Tag Archives: educational book

Jun1

Interview with Judi Heights

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Judi Heights is the author of the children’s picture book “Leah Stays Home From School”.

With summer soon upon us, it’s going to be a busy time getting all that energy out that the kids have built up over this strange and unusual school year. It’s also going to be a time to help ease kids back into some kind of normal when it comes to school life for the fall. A great way to prepare them is to start by getting some summer reads that will help with sooth anxiety and fears about regular issues that might start happening again, especially when it will be in regards to returning to school. I think I found a wonderful author that can help with that.

Judi Heights is a Life Coach with over ten years of diversified experience. She’s created a series of books called “Children’s Books for Parents 2” so parents can participate in a discussion on topics as they read to their children. Her most recent book, “Leah Stays Home From School” teaches the importance in staying home when a child is sick. I had a chance to interview Judi Heights about her childhood reading memories, her writing routine, and what writing means to her.

  • What is your favorite memory as a child?

Judi Heights: My favorite memory from reading as a child was being with my dad and feeling that someone was paying attention/giving me attention. I grew up in a home where my parents were busy, and my mother was not interested in helping us with homework. So, reading time as a child made me feel as if I mattered because my father would listen and pay attention to it.

  • Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Judi Heights: I write at any time but prefer to write during the nighttime when everyone is asleep. That has worked out for me since I was a teen as I can concentrate in my writing and not be interrupted. I feel that most of my creative writing comes from being alone and calm.

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?

Judi Heights: Writing to me is the highest level of creativity & expression; with writing I can create anything my heart desires with a simple sheet of paper and a pencil.

“Leah Stays Home From School” is a story about a girl named Leah that wishes we lived in a world where no one got sick, and that way, no one would have to miss school. But the world is full of germs, and unfortunately, they can be a problem for everyone. Follow along as Leah learns why it’s important to keep her germs at home when she is sick.

“Leah Stays Home From School” is available from Amazon.com in ebook and print editions.

Nov24

Interview with Solonge L. Robinson

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I’ve found another great book to help with math concepts at home and during online learning. Solonge L. Robinson has written a book called “Shaping Families” combines math shapes with introducing diverse families. Solonge has been inspired by her travel journaling. In 2018, a horrific fire destroyed many of her family’s belongings, including their precious books. The tragedy inspired her to replace her children’s books with some written by her. Dive into what Solonge had to share about her childhood reading memories, future projects, and what writing means to her.


1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Solonge L. Robinson: Childhood memories of reading bring me directly back to The Babysitters Club series. Going to the Scholastic Book Fairs in the fall and spring at school was always a much-anticipated event. I’d often beg my mother, weeks in advance, for enough money to buy the next few chapters of my most beloved Babysitters Club books. I was hooked after the first six books, which I probably read about a dozen times each.

Even now, several decades later, when I see the titles and book covers for the first six books, Kristy’s Great Idea, Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls, The Truth About Stacey, Mary Anne Saves the Day, Dawn and the Impossible Three, and Kristy’s Big Day, I am immediately transported to the 3rd-floor bedroom in my parents’ house in Brooklyn, NY. It’s a Saturday afternoon and I am curled up under a cover, next to my window, deeply engrossed in one of these amazing adolescent stories. The only thing to break my attention is the church bells ringing every hour, on the hour, until dusk. By then, I would have been part of Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, and Dawn’s world, so sad to have to leave.


2) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Solonge L. Robinson: Oh, there are so many. Right now, my future projects include subjects on self-love and financial literacy for children. I also have collaborative works in motion on topics dealing with health and wellness; one a children’s book series inspired by my daughter and the other an adult fiction book about Physical Therapy.


3) What is writing to you in one sentence?

Solonge L. Robinson: Writing is freedom in its purest form.

“Shaping Families” is a unique, mathematical tale of diverse families. Join Poly-Anna, the polygon kid, as she learns about all the shapes that make up her unique family. From Triangles to Decagons, her journey will guide the reader to discover that families come in different sizes and form together a circle of love.

“Shaping Families” is available at Amazon.com. This is a Kindle Unlimited title.

For more information on Solonge L. Robinson, visit her author page HERE!

Aug17

Interview with Charlotte Safieh

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Cover 3With school starting in many states, it’s not too late to start building your school or home library for the new school year. Charlotte Safieh has written a picture book called “A Cry for the Ocean” to help create awareness and support to clean the plastic littering our oceans.

Charlotte lives in Toronto, Canada with her family. She has been in the teaching profession for many years and specializes in teaching creative writing. She is celebrating her first published book. Charlotte has also started her own imprint called Blue Jay Press to help support new authors with stories needing to be told.

I had a chance to ask Charlotte about her childhood reading memories, favorite authors and impact that writing has had and the influences she hopes to accomplish.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Charlotte Safieh: My favourite memory from reading as a child was reading Gerald Durrell and following his adventures collecting exotic animals from exciting far away countries. Something that would not be allowed anymore! I recently learned that he was very influential in changing how we manage zoos, so that instead of simply being a source of entertainment we are protecting endangered species and learning more about their natural environment and behaviour.

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Charlotte Safieh: My favourite writer for children is Roald Dahl. He is very entertaining and irreverent with such a unique imagination. I also love Barbara Kingsolver, and I’m just reading her new book “Unsheltered” which is a remarkable story that can tell us so much about our current time and the challenges we face with our poor treatment of the natural environment.

  • Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Charlotte Safieh: I need to be accountable with my writing and love doing courses and being a part of a writing group. I love sharing ideas and talking over writing with fellow writers.

CharlotteBiopic

Charlotte Safieh is the author of the new picture book “A Cry for the Ocean”.

  •  What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Charlotte Safieh: I would like to continue to write stories about the natural world to help children to understand how important it is to protect nature and wildlife. Maybe Sukara can go on to do more great things in the future!

  •  What is storyquest.com, and how did it influence you to become a writer?

Charlotte Safieh: Storyquest is a creative writing project that I have been running for several years. After I qualified as a teacher I began working in classrooms with students teaching them how to write stories and putting their stories together as published chapter books. This has been very enjoyable and rewarding, and I have seen hundreds of students write incredibly exciting, imaginative and powerful stories. I feel very lucky to have done this work, as I see how much they enjoy writing the stories, and I love creating a space to allow that to happen.

  •  What other environmental issues would you like to address in future books?

Charlotte Safieh: I would love to write more about protecting nature, and have been considering a story set in the rainforest, as we are losing our forests so rapidly. I would also like to write about the kids 4 climate movement, as I have been very excited to see that grow in the last year. I am a really big fan of Greta Thunberg and have been following her journey across the Atlantic on a yacht this week.

  •  Why did you start your own independent publishing company, Blue Jay Press?

Charlotte Safieh: I started Blue Jay Press because I love publishing books. It is a true passion, and although this is the first book I have authored I have published over 400 children authored chapter books. I hope to continue to grow Blue Jay Press with books by other authors as well as more of my books.

  •  What advice do you have for aspiring writers who are interested in self-publishing?

Charlotte Safieh: I would say go for it. The self-publishing industry has grown exponentially. Now it is very achievable for anyone who has a story they are passionate about to self-publish. I used Kickstarter very successfully to fund the first set of books and my wonderful illustrator Tamara Piper, who I found on Fiverr. Self publishing makes up a significant proportion of sales of books, especially ebooks.

  •  For our younger authors, what can they work on now to help them become better writers?

Charlotte Safieh: When I teach creative writing I work a lot on encouraging children to be confident in their writing, and to ignore the critical voice in their head that can stop them from enjoying writing. When they are getting ideas down I also tell then not to worry about spelling or grammar so they can let their imagination flow.

  •  What is writing to you in one sentence?

 Charlotte Safieh: Writing is sharing our inner worlds, our lives, ideas and connecting with each other.

“A Cry for the Ocean” is a picture book that brings forward the cause of helping clear our oceans of plastic pollution. Sukara meets a mermaid and learns about the plastic pollution in the ocean and finds a magical way to save it. It will bring awareness to the plight of our oceans and be a great addition to any school or home library. It will be a wonderful teaching tool for ocean and environmental units. Teaching resources accompany the book to help teachers and parents.

“A Cry for the Ocean” is available at Amazon.com.

For more information on Charlotte Safieh’s new book “A Cry for the Ocean” and free resources, lesson ideas, activities, and to order wholesale books, please visit her website at: https://www.bluejaypress.ca/.

 

 

 

 

 

Sep6

Pre-Back To School Blog Tour: Interview with Dr. Gary Haq

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MyDadTheEarthWarrior_COV_RGB

My Dad, The Earth Warrior is available on Amazon.com.

Dr. Gary Haq is the author of the book, My Dad, The Earth Warrior. Dr. Haq is a real life earth warrior, an associate researcher at a global environmental think tank and research scientist at a European research center. My Dad, The Earth Warrior, is a story about a boy and his dad connecting from a long distance relationship to save the Mother Earth. The story is inspirational in helping middle readers to understand environmental issues and help get involved. Dr. Haq was able to sit down and talk with me about his memories of reading from childhood, his favorite author, and what will be some more of his upcoming projects.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

As a child, I was engrossed in the world of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was one of my favourite books. After reading it, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. It was the first time I felt an overwhelming urge to continue reading.

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Besides, C. S. Lewis, Roald Dahl was one of my favourite authors. I loved his crazy funny characters and strange world. I am sure he influenced my funny sense of humour, which is reflected in My Dad, The Earth Warrior.

  • What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

In this book, I have taken a humorous approach to environmental issues such as climate change, fracking and loss of green space. While I have interest in writing more eco-adventures, my current work in progress is a funny, fantasy adventure.

For more information on Gary Haq and his book, My Dad, The Earth Warrior, visit his website at: https://www.garyhaqwrites.com/. He is also available on Twitter at @drgaryhaq. My Dad, The Earth Warrior is available at Amazon.com.

back2schoolbanner2018**Look for more children’s author interviews starting next week with the Back to School Blog Tour 2018. Giveaways, book discounts, and featured authors and their books will be posted all week from Sept. 10-14. Bookmark and join us all next week for a celebration of children’s authors and their books to kick off the new school year!

Jul16

Featured Interview with Isaac ben Levi

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Isaac ben Levi

Isaac ben Levi is the author of the Great Railroad series.

I am happy to share my recent interview with author Isaac ben Levi. He is a young talented author that is a sophomore in high school already working on his third book in a locomotive series. He shares his expertise about the local Ozark Mountain Railroad from the point of view of a locomotive. The history of the railroad is told in the first book, Our First Locomotive, and continued into the second book. There is even a railroad terminology dictionary in the second book, Old Reliable Locomotives. It looks like a great start to the series and for any young train enthusiast to learn more about trains in the Ozark Mountains.

I had a chance to hear all about Isaac ben Levi’s hobbies, reasons why he writes, some train lore, and how he got his inspiration to write his books.

Great Railroad Series - Our First Locomotive

This is the first book in the Great Railroad series , Our First Locomotive, available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading when you were younger?

Isaac ben Levi: I have many good memories of reading and so many from such an early age that I don’t have one favorite—they were all so good.

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Isaac ben Levi: Early in my life, Rev. W Awdry’s work, though the copies I had were mostly abridged and editing. It was his work that first gave me the love of trains I have now and you can say he has a portion of the credit for me writing the “Great Railroad Series”.

  • Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Isaac ben Levi: Generally speaking, because I am taking dual credits and finishing high school and going through college right now, I write in my spare time, early in the afternoon. I mull thoughts over in my head but mostly I write as I go—freelance except for the fact I have a large amount of reference material so I am consistent in the books. I am always reading and thinking.

  • What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Isaac ben Levi: I will probably be writing older kid versions of a series being published by another author from the same publisher titled: Homestead Friends: Welcome Home, Sweet Harley –Book 1. Each book is about an animal on the homestead. It is written for little children and I will write from the point-of-view geared toward elementary aged students. I will probably write historical non-fiction material as well at some point and have many topics of interest.

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?

Isaac ben Levi: Writing represents an outlet to share one’s thoughts with anyone who cares to view them.

Great Railroad Series - Old Reliable Locomotives - Book 2

This is the second book in the Great Railroads series, Old Reliable Locomotives, available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

  • Do you plan to pursue your love of trains as a career? Maybe become an engineer?

Isaac ben Levi: My dream would be to own a Railroad Museum in the Ozark Mountain and introduce people of all ages to the wonderful history of railroads.

  • Besides school, what do you like to do when you are not writing?

Isaac ben Levi: I enjoy physics and science and am working on several experiments and inventions. I also am setting up a narrow gauge railroad on our homestead to move the wood from the pile in front of the home to the back of our home for the wood burner. I’m sixteen and my parents are understanding. I also love my animals including birds, cats and ten dogs—seven puppies were just born a few months ago. I helped to deliver the two that were breech births.

  • If you had the chance to build your own railroad line, how would you design it?

Isaac ben Levi: It would probably be a similar short-line to the Ozark Mountain Railroad if it were going to be a common carrier in the transportation business. I am currently planning to build a small estate railway on my homestead and separate from the wood hauling one. I am going to experiment on that railroad with an entirely new type of locomotive of my own design using a Stirling Engine/Hot Air Engine.

  • While researching your books, what is the most memorable interview with one of the local railroad experts?

Isaac ben Levi: In speaking with a local history museum director, she shared the original files of author James R. Fair. I learned a lot about railroads and one that operated south of my home from his excellent writing and research material. It proved to be the basis for book two of my series.

  • What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Isaac ben Levi: My advice would be to write about what you love and then it will never seem like work. Personally, I have never enjoyed writing papers or projects for school, and then one day a story came into my head with all of the details in order. I just had to write it down. Then another, and another, and so on. It was never my plan or intention to be an author, but now I am passionate about it. My advice would be do what you love.

Isaac ben Levi’s Great Railroad Series has two books currently published: Our First Locomotive and Old Reliable Locomotives. The third is due out in August of this year. Plus, he has a new series releasing soon entitled The Li’l Great Railroad Series with its first title called “Happy Engines Back at Work”. The new series will also release in August. Isaac ben Levi’s books are available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. For more information on Isaac ben Levi and his books, visit his website at: https://greatrailroadseries.com.

 

Jul2

Vacation Pairs With Learning in Allie Gator and the Seven Stones

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Allie Gator And The Seven Stones by Sean Eckenrod

Allie Gator And The Seven Stones by Sean Eckenrod

The next installment for the summer reading book review series is Allie Gator and the Seven Stones by Sean Eckenrod, a Middle Grade novel that will inspire learning while visiting that next river or beach. Allie is frustrated with being the only kid while the grown ups drag her to different activities only adults would love. She’d rather be swimming in the Myakka river, throwing stones, or exploring in her purple with orange flower flip flops. Her love for the river is revealed as fate, when she falls in and discovers a world in turmoil. The animals of Charlotte Harbor need her help to save them all.
Featured Indie Book and Author

Featured Indie Book and Author

Allie discovers that seven stones must be recovered to put the real world to right. With an alligator companion, a catfish, gar, and three wood storks, Allie faces each new challenge to find the seven missing stones. She must overcome her self doubt, puzzling characters and obstacles, and learn that sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to deal with it head on.

I enjoyed this Middle Grade novel since it helps teach about the animals in Charlotte Harbor, Florida combined with self confidence. Anyone that has felt like the black sheep of any family may relate to Allie. As she goes through each challenge, new habitat and animals are revealed.

It was a learning experience for myself. I learned what a gar is. It’s a bottom feeder fish that lives mostly in brackish water. So, I have to say, everyone will learn a new nugget of wisdom while reading this book. I felt I was along with a park ranger in the form of an alligator while experiencing difficult tasks with Allie.

For more information and maps on the areas of Florida that are in the book, please visit Sean Eckenrod’s website. Book Club questions can also be found. Also on the website are chapter links that tell about each animal featured for each chapter in the book.

Turn the summer into an opportunity for learning about new habitats, animals in Florida, and a little kindness towards other living things. It’s a lesson that is so important to share.

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Allie and the Seven Stones can be purchased at Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle ebook.

To continue with your INDIEpendence Day Blog tour event, link back to the Indibles Writers Blog.