun. Fran is a spirited girl with a big heart and a bigger sense of adventure. When things get tough; Fran comes up with a plan to save Benny. They learn about friendship and how to lend a helping hand while on their kid adventures. Come join them on their journey through the countryside finding butterflies, bubbles and exploring the great open skies.
This story is a playful romp of antics and fun with charming illustrations. It will have you and your little one giggling and smiling along with the characters. Age range is 4 to 8 year olds. It’s the kind of book that families will find themselves reading over and over.
The Story of Benny and Fran is available on Amazon.com as a Kindle Unlimited title ebook and as a printed paperback book.
Welcome to Day 5 of the 2025 Back to School Blog Tour. On our final day, I’d like to introduce you to a fabulous, children’s poet, Jeff Boldt. With a background of teaching English in Shanghai for twenty years, he employs his humor and English literature knowledge into his poetry. He grew up in Texas immersing himself in books as a kid. He has been published in the Humor Times, the e-edition of the Orlando Sentinel, and in Doug Weller’s book, Six Word Wonders. I had the opportunity to review his children’s poetry book, It’s Raining Bats and Frogs and ask Jeff all about his inspirations, writing routines, and about his future projects.
Jeff Boldt is the author of the children’s poetry book It’s Raining Bats and Frogs.
What made you want to become an author?
Jeff Boldt: When I was young, I was immersed in books – they were such a big part of my life. Whenever I didn’t want to be in my own world, I would just go to Narnia or Oz or Wonderland instead. But books were more than a form of escape, they also challenged me intellectually and creatively. They had such a profound influence on my sense of self and my place in the world. Because of this, I wanted to be able to share that same experience with others.
Who were your inspirations on your writing journey?
Jeff Boldt: Shel Silverstein, more than anyone, has had an impact on my writing. And not just on my style but on the way I think about writing as well. His work was always so funny and so brilliantly realized. I couldn’t believe that there were entire books filled with ridiculously hilarious and nonsensical things – like “Carrots” and “Everything on It” and “Snowball”. So much of school (and learning) to me was serious and boring and safe – and I thought that was what awaited me in the “real world”. Writers like Silverstein and Dahl and Carroll showed me a completely different way.
Do you have a writing routine? If so, please explain.
Jeff Boldt: I have never been good at schedules and structure, but I do make time for writing. I join writing clubs, take online classes (Oxford and UC San Diego), and generally push myself to do things that will challenge me and get me writing more. In other words, I don’t have a writing routine, per se, but I do make it a priority. Along those lines, I am applying to MFA programs right now because I want to pursue writing full-time.
For your featured book, how did you get the ideas to write it?
Jeff Boldt: Many of the ideas for my poems come from everyday life (work, spending time with my daughters, going out to eat, etc.). For example, the poem “If” came to mind after walking up some stairs to get to my office. The line goes like this: “If I took a set of stairs / and they led to nowhere / how far would I go / before I would know?” Reading it now, though, it’s hard not to see Pablo Neruda’s influence. Back in university, I used to carry The Book of Questions around with me wherever I went. It’s such a great little book. If you’re interested in philosophy and the absurd, I highly recommend it.
What writing projects are you working on right now?
Jeff Boldt: I’ve been tinkering mostly with picture book manuscripts lately (but also writing poems whenever I can). As for the picture books, I have a vowel series and I’ve completed manuscripts for e, o, and u. The u story actually appears as a poem in my latest book. It’s called “The Cnrious Case of the Lowercase u” and it’s a humorous rhyme about two letters, y and a, who can’t seem to find their missing friend.
Book Review
It’s Raining Bats and Frogs by Jeff Boldt is a marvelous children’s poetry book that reminds me of the humorous poetry of Jack Pelutsky. This collection of poems sparks the imagination as it described dressed up dinosaurs, dancing with potatoes in the moonlight, and ridiculous rhymes to recite. It’s a riot of humorous word salad as you read each poem making it a great read-aloud. It had me laughing, remembering when humor was much more simple as a kid.
The illustrations are beautiful. Black and white pencil drawings bring the imagery of the poetry to life. Sometimes the cartoon renditions would make me burst out with giggles. The pictures definitely touched my inner child.
I loved Jeff Bodlt’s silly and mischievous mind that thought up these poems. They remind me of the children’s poems by Jack Prelutsky that wrote “Homework, Oh Homework”. I used to read-aloud his book during Poetry Month. I appreciate the use of humor to help kids connect with poetry. These poems do the job nicely. There is a lot of read-loud chanting and word play that will spark the creative side of any child.
I used to do a poetry collage project as a book report each year during poetry month. I would have loved to place this in my class library for my students to read and use for that project. In fact, I’ll place a link below where you can find it now on Teachers Pay Teachers.com.
I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. These poems are a joy to share and to read out-loud. They will have whole families and classrooms laughing together. Perfect for read-aloud at home or any classroom.
It’s Raining Bats and Frogs is available on Amazon.com and is a Kindle Unlimited title.
Thanks for following along with the Back to School Blog tour for 2025. This will conclude the blog tour event for this year. Please show some love to the featured authors and check out their websites, look over their books, and consider your purchasing power when choosing an Indie author. They are so often overlooked for libraries and schools, but really can give new perspective, POVs and protagonists that speak to so many children.
As promised, here is the link to the poetry book report project available on Teachers Pay Teachers. I developed it over the years, making it a poetry collage and memorization project, mostly during Poetry month in March. But it can be done all year long. I wrote and developed it myself.
Thanks for stopping by all week. The Back to School Blog Tour will return next year. For more information on sign-ups, check out the Back to School Blog Tour page.
This is Mrs. turner, signing-off. Until next year, keep reading and writing!
Welcome to Day 4 of the 2025 Back to School Blog Tour. Today’s featured author is Tomeko Brown, author of the children’s early chapter book, An Instrument for Florenda. I reviewed her book a few months ago, and was happy to get the opportunity to interview her for this Back to School event.
Tomeko Brown has a background in education and health care. This unique perspective gives her an insight to the emotional, social and academic challenges kids face each day. Combining her own love for playing the clarinet and her son’s creative feedback, An Instrument for Florenda grew from a writing project into a book. I had the opportunity to hear more about Tomeko’s inspirations as an author, her creative process, and what she has planned for future books.
Tomeko Brown is the author of the early chapter book, An Instrument for Florenda.
What made you want to become an author?
Tomeko Brown: I have always enjoyed writing. When I was growing up, I liked writing poems and songs. I remember writing a poem for my ninth-grade home economics teacher when she retired. The poem was framed and given to her by the FHA (Future Homemakers of America). I still have the thank-you card she gave me. It really encouraged me.
In college, I studied education and instructional design. That gave me the chance to write and create training materials. But after working with kids in the public school system, I wanted to find a way to encourage them outside of school. What better way than through stories?
I have always believed books can make a big difference—especially for kids. They can inspire dreams and help during tough times. I used to read a lot to my own children when they were little, and I remember how happy they were when I read their favorite book(s). Even how happy I was when I read my favorite book, Charlotte’s Web, growing up. That joy is what made me want to become an author.
Who were your inspirations on your writing journey?
Tomeko Brown: My family and friends are my greatest inspiration. They travel with me to book events, take pictures, cheer me on, and are always ready to celebrate every milestone.
Outside of my family and friends, I try to surround myself with other writers. Becoming a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) has helped me do that. It gives me a place to connect with others, support each other through the submission process, and celebrate the wins together.
Do you have a writing routine? If so, please explain.
Tomeko Brown: That’s a great question. Honestly, ideas can come to me at any time, on any day. I laugh because there have been times when I’ve woken up at 3:00 AM with an idea or something to add to a story I’m working on.
I write things down on anything I can find—scraps of paper, sticky notes, the Notes App on my iPhone, or even a napkin! That’s where the fun starts.
Remember in school when the teacher gave you a graphic organizer to help plan your writing? I still use that same idea today to organize my thoughts and help build my stories.
For your featured book, how did you get the ideas to write it?
Tomeko Brown: The idea for the book came from my time playing the clarinet. I’ve always loved the arts—drawing, crafting, and music. My son, Chris, also played the clarinet, and his input and experiences were so valuable in shaping this story. I’m even planning to start playing the clarinet again.
Our experiences of being in a school band and learning to play an instrument helped turn this into a story that would inspire kids to follow their dreams and believe they can reach them.
What writing projects are you working on right now?
Tomeko Brown: Right now, I’m working on a couple of different projects. I’m continuing to build my brand, Moving Notes Books TM, which includes both the first and second editions of An Instrument for Florenda. This early chapter book is more than just a story—it’s meant to help build confidence and encourage kids to go after their hopes and dreams.
In addition, I am getting ready to send a picture book manuscript to a small traditional publisher.
Book Blurb for An Instrument for Florenda
Florenda has always wanted to play in a band. Surrounded by the sounds of music in her small Louisiana town, she is thrilled when her school announces a new band class starting after summer break. But when a visit to the local music store with her mother reveals that the instrument she wants to play is beyond their budget, Florenda faces a tough challenge. Will she be able to play the instrument she’s dreamed of, or will her musical aspirations have to wait?
“Brave Enough: Atlan and the Farm Animals” by Bowe Balhoff is a charming picture book of facing fears and unknown experiences on a farm. The main character, Atlan, is a quiet 4-year-old boy based on the author’s real son. He is experiencing his first trip away from his parents by spending time on his grandparents’ farm. The kindness and love that surround the little boy start the story. The grandparents start with comforting things to calm his fears of his new surroundings. Home-made ice cream is the ticket. But of course, new experiences, such as feeding chickens and a pig, could be overwhelming for any 4-year-old. They kindly guide him through these activities.
The unique aspect of this story is that Atlan changes into an animal several times when scared, expressing how he feels in relation to meeting the other animals. First, he turns into a snail while feeding the chickens. Then, he turns into a mouse when meeting the pig, and so on. The animals he turns into embody his feelings. These are such relatable symbols for children dealing with new experiences and the real fear that goes along. When he has acknowledged his feelings for the situation, he changes back into a boy. It’s such a nice way to show this emotional change for the character. His grandmother’s voice is the catalyst for the emotional growth as she guides him into navigating his fear of the farm animals.
New experiences such as feeding chickens and a pig could be overwhelming for any 4-year-old. I loved the way that this story acknowledges those fears, and brings comfort to the character and the reader alike. Techniques to help with anxiety are shared within the story, such as slow breathing, trying to look at a new point of view, and trying to focus on the fun aspects. Granny’s protective arm, showing the support of family, is another life line for the character and reader.
Overall, this is a great story showing a young boy facing the unknown with support from his family. I would recommend this book to any parent or teacher that is trying to model how a child can face unknown challenges, navigate their complex feelings, and look to their family for support. This would be great for any class or home library. Grandparents would find this a fabulous gift to give their grandchildren, especially if they own a farm.
