Blog Archives
Responsibility of Pet Ownership
The Mystery of the Ball Python follows a snake-loving girl who discovers a ball python at a construction site and uses this experience to help educate her friends about snakes. What was the inspiration for your story?
Snakes are often misidentified and misunderstood, and frankly, I used to be afraid of them. The more I learned about snakes including how to identify the various local species, the less fearful I became. I got the idea for the series when my daughter and I went exploring a creek with friends, and we discovered several nonvenomous water snakes that a Snake ID group helped confirm. Seeing the girls so curious was a huge inspiration as was the content covered in the Snake ID group. Given the popularity of ball pythons as pets (and how they are occasionally found out in the wild due to escaping or being dumped), I knew I wanted to write a story centered around one.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
In The Mystery of the Ball Python, I especially wanted to write about the responsibility of pet ownership. I’m thankful a snake expert reviewed the story to make sure it addresses the proper care and keeping of ball pythons in particular.
When researching ball pythons for this story, what was the most interesting fact you discovered?
Goodness, there are so many interesting facts, though I was most surprised to learn that ball pythons can have, umm, loud flatus.
What is the next book with Naomi that you are working on, and when will it be available?
Naomi Nash: The Drama Noodle was recently released. Naomi, Emma, and Taylor are heading to drama camp, but the drama doesn’t stay at camp. Word is spreading about the snake-saving club, and when a local news crew asks to interview the club, things grow tense. Naomi wants to teach people more about snakes, but she’s not the only one who longs for a moment of fame. During the interview, things go from bad to worse. Can Naomi salvage the interview, her drama camp performance, and the club?
I hope to write more books in the series in the near future!
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Overcoming Adversity
Mangrove Sands–The Enchanted Sea World: The Epic Journey follows five children with challenges who are brought together to go on an undersea adventure together. What was the inspiration for your story?
My inspiration for The Epic Journey came to me when I discovered I was going to be a first-time grandma. I wrote this book for my beautiful Australian grandson who has a Swedish heritage.
All the characters in this magical story are engaging and interesting. What was your favorite character to write for and why? Was there a scene you felt captured the character’s essence?
Every new character added to each book is interesting in their own unique way. Saige is a Swedish girl who struggles accepting her leg was amputated. My favourite scene would be when Saige has built her confidence with support from the Enchanted Seaworld and friends and overcomes her fears and declares she no longer needs her magical leg.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
There were several important educational aspects in this book such as environment and overcoming adversity. However, the most important for me was for children to be open to learn and respect other cultures.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
I am currently at the tail end of writing my fourth book of the series taking the readers and characters to the origins of the Enchanted Seaworld, a world in a fourth dimension.
Author Links: Facebook | Amazon
A young Swedish girl has recently had her leg amputated. She struggles to accept the loss of her leg and has no interest in making new friends or attempting to walk until she meets her Enchanted Sea World friends and her life is changed forever. She starts doing things she never thought possible. She shows her friends how to make Dala horses, bake Swedish buns, and join in traditional Swedish celebrations.
Mangrove Sands–The Enchanted Sea World: The Epic Journey is full of magical adventures in the Enchanted Sea World including surviving a cyclone, a pandemic, and the realm of horrors. Magical spoons, a magical sea god, a wedding, and a death will keep young minds curious and captivated.
This book is full of fun, adventure, and many magical moments. It aims to provide hope and inspiration to children around the globe and encourages children to embrace, respect, and learn about other cultures and languages. It further encourages children to exercise humility, love, and understanding to all.
The Inspiring World of Ella Rose La Fleur
Lori Schneider’s The Inspiring World of Ella Rose La Fleur is a captivating collection of poetry designed to inspire children. The author takes us on a journey through the life of Ella Rose, describing her world in a beautiful and engaging way. Divided into distinct parts, the poems provide insight into Ella Rose’s family life, her relationships with her pets, friends, and teachers, her interests, and her travels. The touching book concludes on a happy note, promising a bright future for our beloved protagonist.
The writing style of the book is simple yet effective, with rhyming quatrains and tercets that create a pleasing rhythm. The chapters are filled with the innocence and simplicity of childhood, but the author also addresses real-world issues with a sense of understanding and morality that adds depth to the work. This book provides children with numerous opportunities to learn about the importance of pets, happiness, friends, and family. In addition, the book teaches valuable lessons about compassion, sympathy, love, and care for both loved ones and strangers. The relatable nature of Ella Rose’s daily routine and activities make her character endearing and relatable, which allows young readers to connect with her and learn from her experiences. This book will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on its readers.
The Inspiring World of Ella Rose La Fleur is an excellent choice for young readers who want to explore a relatable character with a heartwarming story. In addition, the book’s simple language and powerful messages make it an ideal read for budding readers who want to learn more about themselves and the world around them.
Pages: 115 | ASIN : B0BTRRJWX7
Gloppy
Eleven-year-old Dee Lanson has just begun her last year of elementary school. Greeting the new year, Dee looks forward to spending time with her friends and friendly sports competitions between the boys and girls of the fifth grade. But when new girl Samantha seems to be spending more time with Dee’s closest friends, Sue and Ronnie, than she is, Dee begins to feel the deadly stirrings of jealousy deep within her heart. Finding the perfect opportunity to vent her frustrations, Dee takes it upon herself to teach Samantha a lesson she’ll never forget. But when events spiral out of control, Dee finds that there is much more to her rival than she ever thought possible. With the guidance of teacher Ms. Hersh, school counselor Mr. Kent, and Dee’s parents, Dee and Samantha both learn more about each other and themselves as they work towards a solution to solve a problem that can only be described as “gloppy.”
A wonderful slice-of-life story that covers the last year of elementary school, Dee’s coming-of-age adventure is a lighthearted tale that explores the host of new emotions that come with being eleven. Although Dee and Samantha are the indisputable stars of the show, there is also a rich supporting cast of fellow students and teachers. I liked the vibrant personalities of the students, ranging from stalwart Sue to practical joker Pete. I also liked the interactions between Dee’s parents and the fact that there was more to Ms. Hersh than met the eye. Dee is easy to identify with, as she struggles to understand the complex emotions roiling within her. The only detraction I really had was that I wish Dee was a little nicer to her kid brother, but arguments between siblings are normal, and their parents were good mediators.
A tale of friendship and solving problems brought on by overwrought emotions, Gloppy by Janice Laakko is a lighthearted journey through the fifth grade. Gloppy has a joyful tone, excellent storytelling, and a satisfying conclusion, and it’s the perfect choice for readers eight and above who love a solid school-year adventure full of discovery, mischief, and fun.
Pages: 129 | ASIN : B09BW479M9
Kindness Has the Power to Change Lives
Marty and Lenny follows a friendly monkey who decides to befriend the school bully in hopes of helping him change. When you set out to write this book, was it your intention to write a story filled with kindness and morality?
Yes, it was definitely my intention. My aim was to create an entertaining children’s book designed to teach and inspire children to be kind to others, even when at first it may seem difficult.
I was inspired by research on the positive effects of oxytocin (the love hormone) on the mind and body. Showing and receiving kindness are ways we can boost oxytocin levels. Every act of kindness counts and repeated acts of kindness, have the power to change lives and make the world a better place.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art creation process like?
For the artwork in Marty and Lenny, I contracted Stefanie, an amazing, talented illustrator through Tellwell Publishing. I had a clear vision of the style of artwork I wanted based on the many picture books I had enjoyed reading in the past. I asked for bright, colourful and dynamic illustrations which effectively portrayed the emotions experienced by the characters in the story. I then created a storyboard and detailed descriptions for each illustration. Based on these descriptions, the illustrator created draft sketches for each illustration and then submitted them to me for review and feedback. Adjustments were made based on feedback and then colour was added to complete the illustrations. When I saw the finished products, I was thrilled and excited to see the story coming to life!
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
The power of kindness and the importance of good manners, were two of the main educational aspects I wanted to include in this book. My desire was to teach children that sometimes, the people who find it challenging to show kindness, can be the ones who need it the most. Everyone longs to belong and feel valued.
In addition to this, the story is a narrative poem designed for young readers. I chose this form of storytelling because poetry motivates children to read and builds early literacy skills. It helps children learn about rhyme, rhythm and sound. I was also intentional about the vocabulary I included in the story to help young children build their vocabulary.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am in the process of writing some draft manuscripts, which all have a special message for young readers. However, there is no current set release date for these yet.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Marty is a sweet, helpful monkey with lovely manners. Lenny is the complete opposite! He is a mean and selfish lion with bad manners and disgusting habits. After a memorable encounter with Lenny, Marty decides that things need to change. Join Marty as he makes a brave choice that changes EVERYTHING!
Marty and Lenny
Marty is a well-behaved and polite monkey; he has excellent manners. One of Marty’s traits is he tries to be a good friend to all around him. That also includes Lenny the Lion. Lenny is rude, crude, and has a terrible attitude. He has no manners and does not care who he upsets as long as he gets his way. One day at lunch, he let off a fart that was loud and stinky, and Marty knew something had to change. So that night, Marty came up with a plan. He was going to be nice to Lenny. Marty was going to see if being friends with Lenny would help him be a better Lion that people actually liked and wanted to be around. Would his plan work?
Marty and Lenny by Tania Woznicki is a heartwarming picture book about friendship. The school bully really just wants to be noticed, and when Marty approaches him with kindness, he is thrown off and takes him up on his offer to play. Marty teaches Lenny how to have good manners and be a good friend, not by lecturing or telling him everything he does wrong, but instead by showing him how a good person and friend acts.
The artwork in this children’s book is fantastic, there are layers of details, and everything is so vibrant. The characters come to life and will draw children in as they read the story and see Lenny learning how to have good manners.
Marty and Lenny is a delightful way to introduce good manners to children and teach them how to be a good friend to others. Children and adults will find this book well-written and inspirational. This would be an excellent book for preschool and kindergarten classrooms to help kids understand how to make new friends.
Pages: 24 | ASIN : B09VD63H9V
I Want to Inspire and Encourage Children
We’re on a Dragon Quest follows two children as they go in search of a dragon in the snow, collecting clues from magical creatures along the way. What was the inspiration for your story?
When I was a young child, my mother told me that she’d seen a fairy hiding among the potted plants in our yard. I really wanted to believe her, so I went outside to look for this tiny creature. Although I didn’t see a fairy, I drew pictures about my search for her. More recently I came up with the idea for We’re on a Dragon Quest, because I wanted to write an exciting adventure set close to a child’s home. The story takes place in the winter, as snow has a magical quality.
Why did you choose to leave the children in this story unnamed?
I left them unnamed because I wanted the children reading the story to pretend that they are the characters in the adventure, and therefore to become more involved in the quest.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The themes of the story are friendship and co-operation. I was also hoping to inspire a sense of wonder and encourage children to write imaginative stories for themselves
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am working on a lower middle grade series of animal story books. I am currently editing the first one and I hope it will be available in 2023.
We’re on a Dragon Quest
One cold winter day, a girl looks out the window and sees a dragon flying down the street and landing by the fishpond in her backyard. She tells her brother, and together they decide to go on a dragon quest to find the bright red dragon. To find the dragon, they follow a pixie, talk to a goblin, and get directions from an elf. Finally, following the dragon’s footsteps in the snow, they find Frazzle, the dragon hiding in their shed, and she gives a playful roar.
We’re on a Dragon Quest is an enchanting picture book written by Kathryn Hollingworth and illustrated by Felipe Calv. Young readers will be mesmerized by the colorful and whimsical drawings. The colors used to highlight key story elements make reading this more entertaining as children will be drawn to the words as much as the pictures. I really loved the rendering of Frazzle; she is funny and playful, a combination that will draw children right into this book.
The wonderful rhyming lines tell this imaginative story in a way that children will be excited to see what characters the brother and sister encounter next. The flow of the story keeps the action moving while also allowing children to imagine and guess what could happen next. It really does feel like going on a quest in the traditional sense as each new scene brings them new information, a new friend, and closer to the goal, finding the dragon! Each new character shows a unique personality and a friendly and helpful attitude. Bringing in classic fantasy character types is a great way to introduce this genre to children and entertain adults who love fantasy novels.
We’re on a Dragon Quest is a magical picture book that preschoolers and kindergarten children will love to read. With meaningful messages of helping others, friendship, and encouraging imaginative play, this children’s book would be a welcome addition to a home or classroom library.
Pages: 34 | ASIN : B09XKDKWZ2
LITERARY TITAN 