I’m behind on my book reviews these days, but I hope all will forgive me, as I’ve been focused on making sure this book project was taken care of before school ended this week…
Please enjoy the full post here: Source: Giving the Gift of Reading
Will get back on the review-horse next week!
Once there was a stubborn girl who never gave up on her dreams. So she wrote a great book about a stubborn girl who never gave up on her dreams!
Aptly named The Wait, Lisa Kaye Presley’s novel is now available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks.
Lisa is featured as a guest on WritersDigest.com sharing her tips for self-publishing. An amazing story and some great tips!
Source: Don’t Give Up On Your Writing Dream: 5 Tips When Self-Publishing Your Book | WritersDigest.com
Moving out of the realm of book reviews for just a brief moment. I have to admit, our family is a little obsessed with this particular topic. Moderating/eliminating screen time for children seems to be something people either believe in or they don’t. It has definitely made a positive difference in our household.
Here’s yet another reason why folks might want to think twice before raising their kids with their screens…
Children who spent more time with hand-held screens were more likely to exhibit signs of an expressive speech delay, according to a new study from Toronto.
Source: Toddlers’ screen time linked to slower speech development, study finds
Sailing the high seas has never been more fun than with Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog by Peter Meisel. Stinky Spike is an easy chapter book aimed at “newly independent readers” as part of the Read and Bloom books.
Spike does not begin his life as a Pirate Dog, nor is he always “Stinky Spike.” Instead, Spike is a shipyard dog with a “super sniffer.” He has the world’s most powerful nose. Spike loves the nastiest, ickiest, foulest stinks he can sniff.
Spike and the other shipyard dogs have a lot of work to do on the docks. They are in charge of protecting the ships’ cargo. They scare away seabirds and chase away rats.
One morning, as Spike is chasing some birds, he slips on a patch of seaweed. Spike skids off the edge of the dock and lands in the ocean.
The waves pull Spike out to sea. Spike spots a bucket and crawls in among the rotten fish bits and barnacles.
Spike is eventually rescued by pirates. They name him Stinky Spike—he is no longer known for his powerful nose, but for the noxious smell from the bucket, which clings to his fur.
Although Spike is relieved that the pirates rescued him from the bucket, he quickly learns that they will not take him home. The pirates are busy looking for treasure. So Spike makes a deal with the pirate captain: he will help them find treasure in exchange for a ride home.
With this agreement, Spike’s pirate adventures begin. He must prove himself and the power of his nose to the pirates.
Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog is written in easy-to-read sentences that keep the action moving and excitement high for little readers. Mr. Meisel’s father, Paul Meisel, has included many beautiful full-color illustrations that enhance the reading experience.
Peter Meisel has also written a sequel to Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog, named Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue. I received an advance reader copy of Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog in exchange for my unbiased review of the book. We will be getting a copy of the sequel because my kids are enchanted by Stinky Spike!
Paul Meisel can be found online at www.paulmeisel.com. He has illustrated more than 70 books. His website includes many examples of his work, as well as a link to his blog.
Have you read any great books lately?
I suppose I always knew there was a real Winnie-the-Pooh—because I had heard the story of the real Christopher Robin. But it never occurred to me to wonder where Winnie came from before he was in the zoo. What a pleasant surprise to discover that he came from my home country of Canada!
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick tells the story of Winnie’s journey to the zoo. Winnie is not only the “Most Famous Bear,” but he was a world traveler as well!
The story begins with a veterinarian from Winnipeg, Manitoba, named Harry Colebourn. “If a horse had the hiccups or a cow had a cough, Harry knew how to make them feel just right.”
Harry became a soldier during World War I so that he could help care for the other soldiers’ horses. He was traveling across Canada with his regiment when their train stopped at a place called White River. Harry walked onto the train platform and found a trapper with a baby bear.
Harry thought for a long time. Then he said to himself, “There is something special about that Bear.” He felt inside his pocket and said, “I shouldn’t.” He paced back and forth and said, “I can’t” Then his heart made up his mind and he walked up to the trapper and said, “I’ll give you twenty dollars for the bear.”
Harry named the bear Winnipeg, or Winnie for short. Harry trained Winnie to “stand up straight and hold her head high and turn this way and that, just so!”
Harry took Winnie on the soldiers’ ship across the Atlantic Ocean to England. She became the Mascot of the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade.
Winnie was part of Harry’s regiment until it was time for the men to go to France to fight. It was not safe for Winnie to go with them. So Harry took Winnie to live at the London Zoo.
“There is something you must always remember,” Harry said. “It’s the most important thing, really. Even if we’re apart, I’ll always love you. You’ll always be my Bear.”
While Winnie was living at the London Zoo, a little boy went to the zoo with his father. The boy saw Winnie and they became true friends. He was even allowed to go into Winnie’s enclosure and play with her.
The little boy’s name was Christopher Robin Milne. As soon as he met Winnie, he knew that there was something special about her. He decided that his own stuffed bear should be named Winnie-the-Pooh.
Ms. Mattick has written Finding Winnie as a story within a story—she tells it to her own son, Cole, as part of the book. Ms. Mattick is the great-granddaughter of Harry Colebourn, and brings a personal touch to this fantastic story of the world’s most beloved bear.
Ms. Mattick included an album in the back of the book with pictures of Harry Colebourn, his diary from 1914 noting the purchase of Winnie, and a picture of Christopher Robin with Winnie at the zoo.
Ms. Mattick’s website is www.lindsaymattick.com. If you would like to learn more about this amazing bear, you can find links to videos about Winnie and other great information on Ms. Mattick’s website!
Have you read any great books lately?
I thought Mister Ed was the only talking horse around, but there was a “talking” horse long before televisions existed. Right down the road from here, in Shelbyville, Tennessee, an amazing horse and his owner lived at the turn of the twentieth century! In Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness, Donna Janell Bowman tells this unbelievable story.
William “Doc” Key was born into slavery. As he was growing up, he learned about taking care of horses. His mother taught him how to make homemade remedies. By the time he was a young man, William was so good at treating horses’ injuries and sicknesses that everyone called him “Doc.”
Then came the Civil War, and Doc was a free man. He built a new life as a businessman. He created many medicines, including one called Keystone Liniment, which was very popular. Doc bought a medicine wagon and rode from town to town selling the Keystone Liniment.
Doc bought a scrawny gray mare that he named Lauretta. She later gave birth to a sickly colt that could barely walk.
Doc named the baby horse Jim Key and nursed him until he was healthy. Jim followed Doc around and watched Doc’s every move. One day, when Jim saw Doc playing fetch with a dog, Jim tried to join in and brought Doc a stick to throw. Doc soon taught Jim other dog tricks—Jim learned to sit, play dead, act sick, and roll over on cue.
When Jim was about a year old, Lauretta died. Doc was worried about Jim, so he brought the horse into his house to live. Jim lived inside the house until he was too big; then both Doc and Jim moved into the barn. Doc’s training of Jim continued:
When Doc was ready to hitch up the medicine wagon again, he decided to bring Jim along as his newest attraction. Doc held up a bottle of Keystone Liniment and announced for people to gather around. He told the crowd how his sickly, crippled colt had grown strong and healthy. Right on cue, Jim pretended to be sick. He limped and drooped and snorted and wobbled. Then Doc gave Jim a spoonful of medicine and massaged a dollop of liniment into his legs. Suddenly Jim acted well again. He pranced around, frisky as a pup.
The audience clapped and laughed and lined up to buy Doc’s medicines.
At home, Jim watched Doc count money and write letters. One day, Doc’s wife asked Jim if he wanted a piece of apple, and Jim nodded his head. This made Doc wonder what else Jim could learn.
With much patience, Doc taught Jim the alphabet. Over the next seven years, Jim learned how to spell words, add sums, find flags to identify states, move clock hands to tell time, and even write his name on a blackboard with chalk!
People were astounded. Doc explained: “The whip makes horses stubborn and they obey through fear. Kindness, kindness, and more kindness, that’s the way.”
Doc and Jim Key performed around the country, helping to promote the cause of kindness to animals. Humane societies decided that Jim Key was the perfect animal to represent their cause. The humane societies believed that animals were intelligent, capable of emotions, and willing to learn if treated well.
Doc and Jim Key traveled the country for nine years, proving to millions of people that “with kindness, anything is possible.” Let us all remember the lesson they taught.
I had never heard about this astonishing animal before reading this book. I wish I lived back in Doc and Jim Key’s time so that I could see the talented horse in action. Since that is not possible, I am grateful to Ms. Bowman for doing such a wonderful job bringing Jim Key to life for me.
Ms. Bowman is the author of a number of educational books for children, including The Sioux: The Past and Present of the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota and The Navajo: The Past and Present of the Diné. Her love of horses is apparent not only in her writing about Jim Key, but also in two other horse books that she has written. Her website, www.donnajanellbowman.com is full of information and resources.
Have you read any great books lately?
2 Cooks Crafting Books 